Cutting-edge new build for Genome Campus
The Wellcome Trust Conference Centre has received planning permission to build a luxurious space that will cater for a wide range of audiences such as conference delegates, school students and staff of the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus.
This £9.7 million project, known as the Kitchen Garden Enclosure, is reminiscent of the famous glass ceiling in the British Museum and will include a new exhibition centre, modern meeting rooms and a bar.
In total the Conference Centre will have undergone a £19 million renovation to modernise and improve all available facilities. This project is set to improve the international reputation of the Wellcome Trust Conference Centre, and celebrates the communication, collaboration, achievement and creativity of the overall Genome Campus.
“This is a tremendous occasion for both my colleagues and I at the Conference Centre. Not only will this place us at the forefront of the scientific conferences sector, but will also better integrate us into the wider vision of the Genome Campus.”
Linda Prior Sales and Marketing Manager at the Conference Centre
This new building work will see the current cloisters and grassed areas opened up and enclosed under a spectacular glass roof to create a multi-use space for both day and evening activities. The roof, which is the central feature of the build, is designed to create a light and elegant space through the transparent and translucent areas of glass panelling above.
By opening up the area surrounding the Auditorium, the Conference Centre will create space sufficient to support exhibitions both fixed and temporary, poster sessions, catering and a relaxation area for delegates and speakers.
“We welcome the development of the Kitchen Garden Enclosure on campus, which will complement perfectly the public engagement activities of both the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and EMBL-EBI. This is an exciting move for the campus that will allow us to stand-out even further from other scientific campuses across the country.”
David Davison Campus Director of the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus
The Conference Centre will look to host an increased programme of events, and in addition the internal space, will also house exhibitions and welcome wider audiences, including school children as part of the Campus’ Public Engagement Programme.
The Wellcome Trust Conference Centre has already seen its restaurant capacity increased from 180 to 300 this year and is weeks away from the opening of a new suite of 64 bedrooms.
Ground breaking for this major project will begin on January 2014 and is due to be completed by December 2014. All facilities at the Conference Centre are due to be opened by January 2015.
More information
Selected websites
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world’s leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease.
The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. We support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. We are independent of both political and commercial interests.
