Christie Paterson Cancer Research Centre
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Client
- IHP (Vinci/Sir Robert McAlpine)
- Expertise
- Architecture
- Acoustics
- Design Management
- Interior Design
- Landscape Architecture
- Lighting
- Completion
- 2023
- Size
- 25,000 sq m
- Cost
- £150m Client
The Christie Paterson is a cutting-edge cancer research facility designed for Christie NHS Trust, the University of Manchester, and CRUK. It features 12 flexible research laboratory modules, a 1,200 sqm biological research and imaging centre, clean rooms, a large tissue culture facility, and collaborative office spaces.
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The new facility is more than double the size of its predecessor, which was the largest single-site cancer centre in Europe. In 2017, a devastating fire caused significant damage to the Paterson research building, displacing over 300 scientists and research staff. While this setback interrupted world-leading research, it presented a unique opportunity to construct a ground breaking facility from the ground up.
The design of the facility aims to foster a translational approach to cancer research and care by promoting interaction, integration, and collaboration between research and clinical staff through co-location. At the heart of the building lies the Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre, a pivotal component that focuses on early cancer detection and diagnosis. This centre enables personalised cancer management, allowing for the identification of the most effective therapies for individual patients.
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"The Christie has been at the forefront of cancer research for over 120 years. Standard treatments that were first trialled here have improved the outcomes for millions of cancer patients across the world. This new centre allows us to build on this legacy, so it’s exciting to see the vision become a reality.”
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The core design philosophy embraces ‘Team Science,’ integrating staff, clinicians, and researchers. This vision called for careful acoustic design in open-plan areas, especially at the junction of collaboration and write-up spaces, to manage noise transfer and minimise disruption.
3D room acoustic modelling optimised the layout, identifying the necessary acoustic separation. Rather than traditional screens, we worked with interior designers to select furniture and features like seating and shelving for effective sound separation, ensuring dual-purpose spaces with acoustic comfort.
The Speech Transmission Index (STI) was key in our acoustic assessment, confirming that lower speech intelligibility between collaboration and write-up areas reduces distractions, enhancing productivity and well-being in focused spaces.
"Great design can create flexible spaces which centre on diagnoses, patient care, and vital, world-leading research in a truly collaborative environment; about which, we are so excited.”