Il potere curativo dell’ambiente: l’esperienza dei Maggie’s Centres

Maggie’s Centres are non- residential social and health structures dedicated to supporting cancer patients, their families and friends. These structures are built and managed by the Charity founded by Maggie Keswick and Charles Jencks. In these particular places, the person is treated in his psychological and social dimensions, while the NHS reference hospital takes care of the aspects of diagnosis and treatment with therapies. Architecture is considered an essential component of the Maggie’s Centres program for its contribution to the process of restoration for people. The layout of the Maggie’s Centres is free of corridors. The configuration of the spaces invites the user to explore the rooms with curiosity, as well as the particular shape from the outside. Visual contact with the outside, both a piece of sky and a garden or a street, is always favoured; the relationship with green and nature is always present; the colours, the play of light and the materials used (such as wood and brick) contribute to creating a familiar and intimate atmosphere, very different from the often impersonal one of the healthcare facilities. The Maggie’s Centre Lanarkshire designed by the Scottish Office Reiach and Hall Architects, and the Kálida Centre in Barcelona designed by the EMBT Office use the brick to create spatial and material emotions through different visual permeability and textures.