Heatherwick Studio will design the new Maggie’s Centre in Yorkshire due to open in 2016 within the grounds of St James’s University Hospital, Leeds.
Maggie’s Yorkshire will be built adjacent to the Bexley Wing at the St James’s University Hospital, the hospital’s world-class cancer unit. Situated among a number of multi-storey buildings, the site demands a high degree of ingenuity to create the calm, uplifting environment so important to the people who visit and work in Maggie’s Centres.
Laura Lee, Chief Executive of Maggie’s said:
“We are delighted that Heatherwick Studio is designing the new Maggie’s Centre in Yorkshire. Great architecture is vital to the care that Maggie’s offers and the studio is renowned for its inventive approach to design and its ability to truly get the best out of a space. This will be our first Centre in Yorkshire and we look forward to providing the vital help and support needed to people living with cancer in the region.”
Founded by Thomas Heatherwick in 1994, Heatherwick Studio is one of the most experimental design studios practising in Britain today. The studio’s work spans the disciplines of architecture, engineering, transport, urban planning, infrastructure and landscape. Notable works include the Olympic Cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the New Bus for London, the award-winning UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and the highly anticipated Garden Bridge, a stunning new public garden and pedestrian crossing set to span the River Thames in central London.
Thomas Heatherwick said:
“We are honoured to be working with the Maggie’s team on a new Centre. Our role is to make a special place that will support and encourage people affected by cancer and inspire the staff that work with them.”
St James’s University Hospital in Leeds sees over 9,000 people newly diagnosed with cancer per year. It provides specialist cancer services to a population of around 2.6 million people across the Yorkshire region and beyond. Maggie’s and St James’s University Hospital are working in partnership to create cancer support of the highest quality for people in the surrounding area.
Linda Pollard CBE, Chair of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, adds:
“We are proud to have one of the most modern and well equipped cancer hospitals in the world here in Leeds. It is therefore fitting that an internationally-renowned designer will be working on our site to develop our own Maggie’s Centre in Yorkshire, which will complement the excellent care our staff already provide.”
“This is a tremendously exciting opportunity and we are looking forward to working with the charity to make this fantastic project a reality. The philosophy behind the Maggie’s Centre fits perfectly with the holistic care and support we aim to provide for cancer patients from across Yorkshire, and it will be a wonderful and uplifting resource for them.”