Although Hong Kong is quite green – country parks and nature reserves make up 40% of the island – beautiful gardens are few and far between. In this month’s issue, we visited the Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre in Tuen Mun, which is the only garden in Hong Kong that made it to Phaidon’s newest book, The Gardener’s Garden.

What makes Maggie’s special is how it looks, feels, and acts like a home. The intelligently designed building (by Frank Gehry, no less) and relaxing garden come together to create a serene mood that provides comfort for cancer patients and their families. It’s proof of the moving power of design. We speak to landscape designer Lily Jencks, who walks us through the ethos of Maggie’s Centre and the creation of the Hong Kong centre, the first one outside the UK:

A hospital is really tough environment for one to stay positive and remain hopeful. There’s a particular smell, sound, colour in a hospital, which are chosen because hospitals must be efficient and hygienic. It’s not an ideal place to deal with incredibly difficult moments when you’re feeling vulnerable and upset.

Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre offers a different environment for healthcare. It feels more like a home and therefore instills more optimism and strength. The landscape is a really important part of it because gardens are very therapeutic for people who are sick. I’ve heard of very moving stories about cancer patients fighting so that they can see the Magnolia flower bloom. The changing seasons provide a narrative that connects them to the world around them and this becomes a part of the healing process.

Frank and I worked on creating an atmosphere of positivity. One unique thing about the centre is that we have a kitchen in the middle of the building. It’s the first thing you see – not a desk to register or anything like that – so people come in and make tea, sit down, have a look around. It’s their space to use as they see fit.

The design of building and the garden happened at the same time. We were looking at the Scholar’s Garden in Suzhou and Frank and I wanted to use elements of it. It’s very smart in the sense that it creates a larger area, a macrocosm if you will, in a small space ¬– the water represents the ocean, the rocks the mountains and so forth.

Our idea is to have a sense that things extend beyond the corners, an infinite feel. The design isn’t linear or axial – it’s a small building and garden but it feels like a labyrinth, there’s that continuous discovery. Each room has a different view that looks onto another part of the landscape. It’s also not a passive garden – one can have a meditative walk and keep on going because they don’t see the end of it.

We used recycled roof tiles from China, which is a great paving material and provides and intense pattern and texture on the floor. We also used Chinese rocks that help divide the space and give you an anchor point. The rocks are oriented so you see them directly from each window.

Frank and I hoped to reference the idea of a Chinese garden rather than being a copy of it. Maggie’s has a sense of discovery, a courtyard feel but I don’t think the Chinese reference is very obvious. The cultural aspect remains in how it’s being used. I think people in Hong Kong find it amazing that Maggie’s is open to everyone for free – we get a lot of traffic because of that.

Get an exclusive chance to visit the centre and speak to Lily Jencks on Sunday November 23. Event will include a garden tour and talk with special guests Alexander M. Duggie, Lily Jencks and Kissa Castañeda. The event is HK$675.00 including The Gardener’s Garden and Home Journal November issue. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to Maggie’s Hong Kong. Session one will start at 11:00am and session two at 2:00pm. Complimentary round-trip transportation will be provided from Central and parking is free on-site. Maggie’s Hong Kong is at Tuen Mun Hospital, Tsing Chung Koon Road, Tuen Mun, N.T., Hong Kong. Register for the event HERE. More about the collaboration between Frank Gehry and Lily Jencks HERE

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