Charles and Maggie Jencks

At the end of January 24 members of the Art & Architecture Group met to hear from Chris about origin and development of Maggie’s Centres prior to our visit to our local centre in Newcastle.

Maggie Keswick and Charles Jencks, who incidentally both had first degrees in English literature, were drawn to architectural studies and subsequently to marriage. Both came from wealthy backgrounds; Maggie’s Scotland and China, while Charles’ USA and subsequently England and both were soon influential in the architectural world. Sadly at the height their careers, Maggie was diagnosed with cancer and her prognosis was poor. When her initial diagnosis was received they found that there were few facilities to provide pastoral care and support for patients and their greater families. They decided something needed to be done. Utilising their contacts, they proposed the development of centres, associated with major cancer treatment hospitals, which they felt were sorely needed.

Their specification was: a welcoming and tranquil centre, supported by expert nurses and non-medical staff, focussed around a large kitchen table, adjacent to kitchen facilities along with a library of factual references to medical conditions relevant to the patient’s and their carer’s circumstances. This is supported by a series of consulting and meeting rooms of varying sizes. The buildings should be of the highest quality and surrounded by landscape. Each architect was free to design, in keeping with their personal style, a refuge for patients diagnosed with cancer and their carers, and remarkably each architect freely gave their time to fulfil their interpretation of the brief.

We were then shown aspects of the work by a number of these architects and then their subsequent Maggie’s Centre – all stimulating, awe inspiring and unique.

Maggie' Centre Western General Hospital Edinburgh by Richard Murphy Architects: from L to R Previous Work by RMA, 1.A House in Circus Mews Edinburgh, 2.Apartments in the Canongate Edinburgh, 3-4, Maggie's Centre, Edinburgh.

Maggie's Centre Nine Wells Hospital, Dundee by Frank Gehry: from L to R Previous Work by Gehry, 1.'The Dancing ('Fred and Ginger') House', Prague, 2. The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, 3-5, Maggie's Centre, Dundee.

Maggie's Centre Charing Cross Hospital, West London by Lord Richard Rogers+RSHP: from L to R Previous work by Richard Rogers 1. Centre Pompidou, Paris (with Renzo Piano) 2. A House for his Parents, Wimbledon 3-5. Maggie's Centre, West London .

Maggie's Centre, Christie Hospital, Manchester by Lord Norman Foster/Foster + Partners: Previous work by Norman Foster 1. Willis Building, Ipswich 2. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich 3-5. Maggie's Centre, Manchester

Finally we were shown the work of Ted Cullinan, the architect for the Maggie’s Centre, Newcastle and await with anticipation our visit to the Freeman Hospital.

Work by Ted Cullinan/Cullinan Studio: From L to R: 1-2. Fountains Abbey Visitor Centre, 3. RMC HQ Haslemere, 4-5. John Hope Gateway Building, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens

Photo credits: Jencks Picture: Maggies.org, Row 1: Pics 1+2: R Murphy, Pics 3-5 Maggies.org. Row 2: Pics 1+2 CP/U3A Pics 3-5 Maggies.org. Row 3: Pics 1+2 RSHP Pics 3-5 Maggies,org. Row 4 Pics 1+2 CP/U3A Pics 3-5 Maggies.org Row 5: Pics 1,2,4,5 CP/U3A Pic 3 Cullinan Studio