The Max Tanenbaum Healing Garden Officially opened on Monday, November 10th, 2014 and is located in Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, 14th floor. (Video: UHN Toronto/ YouTube)
"It's a reminder that life is beautiful" – Patient, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
"To remember the good in life" and "to look for the beauty in life." – Patient, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
The leadership team at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre was faced with a challenge: to create a natural and beautiful space (without using live plants) to ensure a pleasing, year-round, no-maintenance garden, in an area that is not designed to be accessible by patients, families and staff.
This was no easy task.
Following a rigorous, competitive process that invited qualified firms from across the country to provide proposals, the
Princess Margaret Garden Project Steering Committee unanimously selected the design of Janet Rosenberg & Studio (JRS) of Toronto. The committee, which included representatives from the Leadership Team, Oncology, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, Public Affairs and a member of the original donor family, met several times over the past six months to review design proposals.
You can see the garden perfectly once you exit off the 14 floor elevators of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. (Photo: UHN)
The concept for creating the garden
The garden design uses strong, cultivated patterns of formal French gardens and incorporates the artistry of hand-blown glass flowers, enclosed by an artificial boxwood hedge.
The vertical walls feature decorative panels that add another visual dimension and unify a garden rich in colour, creativity and natural forms.
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre's leadership would like to thank the many patients, families and staff who have provided feedback over the years and expressed the desire to have a more peaceful landscape in the 14th floor space.
They would also like to thank the steering committee for its deliberations and final selection as the design delivers a healing garden that will indeed give a calming, beautiful focal point for patients and families, and staff.
A big 'thank you'
This project was funded with proceeds from UHN's international partnership with Kuwait. The cancer centre appreciates the time and effort so many employees have invested in this partnership, both at home and abroad.
SarahRose Black and Dr. David Loach played a Musical Interlude for the official opening of The Max Tanenbaum Healing Garden. (Photo: UHN).
The installation of the 14th floor Max Tanenbaum Healing Garden is now complete and we're looking forward to the big reveal. Please come and visit when you have a chance and take a moment to relax beside the garden.
