Vertical life science campus planned for London

Canary Wharf Group and Kadans Science Partner have submitted a detailed planning application for a 23-storey, 76,500 m2 tower. They said that this would be Europe’s largest and most technologically advanced life sciences facility, as well as a first of its kind vertical campus.

The site is on an undeveloped 3.5-hectare site at the North Quay on Canary Wharf in the Docklands area of London. It will be able to deliver 325,000 m² of laboratory and affiliated space, with the ability to provide chemistry and high containment facilities. Other features will include:

* A stacking programme, allowing for a distributed mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering (MEP) strategy, so as to provide laboratory space on every floor

* Floor plates to accommodate a range of tenant sizes and sectors, with space for expansion and maximum flexibility across the building, while encouraging collaboration by creating interconnecting communal spaces

* Enhanced fresh air, power, data and ceiling heights in comparison to a traditional commercial lab building * Dedicated clinical and chemical waste facilities * Multiple goods-lifts with oxygen monitors, freezer farms and specialised receiving and storage areas for hazardous, clinical and chemical goods * All-electric heating and cooling to minimise greenhouse gas emissions Canary Wharf is already home to several science-led businesses, including Genomics England and the Level39 tech hub. The location is also close to the UK regulatory agency, the MHRA, and organisations like the General Pharmaceutical Council.