Steven Holl-designed Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre for St Bart’s hospital has been narrowly approved by City of London planners

Steven Holl's design for the Maggie's Centre at St Barts Hospital

Steven Holl’s revised design for the Maggie’s Centre at St Barts Hospital

A controversial Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre designed by Steven Holl for St Bart’s hospital has been narrowly approved by City of London planners.

The vote saw 11 side in favour of the scheme while 10 voted against with Holl himself attending the hearing at the Guildhall and speaking up for the scheme.

This morning’s vote came after a new planning application was submitted by the hospital and Maggie’s after the project was initially turned down last summer.

Then, a series of objections were made against it by organisations including the London Society, Save St Bart’s, Friends of the Great Hall and the Bart’s Health NHS Trust Archive Committee.

Objectors to the new plans included Michael Hopkins who argued that it is in the wrong place.

The architect, whose practice has won planning for a rival scheme at the hospital, said better options existed for a single- or two-storey Maggie’s “that would be closer in spirit, function and scale to the Maggie’s already built elsewhere”.

These should be fully evaluated in consultation with English Heritage, City of London planners and his client, the Friends of the Great Hall, he said.

In a letter to City of London planners Hopkins listed his objections to Holl’s Maggie’s centre and an allied proposal by Donald Insall Associates.

He said the cancer centre must be moved to another site 20 yards away to allow a wheelchair lift, cloakrooms and toilets to be added to the grade Ilisted Great Hall.

This story first appeared on Building Design

Steven Holl's revised design for the Maggie's Centre at St Barts Hospital

Steven Holl’s revised design for the Maggie’s Centre at St Barts Hospital