Architecture of Hope

On May 6, the Kálida Sant Pau Center hosted the discussion “Architecture of Hope: Maggie’s Centers and Design in the Service of Health,” an event organized by the Enric Miralles Foundation as part of Barcelona World Capital of Architecture 2026, which brought together architecture, healthcare, and institutional expertise to reflect on the role of design in care settings.

This dialogue was based on a fundamental premise: care cannot be understood solely from a medical perspective, but must also be considered within the context in which it takes place. In this sense, architecture ceases to be merely a functional container and becomes an active agent in the experience of physical, emotional, and social well-being.

Inspired by the philosophy of the Maggie’s Centers, the conference proposed a paradigm shift in the design of healthcare spaces. In contrast to traditional hospital models, these centers offer environments where a home-like scale, natural light, materials, and a connection to nature come together to create spaces that foster calm, orientation, connection, and dignity.

Far from viewing design as a technical solution, architecture is conceived as a relational practice that places the human experience at the center of the project. In this context, designing involves attending to emotions, vulnerability, and the need for support, recognizing space as an essential part of the caregiving process.

From this perspective, architecture is conceived as an infrastructure of care, capable of sustaining, accompanying, and transforming people’s experiences. The question is no longer simply how to build efficient spaces, but how to design environments that foster well-being, a sense of belonging, and support in times of vulnerability.

Through a dialogue between architecture and institutional practice, the session explored how design can help redefine healthcare environments, proposing a key shift: from the hospital as a machine to space as a refuge; from clinical efficiency to the human experience; from design as a solution to design as a form of support.

Speakers:

– BENEDETTA TAGLIABUE
Co-founder and Principal Architect at EMBT Architects; Founder and President of the Enric Miralles Foundation

– DAME LAURA LEE, DBE
Executive Director and CEO, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centers

– ELÍAS TORRES
Co-founder and Principal Architect at Martínez Lapeña-Torres Arquitectos

– ALEX DE RIJAKE
Director of the dRMM Architecture Studio, professor of “Timber Architectures” at TU Delft

– JOSEP LLUÍS BLÀZQUEZ
Host of the program “Perspectiva” on Catalunya Radio

This event is part of the program for Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture, a distinction awarded by UNESCO and the International Union of Architects (UIA) to the city hosting the UIA World Congress of Architects, and transforms it into a global forum for architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture. From February 12 to December 13, a multidisciplinary program will be presented in collaboration with schools, universities, and professional and cultural organizations throughout Catalonia.

Barcelona 2026 World Capital of Architecture is supported by the Barcelona City Council, the Government of Catalonia, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.