The Fleming Centre is part of the wider Fleming Initiative, established jointly by Imperial College Healthcare and Imperial College London to find solutions to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at a global scale. The Centre will provide a space to bring together researchers, policymakers, clinicians, behavioral experts, commercial partners and the public to combine their shared networks, expertise and skills in the fight against AMR. It will also be part of a global network of centres in strategic locations around the world, aiming to catalyse worldwide action.
The selection follows a competitive RIBA design competition and a three-day design exhibition in November, showcasing five concept designs from five shortlisted architects. Feedback from over 300 visitors and 100 written responses helped guide the final selection, ensuring that the winning concept reflected excellence in both design and functionality and is a real asset to the local community.
The next phase of the project will involve detailed design development, public consultations, and the submission of a planning application in collaboration with Westminster City Council.
The Centre is intended to be integrated into a full redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital which is included in the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The Centre is due to open in 2028, marking 100 years since the discovery of penicillin at St Mary’s by Sir Alexander Fleming.
The other shortlisted teams invited to take part in the design phase of the competition were:
- AHMM
- Allies and Morrison
- Grimshaw
- Wilkinson Eyre with White Arkitekter
Stanton Williams’ concept design for the Fleming Centre embraces the heritage of its proposed location on the site of The Bays. These former industrial warehouses, dating back to around 1850, were originally used for transport and distribution before being incorporated into the hospital in 1983. Their approach retains and adapts The Bays as a vital link to Paddington’s industrial past while inserting new elements, including the Fleming Discovery Centre, to showcase cutting-edge science and research. The design prioritises sustainability, proposing features such as renewable energy systems, including a water-source heat pump and photovoltaic panels, alongside biodiverse landscaping and a low-carbon structure. Public engagement is central, with the ground floor designed as an open and welcoming extension of the public realm, offering views into laboratories and curated exhibition spaces to bring science to life.
Professor the Lord Darzi, Executive Chair of the Fleming Initiative said: “Stanton Williams has a bold vision for the Fleming Centre and have brought our ambitions to life with a concept that reflects the Centre’s unique purpose and global significance. By providing a flexible space to unite researchers, policymakers, clinicians, behavioral experts, commercial partners and the public in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, we can ensure that the Fleming Centre becomes a global beacon for change in healthcare.”
Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “This is an exciting milestone for the Fleming Centre and the planned, wider redevelopment of the St Mary’s Hospital site. The Stanton Williams design concept gave the selection panel great confidence that the building they design will honour both Sir Alexander Fleming’s legacy and our aspiration for continued innovation with local and global impact.”
Imperial President Professor Hugh Brady said: “The Fleming Centre will bring together Imperial’s world-leading researchers with diverse UK and international partners, including from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, policy community and civil society to tackle the challenge of AMR head-on. The new building will also be a key part of the Paddington Life Sciences development and Imperial WestTech Corridor vision. We are excited to be one step closer to starting the transformative work it will enable us to do.”
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Notes to Editors:
- Media contact: Max.Heptonstall@riba.org or imperial.press.office@nhs.net
- Competitions contact: Julia.Davies@riba.org
- The Trust is proposing to build the Fleming Centre on the site currently occupied by The Bays buildings on the west of the hospital site. These former industrial warehouses were built around 1850 for transport and distribution networks and were incorporated into the hospital in 1983, primarily for office use. The new Fleming Centre will be an integral part of the new St Mary’s Hospital site once completed.
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow @RIBA for regular updates.
- Press release to launch the competition in July 2024: https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/news/search-begins-for-architect-to-design-new-fleming-centre
- Attached is a concept design CGI.
- RIBA Competitions
Please ensure the RIBA is credited when mentioning the above competition. RIBA Competitions delivers choice, inspiration and value to clients through expertly run competitive selection processes. The dedicated RIBA Competitions team can help you explore the full potential of your project, for further information visit www.architecture.com/competitions or email RIBA.Competitions@riba.org. - About Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England, with over 15,000 staff providing acute and specialist healthcare to over one million people a year.
- The Trust runs five hospitals in central and west London - Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea, St Mary's and the Western Eye.
- The Trust also hosts the National Institute for Health and Care Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, in partnership with Imperial College London.
- Find out more: www.imperial.nhs.uk
- About the Fleming Initiative
At the heart of the Fleming Initiative global network will be the new Fleming Centre, set to open at St Mary’s Hospital in London in 2028, helping to mark the centenary of the discovery of penicillin at the hospital by Sir Alexander Fleming. As Patron of the appeal to create the Fleming Initiative, His Royal Highness Prince William, the Prince of Wales, is supporting efforts over the next four years to develop this global HQ for the Fleming Initiative programmes. Launched through a partnership between Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Imperial College London, the Fleming Centre will combine cutting edge research, public engagement, and work with policymakers to drive a global change. Learn more at www.fleminginitiative.org
- The appointment of Stanton Williams to design the Fleming Centre is supported by the following design team members, who bring expertise across key disciplines:
• Civil and Structural Engineering: Ove Arup & Partners
• Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (MEP), BREEAM, and Fire Consultancy: Ramboll
• Project and Cost Management Consultants: CPC Project Services
• Town Planning Consultant: Montagu Evans
