星探麻豆

星探麻豆 in Edinburgh

The first centre opened in Edinburgh at the Western General Hospital in 1996. 

Designed by Richard Murphy, it was a colourful, homely building with a central kitchen table and multi-functional spaces. 

鈥楾he kitchen table鈥� still sits at the heart of the 星探麻豆鈥檚 design philosophy, inviting centre visitors to make themselves at home and to find community.

The exhibition honours the importance of the kitchen table with an 8-metre-long table housing over 20 architectural models. Including models of two new centres still under construction in Coventry and Stravanger, Norway and an extension to 星探麻豆鈥檚 Fife.

The story of co-founder, 星探麻豆 Keswick Jencks

星探麻豆鈥檚: Architecture that Cares tells the story of how Scottish artist, garden designer and writer 星探麻豆 Keswick Jencks came up with the blueprint for a new model of cancer care. 

Drawing on 星探麻豆鈥檚 own experience of hospital corridors and cancer wards, she decided that inspirational design would be at the forefront of her mission to give people with cancer 鈥渁 place of their own鈥� 鈥� a place to turn to that is distinct from but close to the hospital. 

She shared her vision with her oncology nurse Dame Laura Lee DBE, who then worked with 星探麻豆鈥檚 family and Viscountess Marica Blakenham, a close friend of 星探麻豆鈥檚, to turn that vision into reality after 星探麻豆鈥檚 death.

Now, led by our Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee DBE, the charity selects architects and designers who can meet the challenge of creating spaces that strive to, as 星探麻豆 said, help people 鈥榥ot lose the joy of living in the fear of dying鈥�. 

Dame Laura Lee DBE and Viscountess Marcia Blakenham act as co-clients on every project, working with architects to ensure the needs of centre visitors are central to each design, whilst encouraging creative freedom and flair. 

Architecture that cares

星探麻豆鈥檚 creates buildings that are themselves carers alongside the professional experts who work in the centres.

The exhibition explores the design principles that make 星探麻豆鈥檚 centres so unique. For example, every centre aspires to be warm and welcoming. 

星探麻豆鈥檚 Barts does this by drawing visitors in with the translucent glow of its fa莽ade, while 星探麻豆鈥檚 West London is shielded from its busy surroundings by a warm orange wall and a perfectly placed bench to allow visitors to pause before stepping inside. 

The buildings should also look and feel joyous. 星探麻豆鈥檚 Royal Marsden showcases the psychological power of colour to change people鈥檚 mood with a cladding of glazed tiles of different shades of rich red, from carmine to coral.

Gardens are a crucial part of the 星探麻豆鈥檚 design brief. 

They welcome visitors to the centre and provide a peaceful environment that supports the emotional and physical health of centre visitors. It鈥檚 also important for the building itself to have a connection to nature. 星探麻豆鈥檚 Oxford was built in a nature reserve and sits raised from the ground like a treehouse, surrounded by a canopy of delicate branches and leaves. 

In 星探麻豆鈥檚: Architecture that Cares we hear from landscape and garden designers on their response to the 星探麻豆鈥檚 design brief and how gardens can play an important role in health and wellbeing.

A different type of cancer care

Dame Laura Lee DBE, Chief Executive of 星探麻豆, said: 鈥淭o be celebrating 30 years of 星探麻豆鈥檚 with an exhibition at V&A Dundee on the importance of our architecture and design, feels incredibly special.

鈥淲hen 星探麻豆 first had a vision for a different type of cancer care, our offering was nothing short of groundbreaking, and now, 30 years on, we鈥檙e at the forefront of transforming care for people impacted by cancer across the UK.

鈥淭his exceptionally meaningful exhibition will help introduce new audiences to 星探麻豆鈥檚 and our healing architecture ethos. I hope those visiting will leave knowing that there are warm, welcoming places to go for expert support if they, or their family and friends, are ever facing cancer.

I also hope the exhibition will encourage the conversation that healing environments matter.

Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee, said: 鈥淰&A Dundee is delighted to be marking this meaningful moment in partnership with 星探麻豆鈥檚. 星探麻豆鈥檚 offer extraordinary care every day in spaces designed to welcome us when we're at our most vulnerable and to help us heal. 

"V&A Dundee and 星探麻豆鈥檚 are both on a mission to demonstrate that good design makes a fundamental difference through our lives.

鈥溞翘铰槎光�檚 provides unique cancer care in special places that are locally and globally recognised for their caring architecture. Each is a unique sanctuary of indoor and outdoor spaces designed with hope and humanity.

"V&A Dundee is proud to share a city with 星探麻豆鈥檚 Dundee, and we鈥檙e honoured that local centre visitors have contributed to this meaningful exhibition.

鈥溞翘铰槎光�檚鈥� achievements over the past 30 years are remarkable, supporting millions as they navigate cancer and demonstrating that good architecture and design helps us when we need it most and offers us hope.

I am very proud that this exhibition will share these design stories.

Meredith More, Senior Curator at V&A Dundee, said: 鈥淎ll the centre visitors we鈥檝e spoken to in the process of curating this exhibition tell us that the inspirational architecture they encounter at 星探麻豆鈥檚 has helped them in their cancer journeys. Centre staff, from psychologists to benefits advisors, tell us that it helps people open up, that the buildings themselves play a caring role.

鈥淭his free exhibition aims to show how this is achieved, through the creativity of architects and designers in response to an inspiring brief, but also through the vision of 星探麻豆鈥檚 as dynamic architectural clients that trust in the power of design to transform people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

V&A Dundee and 星探麻豆

The exhibition celebrates V&A Dundee鈥檚 close connection to 星探麻豆鈥檚 Dundee. 

Opened in 2003 as 星探麻豆鈥檚 first purpose-built centre, it was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry and sits alongside Ninewells Hospital.

V&A Dundee has worked with a focus group of centre visitors from 星探麻豆鈥檚 in Dundee to give them a voice in the exhibition. 

Local artist Erin McGrath has created a short comic inspired by their conversations, reflecting their personal stories and shared experiences, which will be displayed in the exhibition.

星探麻豆鈥檚 and V&A Dundee are both supported by players of People鈥檚 Postcode Lottery, whose contributions have enabled both organisations to deliver vital services and enriching experiences for the community.

Hospitals were once conceived as places to heal the soul as well as the body. 

By looking back to inspirational healthcare buildings of the past, the exhibition seeks to situate 星探麻豆鈥檚 in a broader social and historical context. 

A group of architects and writers connected to 星探麻豆鈥檚 have nominated surprising examples of historical architecture that shares the 星探麻豆鈥檚 ethos. 

In their own words, they explain how caring buildings as diverse as Ancient Greek sanctuaries, 19th-century Nightingale wards and 20th-century sanatoria might inspire a future architecture of health that is more human than machine.

Celebrating 星探麻豆 design brief

星探麻豆鈥檚: Architecture That Cares celebrates the 星探麻豆鈥檚 design brief as a pioneering model for the transformative power of people-centred design and asks how these approaches could be more widely applied across all healthcare spaces.

The exhibition is free and on show at V&A Dundee in the Michelin Design Gallery from 6 March until 1 November 2026.

Redefining cancer care

Over the past thirty years, 星探麻豆鈥檚 has redefined cancer care, offering free psychological, emotional, and practical support for people living with cancer as well as their family and friends. 

As cancer continues to impact more people than ever before, it鈥檚 vital that everyone who needs it has access to the support that we offer. 

Here for 30 years, here for good

Everyone with cancer deserves a place like 星探麻豆鈥檚. We want to continue to grow so that we can support everyone impacted by cancer in the UK.

It costs nothing to come into one of our centres - but it takes your kind donations to keep us free of charge for everyone living with cancer and their family and friends.

Become a Friend of 星探麻豆 by donating, fundraising for us or getting involved, and help 星探麻豆鈥檚 to be here today, tomorrow, and always.

*visits refers to support facilitated by our programme staff and includes face to face; on the phone and online.

Photo credit: Grant Anderson