Canary Wharf Group has submitted plans for a 23-storey laboratory tower, which it is developing in partnership with Kadans.
The 823,000 sq ft tower, which is estimated will cost £500m to build, will be a “first-of-its-kind vertical campus,” said Canary Wharf chief executive Shobi Khan, and will be the largest lab in Europe.
Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, the building will be located at Canary Wharf’s North Quay, E14, overlooking the new Elizabeth Line station.
It forms the first phase of what Canary Wharf hopes will become “a world-leading centre for health and life sciences”. Outline planning consent for the wider scheme, on a currently undeveloped 3.5-hectare site, has already been awarded. The scheme has the capacity to deliver 3.5m sq ft of laboratory and affiliated space.
The lab tower has been designed to allow up to 60% of laboratories, with the ability to provide chemistry and high-containment facilities. The building’s infrastructure will employ an innovative stacking programme, allowing for distributed mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, which in turn will enable the building to provide laboratory space on every floor.
Khan added: “We have been developing our vision for a world-class life sciences hub at Canary Wharf since 2019, and this is a significant milestone in our journey. This project will continue the transformation of Canary Wharf, providing a sustainable, mixed-use environment for the next generation of life science offices.”
Michel Leemhuis, chief executive at Kadans Science Partner, added: “Kadans prides itself on being a leading contributor to the evolution of the life sciences sector and this impressive new building at North Quay is a great example of how we are driving the development of innovative state-of-the-art lab buildings. By capitalising on our previous experience and using lessons learned, we are able to make a significant step forward in the development of life science buildings. It marks a step change in the way ecosystems for knowledge-intensive businesses are designed and developed.”
To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews
View the latest office deals in Canary Wharf >>
