Maggie's Centre, Manchester
Structural Designer
Foster + Partners
Client Name
The Maggie Keswick Jencks Cancer Caring Centres Trust
Location
Manchester, UK
ARCHITECT, STRUCTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS
Foster + Partners
QUANTITY SURVEYOR
Gardiner & Theobold
LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT
Dan Pearson Studio
LIGHTING CONSULTANT
Cundall
MAIN CONTRACTOR
Sir Robert McAlpine
TIMBER DESIGN AND BUILD CONTRACTOR
Blumer Lehmann
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Maggie’s Centres provide a welcoming ‘home from home’ for people affected by cancer. The Manchester Centre establishes a domestic atmosphere in a garden setting a short walk from The Christie Hospital’s leading oncology unit.
The centre’s structure was constructed entirely in laminated veneer lumber, a sustainable harvested softwood which minimises the carbon footprint of the building. The frames were fabricated using computer-controlled cutting that minimised the total amount of material used.
Judge's comment:
This is an elegant building with a very simple structural idea at its heart. The judges liked the way the story of the building structure was develop0ed and made completely legible to everyone inside. The resulting clarity gives the building great integrity and allows the structural engineering to be an important part of people’s experience.