Maggie's Opening

Maggie’s Newcastle opened on 16^th May 2013 on a wonderful sunny day which saw the building fully inhabited for the first time. The kitchen was packed to the concrete down stand beams, with project architect, project manager and lighting designer perched on the staircase and others spilling into the courtyard  for a view  of the speakers Charles Jencks, Sarah Brown,  Ted Cullinan and Lorna Moran and to listen to bassist Graeme Danby’s wooing of the crowd.

Working with Maggie’s to create the Maggie’s Newcastle has been a tremendous experience and a joy to work with such a committed client. In the month since the opening an unprecedented 1000 people have visited the centre, including a larger proportion of men than at other centres which was one of the key aspirations for this scheme.

The centre sits within a continuum of buildings by our office. The radical transformation of the hospital grounds into a tranquil courtyard exemplifies our interest in place making and the celebration of living close to nature. The centre is sited and arranged to maximise the sun’s winter heating potential, to collect and store its energy and regulate temperature with the mass of exposed concrete. The landscaped mounds provide shelter to the north and quietly delineate the warm courtyard to the south.

Most importantly, our buildings blossom through use and it was wonderful to see the varied spaces of Maggie’s Newcastle being activated for the first time.