The world’s first ‘super-laboratory’ has quickly established itself as an industry benchmark.

The new Science Centre at London Metropolitan University incorporates an open plan, 280-workspace science laboratory delivering state-of-the-art facilities for cross-disciplinary education. The scale of the facility and the technology it offers have led to it being termed as the world’s first ‘super-laboratory’.

Acknowledging the constraints of an extremely tight site and limited street frontage, the building’s architectural expression is more evident at the upper levels, where banks of windows reflect the university’s aims for the faculty to be both physically and metaphorically transparent. The stripped-back, industrial design aesthetic and open plan spaces provide an honest indication of the building’s functions.

The Sports Science Department incorporates a full gymnasium and associated research facilities enabling the study of the physical and psychological effects of exercise by monitoring athletes before, during and after activity.

The Science Centre was one of the first university life science buildings to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, the highest available at the time.