John Morden Centre in London
Mae Architects  

John Morden Centre in London

Mae Architects  


This senior daycare is part of a complex of listed buildings of Morden College, which harbors a community of elderly people. Founded in 1695, Morden College is located in Blackheath Park, in Southeast London. Seeking to address the problem of loneliness among aging residents, the new building includes a double-height café with large windows, venues for events, arts and crafts workshops, and rooms for physical-fitness activities, besides medical facilities for general doctor consultations and physiotherapy.

The new construction evokes the layers of the history of the place by introducing elements of the architecture existing around, interpreting them in a contemporary language and using materials like reddish-toned bricks and cross-laminated timber (CLT). A garden courtyard with clear references to the cloisters of Morden College provides an interior passageway that interweaves the different social spaces distributed along the length of the building.