I’m very excited, because this is my first Maggie’s post bringing news of a new Maggie’s Centre, and even more excitingly, it is the first international centre; in Hong Kong.
Maggie’s Hong Kong was opened on Thursday 7th March 2013 by Secretary for Food & Health, Dr Ko Wing Man, who was joined by Charles Jencks, Maggie’s co-founder; Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive (below left); Keith Kerr, Chairman of Maggie’s Hong Kong Board of Directors, Eleanor Ling from the Keswick Foundation and Helen Lui, Maggie’s Hong Kong Centre Head (below right).
The new purpose built centre was designed by Frank Gehry who also designed Maggie’s Dundee. He said: “Maggie was bright and sunny and open and fun and whimsical and smart as hell. She was a real creative spirit, she had a healthy curiosity and she tried things, and in a sense I emulated her.”
“The building has feelings which I hope engender community activity, and that it’s comfortable for the patients to be there. It’s respectful of Chinese architecture and motifs. I hope it’s not copying anything Chinese or architectural, but I hope it’s very respectful of them.”
“I was going through the loss of a daughter while I was designing the Centre. I think you sort of suck it up and hope to make something that is soothing and respectful and hopeful. There’s always hope, it’s not a dead end.” Frank Gehry’s daughter, Leslie Gehry Brenner, died on November 16 2008 of uterine cancer.
There has been an interim centre in Hong Kong since September 2008, so there is a well established community of people with cancer and their families and friends already receiving the emotional, practical and social support that Maggie’s provides – and what’s quite nice is that this community is largely made up of locals rather than ex-pats.
The first few images in the presentation Frank Gehry made to Maggie’s containing the design for the centre are of koi carp swimming in water – and if you’ve ever sat next to a koi carp pond, you’ll know how calming they can be.
The finished centre is a series of pavilions arranged around water and laid out to encourage movement between the interior and exterior spaces. Rooms open on to the surrounding gardens or have terraces overlooking the pond, so there are views out to nature from almost every room. Chinese gardens and the Suzhou tradition have clearly been an influence.
Lily Jencks, landscape architect and daughter of co-founders Charles Jencks and Maggie Keswick Jencks, designed the gardens. She said: “These intimate gardens represent the macrocosm of the universe within the microcosm of a landscape, bringing an awareness of man’s place in nature. This early integration of landscape form and building has created a complex relationship between the man-made forms and naturalistic garden setting.”
Maggie’s chief executive Laura Lee said: “This is a very special occasion, not only are we able to provide more help and support for people who are living with cancer in the region but Maggie’s Hong Kong is our first international Centre. Maggie’s proven programme of support will act as an antidote to the isolation and despair of a cancer diagnosis. Frank Gehry’s design will help to facilitate this support, by making people feel safe, inspired and valued. Under one extraordinary roof, Maggie’s will help people to find their way out of the hopelessness of cancer.”
Plans are underway to create a Maggie’s in Barcelona, along with a further three international centres by 2017 – which I’ll be writing about as soon as they open, so watch this space!
Further reading for the especially geeky:
With thanks to Maggie’s for the photography and to Pako Ko for the first image.
