Six firms stalk £600m biomedical research job

Aaron Morby 15 years ago
Share

Six of the UK’s biggest builders are in the hunt to build the country’s new nerve centre for medial research.

Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine have buried old rivalries to team up for the massive job and will be pitting their wits against Skanska, Bam, Laing O’Rourke and Bovis Lend Lease.

The planned project in London’s King’s Cross area is shrouded in secrecy with firms reluctant to talk about bids because of strict confidentiality clauses.

In the last week final bids are understood to have been submitted for what is one of the biggest building jobs in London at the moment.

The centre was the brianchild of Labour and was recently backed by the coalition Government as a vital project to secure Britain’s place as a world leader in medical research and genetic engineering.

Scientists from leading institutions will be brought together under one roof to crack the big diseases which plague humanity.

They hope to find cures for cancer, heart disease and degenerative conditions linked to ageing.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: “As a Government, we want to deliver health outcomes that are amongst the best in the world.

“When resources are under pressure, research is even more important in identifying innovative ways of preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease for a productive 21st century NHS.

He added: We know that investment in UK science research and its translation to the NHS is key to our future health and our future prosperity. This is why we will be increasing spending on health research in real terms over the Spending Review and providing £220m of capital funding for UKCMRI.”

The rest of the cash will come from the The Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome Trust and University College London,  all of whom signed an agreement to proceed with the ambitious project yesterday.

The building is designed by a team led by the architects HOK working with PLP Architecture

Latest project news

Plans in for nearly 900 homes at Manchester Mayfield

First homes at £1.4bn regeneration site will be built over four blocks
2 months ago

Pellikaan wins £25m Wiltshire leisure centre job

Work to start next month on Trowbridge swimming pool and gym
2 months ago

Lendlease OK’d to start Birmingham’s £1.9bn Smithfield scheme

First phase of 400 build to rent homes at Manor Square approved
2 months ago

Fresh plan for £170m Newcastle resi tower and hotel

Gainford Group scales down New Bridge Street scheme to 29 storeys
2 months ago

Mace confirmed for £140m Gatwick Airport Pier 6 extension

Contractor PJ Hegarty has started enabling works in middle of busy airport
2 months ago

Graham takes on ISG £45m Coventry cultural hub job

Firm will start conversion work in the Spring on former IKEA store
2 months ago

JRL Malaysian backers plan £150m London city office refurb

Ardmore set to deliver landmark 25 Finsbury Circus building overhaul
2 months ago

500-home block to replace 19 storey Sutton office tower

Landmark project to deliver 312 Build to rent and 195 co-living homes
2 months ago

Man Utd confirm plan for £2bn ‘super-tent’ stadium

Club to press ahead with 100,000-seat 'Wembley of the North'
2 months ago

Morgan Sindall wins £61m Liverpool lab scheme

Construction to start this Autumn on latest Knowledge Quarter project
2 months ago

Glencar to build timber-framed office block

Work to start next month on 79,200 sq ft scheme in Maidenhead
2 months ago

Birmingham council submits £1bn Druids Heath plan

High rise estate to be replaced by-3,500 home eco village
2 months ago

McLaren go-ahead for 314 flats Watford scheme

Police station and magistrates court to be demolished
2 months ago

Mace to transform Imperial College Great Hall

Work to start next month on ambitious refit
2 months ago

£100m plan to regenerate former Digbeth ironworks

Hartwell unveils 260,000 sq ft office and 240 homs plan
2 months ago

Legendre UK wins £21m London homes job for Clarion

Tower Hamlets building to be replaced due to building and fire safety issues
2 months ago

£230m Southampton waterfront scheme approved

Town Quay includes trio of 25 storey towers around new marina
2 months ago

Planning green light for £10bn Northumberland data centre

Blackstone-backed project will create 1,200 construction jobs
2 months ago

Green light for 1,000-home Wolverhampton city centre regen

Phase one of ECF Smithgate scheme to start this year
2 months ago

Regal submits plan to revive stalled London resi tower

Swiss Cottage project redesigned with second staircase and 237 flats
2 months ago

Muse signs up to £3.2bn Solihull health campus district

Ambitious Arden Cross scheme next to HS2 Interchange advances
2 months ago

Watkin Jones wins over £50m student digs campus upgrade

Work to start next month on phase 714-bed south London campus
2 months ago

Costain start date for £67m Romford flyover replacement

Work to start this summer on Gallows Corner bridge rebuild
2 months ago

Work starts on tyres to jet fuel recycling plant

£100m Sunderland plant will produce around 30,000t of liquid fuel
2 months ago

Funding deal for £237m Tide Construction student tower

48-storey project will be first major student scheme on Canary Wharf
2 months ago

McLaren wins £29m south east London industrial job

Crayford urban logistics hub starts construction
2 months ago

Green light for £100m A47 road junction upgrade

Long-awaited A47/A11 Thickthorn junction will support over 40,000 homes
2 months ago

Sisk starts remediation work for 1,600-home Birkenhead scheme

Wirral council has secured £52m for Hind Street Urban Village infrastructure
2 months ago

Plans unveiled for 50-storey plus Liverpool tower

Planning submission later this year for £1bn King Edward project
2 months ago

Galliford Try wins £45m high security prison fire safety retrofit

HMP Wakefield provides upgrade challenges in secure environments
2 months ago

Contractor services