Curved steel protects world-famous laboratory

The first scientists have moved into the Francis Crick Institute in London, Europe’s largest biomedical laboratory.

The £650M project has created a new medical facility that specialises in the study of how illness develops with the aim of tackling health conditions such as cancer, heart disease and brain disorders.

Due to the innovative geometric design of the building’s roof, steelwork contractor Severfield contacted Barnshaws Section Benders to lend its precision bending and fabrication expertise to the project.

Barnshaws said it was able to complete 300t of steel for the job entirely in-house, due to the company boasting one of the largest cold metal bending capacities in the world.

Sections specified by Severfield included a mix of rectangular hollow sections, universal beams, universal columns and some additional flat sections.

Funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL, Imperial College London and King’s College London, the new institute was conceived to replace other ageing laboratory facilities in the area. A site was chosen adjacent to the Eurostar terminal in St Pancras, with four main blocks designed around a central atrium.

The Francis Crick Institute has been described as a symbol of ‘scientific Britain’, and will strive to translate its findings to treatments that can benefit patients for years to come.

The structure itself comprises a total floor space of over 17 football pitches, incorporating 12 floors including underground facilities. In its entirety, the building includes 2,300t of structural steelwork.

Barnshaws Commercial Director Greg North commented: “This was a particularly large-scale project, but our in-house capacity and experienced team means we can tackle projects of any size.

“We operate some of the largest metal bending machines in the world, and it was exciting to utilise them for a project that is going to be at the forefront of researching illness in this country.”