Apart from all being eminent architects, what do Richard Murphy, Zaha Hadid, Richard Rogers, Frank Gehry, Page & Park, Wilkinson Eyre and Kisho Kurokawa all have in common? Well, the answer of course is that they have all designed iconic buildings for the Maggie's Cancer Care Centres.

The Maggie's Centres were founded and named after the late Maggie Keswick Jencks who died of cancer in 1995. She along with her husband, architectural writer and critic,  Charles Jencks, firmly believed that a well designed building has uplifting properties.

Last week I was lucky enough to be shown around by Andrew Anderson, Centre Head of Maggie's Centre, Edinburgh. Andrew drew my attention to the fact that the centres are designed to feel as non-institutional as possible, in fact almost an antithesis of a hospital. Where in hospital, for obvious reasons, lights have to be bright, staff wear name badges, certain colours are used on walls and there is a lot of hustle and bustle, you only need to step foot inside a Maggie's Centre and you will be struck by the calm, homely atmosphere. As Andrew points out, the location of the kettle is only a few steps from the front door –a conscious decision in the design brief. The entire space is designed specifically to feel welcoming which in turn allows patients to feel empowered. Staff are then able to give patients the tools they need to cope with the events which are happening in their lives in a calm and positive environment.

The walls in the Edinburgh centre are painted in soft calming lilacs, there are a scattering of marimekko cushions, Cassina recliners, crafted timber chairs and it's full of things you would find in your own home. The staff dress casually and wear no name tags, the space is open plan and the atmosphere is indeed extremely relaxed and positive.

After completing the Dundee Centre, pictured above, Frank Gehry said, “I hope the architecture won’t override the purpose of the building, but compliment it and take it to a higher plane of comfort and beauty”.

I would certainly agree with Mrs.Obama on her recent visit to the London Centre that “this is pretty amazing, it’s an oasis – an oasis that’s necessary for people who are struggling.”

You can discuss your favourite features of a Maggie's Centre now in our Online Centre. You can also read more of Niki's blogs on the Liquid Imagination website.