So, a few months or so ago now, I visited the Maggie Centre at Gartnavel to discuss post mastectomy bras and other underwear concerns breast cancer patients have. The meeting actually occured because a member of their press team found my first blogpost: the power of blogging! Anyway, I read yesterday that the centre had won a RIBA award. I can completely understand. Now, in terms of architectural knowledge, I am limited at best. But the Maggie Centre at Gartnavel is the most appropriate building I have ever been in.
'Appropriate', makes it sound boring and lack-lustre, which it most definitely isn't. So I'm going to explain. The Maggie Centre is a place where patients can go after or before treatment, or just because they need to get out of their own house. There are classes, on everything from scarf tying to cooking, talks and evening activities. There is no reception, or front desk; you enter and find yourself in the kitchen, like you would in a home, The kitchen has a huge table which could easily (and I'm sure on many occasions does) sit 12 and every tea you could dream of.
The building is set out as one big space that can be divided into smaller rooms where necessary. So if you want to go in and talk to a group of people about your treatment, you can. If you want to have a one-to-one with one of the centre staff, you can. The middle houses a sunny courtyard and the whole building just basks in natural light. It's a place to feel calm, to feel hope. I felt so comfortable here, so welcomed.
So yes, the building is perfectly appropriate, but it is so much more than that, too.
It deserves this award, more than I could ever convey.
Ninja, xx
'Appropriate', makes it sound boring and lack-lustre, which it most definitely isn't. So I'm going to explain. The Maggie Centre is a place where patients can go after or before treatment, or just because they need to get out of their own house. There are classes, on everything from scarf tying to cooking, talks and evening activities. There is no reception, or front desk; you enter and find yourself in the kitchen, like you would in a home, The kitchen has a huge table which could easily (and I'm sure on many occasions does) sit 12 and every tea you could dream of.
The building is set out as one big space that can be divided into smaller rooms where necessary. So if you want to go in and talk to a group of people about your treatment, you can. If you want to have a one-to-one with one of the centre staff, you can. The middle houses a sunny courtyard and the whole building just basks in natural light. It's a place to feel calm, to feel hope. I felt so comfortable here, so welcomed.
So yes, the building is perfectly appropriate, but it is so much more than that, too.
It deserves this award, more than I could ever convey.
Ninja, xx
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