Architecture and design – Fife

Maggie’s Fife opened in 2006.

It was Zaha Hadid’s first permanent structure in the UK.

It was the architect’s intention that the centre sit in direct and deliberate contrast to the architecture of the Kirkcaldy Hospital.

The building

The building makes particular use of natural light. 

Quirky triangular windows draw the attention of visitors, and their spirits, upwards, while glass wall overlooks a wild ravine full of plant and animal life.

The centre embodies a striking contrast between exterior and interior. 

The outside, with its sweeping black roof sparkling like asphalt, gives way to a remarkable sense of space and light once you enter, just as a piece of black coal contains within it a source of warmth and comfort.

This contrast surprises every first time visitor, and is so fitting in an old mining community such as Fife.

The architect – Dame Zaha Hadid

“Once you step into the building you enter a completely different world. 

It is a kind of domestic space, it’s relaxing. 

Hospitals should have intimate spaces, places where patients can have a little time for themselves, to retreat into…

It’s about how space can make you feel good.”