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.