Critical Appraisal: Maggie’s Gartnaval
Maggie’s centre was established to provide a conducive environment for cancer patients. The centres act as healing destination designed strategically to provide a relaxed and cool environment. The first Maggie's Center was developed in Edinburgh in 1996. Ever since, The Maggie's Cancer-Caring Centres have developed generously. The centres are characterised with progression of imaginative structures planned by globally renowned designers. The objective of each Maggie's Center - whether in Glasgow, London, or Hong Kong - is to give a space where individuals feel at home and administered to. A space that is warm, open, and inviting. The serenity and tranquillity of Maggie’s centres is the first priority in all the designs undertaken
The designing of Maggie’s centres is based on a principle that outstanding design and inventive spaces can improve individuals feel. In this way, they have succeeded to encourage the interest and creative ability principal to feeling revitalized. Great in their desire, however planned on a little scale. Maggie's Centres give an appreciated reprieve from ordinary institutional healing facility design. Their spaces are more than just practical; they serve as a shelter for those getting treatment. By developing a place to interact and gain from other people who are experiencing the same problems, Maggie's Centres help patients to build up their feeling of certainty and hope.
In 2007, Maggie's Center invited OMA to plan and design Gartnavel healing center in Glasgow, near the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Center. OMA designed a solitary level working as circular interlocking rooms encompassing an interior arranged yard. The centre is really a cautious arrangement of spaces abiding with the requirements of a Maggie's Center and giving a shelter to those adapting to the disease. Strategically located in Glasgow near the Gartnaval Cancer Hospital, the centre has been blueprinted by OMA, led by a celebrated Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and Ellan Van Loon (Well, 2007). Landscape designing was done by Maggie Keswick Jencks, one of the daughters of Maggie’s foundation. Jencks believes that proper landscape designing can help lift the spirits of the ailing cancer patients. The landscaping therefore was done in a way so that the entire centre portrayed a touch of tranquillity and neutrality. With its strategic location and the panoramic view of trees, the patients were exposed to a friendly welcoming environment. At some point, the patients will feel the need to live longer due to the relaxing environment.
The Glasgow healing centre is the eighth after the commencement of Maggie Foundation in 1996. The centre was financed by grant making philanthropy Walk the Walk from a portion of the cash raised at The MoonWalk Edinburgh. The location of Maggie’s centre in Glasgow is very tactical because Scotland is one of the countries with highest prevalence of cancer. The construction of Maggie's Center in Glasgow had a cost implication of 2.1 million sterling pounds. These entire funds came from the charity walk. The architectural design was done in a way to ensure that the spaces to feel easy-going and verging on light-hearted, whilst all the while giving private and cosy spaces, with the inside yard giving a position of haven and shelter from the everyday experience of adapting to cancer (Espie, 2008).
In 2009, the Maggie’s foundation board undertook a complete review of all their policies and practices. The foundation amended its memorandum of association and article ofassociation to comply with new changes of company law provided by the Companies Act of 2006. Further to that the foundation has also formalized the board evaluation process. With a proper legal structure, the foundation has been able to operate smoothly.
Rather than an arrangement confined rooms, the centre is outlined as a grouping of interconnected L-formed figures in arrangement that make unmistakably recognized zones. This plan minimizes the requirement for passageways and corridors and permits the rooms to stream. The arrangement has been sorted out for the spaces to feel relaxed, practically light-hearted, allowing one to feel calm and at home, (Dominiczak, 2013). At the same time the outline additionally gives spaces to more individual time - either in the personal setting of the guiding rooms, or in small rooms and private spaces.
Situated in a characteristic setting, similar to a structure in the forested areas, the centre is both thoughtful and outgoing. Every space either related to the inside patio or to the encompassing forest and greenery. The rooftops and the floor levels are design in a way to match with the surrounding environment. The available rooms vary in heights, with the more personal zones modified for private uses. At the same time there are more spacious and roomy zones for collective use (Pehlivanoğlu, 2012). More than any other place, the inside patio gives a position of haven and rest. The architectural design and the photo of the centre are Picture1, 2 and 3 below.
The perimeter wall is made of perforated brick which encloses a series of internal courtyards and gardens. The walls of the centre are surrounded with fluted fibreglass. The glazed walls provide a view of the surrounding trees which were planted in glades to bring a feeling of tranquillity and serenity. Maggie's centre extraordinarily emphasize on the plans of their focuses to encourage the work they do. Thoughtfully organized, Maggie's Gartnavel is really a precisely considered creation of spaces responding to the requirements of a Maggie's Center. Instead of a progression of detached rooms, the centre is composed as a grouping of interconnected L-shaped structures. The arrangement has been composed for the spaces to feel easy-going, practically cheerful, allowing one to feel quiet and at home; part of a compassionate group of individuals. The centre has created an environment necessary for the healing process of cancer.
Picture 1: Architectural Plan of Maggie's Gartnavel. (2007) At: http://www.dezeen.com/2011/10/05/maggies-gartnavel-by-oma/
OMA is an international architectural company involved in architecture, engineering, urban and regional planning, and social investigation. The company is driven by five aggressive and innovative partners – Rem Koolhaas, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van Loon, Victor van der Chijs, Victor van der Chijs and Shohei Shigematsu. They also have more than 220 employees working in more than 35 different countries. To take care of the scope of tasks around the world, OMA keeps up branches in Rotterdam, New York, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Current projects under development inclide the new home office for Rothschild bank in London, a remarkable expansion to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University, the home office for China Central Television in Beijing, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in southern China.
Picture 2: Architectural Model for Maggie's Gartnavel. (2007) At: http://www.dezeen.com/2011/10/05/maggies-gartnavel-by-oma/
Picture 3: A photo of Maggie’s Centre at Gartnaval. (2008). At: https://www.maggiescentres.org/our-centres/maggies-glasgow/architecture-and-design/
Just like the Maggie’s center at Glasgow which was architecturally designed to provide a holistic serene environment for the ailing cancer patients; the same design can be used to develop a meditation centre in in Swaziland (Banham, 2009). The same arrangement of spacious L-shaped structure with a natural touch can provide the perfect environment for meditation. The project should be located near the mountains of Dharma. The panoramic view of the mountain coupled with an exquisite architectural design will provide an irresistible resort for meditation.
Reference
Banham, R., 2009. Los Angeles: the architecture of four ecologies. Univ of California Press.
Pehlivanoğlu, B., 2012. Design principles of spa areas in accommodation facilities. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Transport, Civil, Architecture and Environment Engineering, Dubai, UAE. Retrieved from http://psrcentre. org/images/extraimages/1412101. pdf.
Espie, C.A., Fleming, L., Cassidy, J., Samuel, L., Taylor, L.M., White, C.A., Douglas, N.J., Engleman, H.M., Kelly, H.L. and Paul, J., 2008. Randomized controlled clinical effectiveness trial of cognitive behavior therapy compared with treatment as usual for persistent insomnia in patients with cancer. Journal of clinical oncology, 26(28), pp.4651-4658.
Dominiczak, M.H., 2013. Illness and culture: Maggie's Centres. Clinical chemistry, 59(1), pp.333-334.
Well, E., First, F., it Out, W. and Training, C.B., 2007. Scottish centre design wins top architectural accolade. Cancer Nursing Practice, 11(10).
