The International Centre for Life building project (1995-2000) was designed to house a University centre of excellence for genetic research, a bioscience centre housing commercial research and development, and a public attraction intended to promote interest in genetics. It was also intended to aid the regeneration of the run-down West End district and the decayed hinterland of Central Station. The genetic research institute, bioscience centre and public attraction were designed as separate buildings but arranged in a curved layout around a central open space, which contained the grade II listed market keepers house.

Architecturally, the building aimed to respond to its surroundings, with the curved forms of the layout mirroring the layout of the railway lines from Central station, and also drew inspiration from the form of an embryo in-utero. The L-shaped Bioscience Centre forms phase one of the development and was completed in 1998, securing EU funding. Additional Lottery Funding was used for the non-commercial elements of the project, with construction of the genetics institute, external services and public areas forming phase two of the development. The Bioscience Centre was constructed as a relatively simple concrete framed building, faced in sandstone on its piazza elevation and rendered on the street front.

The Institute of Human Genetics was designed as colourful new addition to the city whilst lettable shop units were provided at piazza level and were designed with an eye-catching colour scheme. The LIFE public attraction was designed as the visual centre point. It consisted of two distinct elements – a steel framed box-like exhibition hall which wraps around the back of the site, and a more complex ‘global garden’ structure with a free form curving roof and clad with bright green prepatinated copper cladding. The form of this roof, which was shaped initially by Sir Terry Farrell shaving bits off a polystyrene block, had no recognisable mathematical shape and was the most challenging structural element of the project.

Working drawings and project documentation for this project are split into two main groups. References for ICLB are for phase one of the building project, whilst references for ICLV refers to the International Centre for Life Village which comprised the Genetics Institute, external services and public attractions. There are also plans for further development south of the International Centre for Life which were never fully realised.

Client: International Centre for Life Trust;
Architect: Terry Farrell & Partners;
Project Manager: BDP Project Management;
Structure and Building Services Engineer: Mott MacDonald;
Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Theobald;
Main Contractor: Laing