Architecture and design – Cheltenham

Maggie's Cheltenham was built in 2010.

It is a fusion of old and new. The lovingly restored, Grade 2 listed Victorian lodge is at the front, and the new modern extension is at the side and back of the building.

The building

Sir Richard MacCormac, former president of RIBA, designed the building to provide a sanctuary away from the busy hospital, and this is reflected in the combination of openness and intimacy that characterises the interior of the centre.

The garden

The courtyard garden adjacent to the centre provides both a restful and energising place to engage the senses. 

Visitors enter the centre through an enclosed and highly landscaped garden with several discrete sitting areas, perfect for sitting out when the weather is fine. 

There is also the incredible Water Sculpture by the artist Bill Pye, which curves its way through the grounds like a beautiful metal snake, and brings the comforting sound of gently flowing water to the garden.

"A metaphorical landscape of hope designed to calm, soothe and inspire with the empowering beauty of nature."
– Dr Christine Facer Hoffman

The architect – Sir Richard MacCormac

Sir Richard MacCormac was a distinguished and well-respected artist who became a Royal Academician, and worked on a great number of architectural and artistic boards and committees, as well as lecturing and publishing widely on urban architecture.

"It’s not really a building; it’s a large piece of inhabited furniture with a roof hovering above it. 

Furniture is more immediate than buildings are: we use it, touch it, engage with it. 

Through the joinery we convey care, so that when people come in they feel they have come to a place about care."