AstraZeneca Opens Cambridge Discovery Centre

AstraZeneca opened The Discovery Centre in November of 2021 in the United Kingdom. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron and BDP, the £1 billion R&D facility can accommodate over 2,200 investigators engaged in the creation of next-generation therapeutics and innovative precision medicines. Integrating advanced robotic and AI-driven technologies, the 580,000-sf project is strategically sited on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to promote collaboration and convergence with neighboring institutions and industry partners. 

The highly transparent building comprises four stories above grade with a basement level housing core infrastructure and support functions. On the ground floor, amenities such as the conference center, auditorium, café, and restaurant are accessible directly from the main entrance. The upper floors provide 205,000 sf of leading-edge lab space connected by an interactive circulation corridor that faces the central courtyard. Open-plan workplaces offer a choice of settings ranging from private focus booths to informal meeting areas.

Slated to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification, the sustainably designed structure features a 174-borehole geothermal system, four hybrid cooling towers, green roofs, and a massive ground-source heat pump. Skanska was the construction manager for the project, which broke ground in spring of 2015.