Developed as a partnership between Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children will enable clinicians and researchers to work side-by-side in advancing the understanding of rare diseases, identifying new and better treatments and manufacturing innovative medical devices.
The design of the building allows a highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach bringing a hospital, university research labs, and GMP manufacturing spaces together under one roof. Double height laboratories on the lower ground floor provide views at street level directly into the principal research laboratories. Research staff and patients share a single entrance which passes above these laboratories. Internally, extensive glazing creates strong visual connections between research and outpatient areas.
Designed by Stanton Williams, the build has been made possible by a £60 million gift made by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the wife of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. To honour the donation made by Her Highness, a donor wall display has been created in the main entrance foyer. Shadbolt assisted with the manufacture of the highly technical wall display, supplying bespoke FSC®certified straight grain slip matched European oak veneered Class B panels. The panels feature a bespoke straight-grain, smoked oak inlaid logo and thousands of circular perforations of different sizes along the length of the panelled wall display. The perforations allow for LED lights to shine through and fluctuate to provide a stunning, eye catching display.
