THE DISCOVERY CENTRE, CAMBRIDGE 11
These extreme increases in the spend were blamed on a combination of the complexity of the build, infl ation – including impacts which are related to Brexit – and further investment in new technologies and equipment for the centre. As well as resulting in cost increases, this also meant the projected completion date was pushed on several times, with the centre fi nally having its grand opening fi ve years later than originally anticipated in November 2021. At the building’s opening, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot commented on the company’s ambition to achieve a new building that would “drive the next wave of scientifi c innovation.” He explained that it hoped to set a new standard for both sustainability and global collaboration in the R&D fi eld, and “break new boundaries” in relation to disease biology and life- changing medicines.
Designed for discovery Herzog & de Meuron was appointed to
ADF MAY 2025
the project at the early stages, with the design initially completed in 2014 before going through just under a year of design development. From the start, the key focus and aim was for the building’s architecture to support AstraZeneca’s desire for collaboration, as well as incorporating the latest technology from both construction and research and biological perspectives. The DISC itself is triangular in plan with rounded edges, following the dimensions of the site, with an open courtyard at the centre. This courtyard, along with the building’s low-rise structure, were deliberate choices to echo the typical historical colleges of central Cambridge. The courtyard also formed a key part of the design from a collaboration point of view, providing a large, central meeting point that is easily accessible. The building itself can be accessed from all three sides externally, another deliberate choice by Herzog & de Meuron to make the building as porous as possible and encourage collaboration.
The DISC is largely formed of a glass envelope – enhancing its porosity to make the building and the work taking place inside it as visible as possible
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