RIBA launches competition to design Fleming Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the launch of a design competition following the ‘Competitive Procedure with Negotiation’ on behalf of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

The competition is seeking an architect to design the Fleming Centre, a Life Sciences facility that will be located on the St. Mary's Hospital site in Paddington, London.

The Centre will be at the heart of the global Fleming Initiative, an innovative and collaborative new approach led by the Trust and Imperial College London, with HRH Prince of Wales as its patron, to tackle anti-microbial resistance (AMR) around the world.

Image: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

At the Fleming Centre, scientists will work alongside clinicians, patients, members of the public and policy makers to scope, test and scale solutions. Consequently, the building should be purposefully designed to encourage the public to engage with world-leading science, policy and behavioural change research, ensuring new solutions work for local contexts.

The Centre is due to open at St Mary’s hospital in 2028, helping mark the centenary of the discovery of Penicillin at the hospital by Sir Alexander Fleming. It will be the first new building to open on the St Mary’s site in the coming years, as plans for the wider redevelopment of the whole hospital site continue to progress. Professor Tim Orchard, Chief Executive, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said:

"The launch of the RIBA design competition marks an exciting milestone for the Fleming Centre and St Mary's hospital more widely. This state-of-the-art facility will not only honour the legacy of Alexander Fleming and St Mary’s as the birthplace of penicillin but also spearhead the fight against antimicrobial resistance through groundbreaking research and public engagement. We are looking forward to collaborating with visionary architects to create a centre that will inspire and facilitate global change in healthcare. It will also be the first completed building in the redeveloped St Mary’s hospital, demonstrating our vision to protect St Mary’s position as a world-class trauma hospital and a centre for life-saving research.” Applications are invited in accordance with the requirements set out in the briefing document and selection questionnaire. Further information can be found on the competition webpage including a link to register.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 7 August 2024 at 12:00 BST. It is anticipated that up to five teams will be shortlisted and invited to participate in the design phase of the competition.