The Christie Paterson cancer research centre completes

The building is part of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre – a highly successful partnership between three powerhouses of innovation, The Christie, Cancer Research UK and The University of Manchester – and will be one of the top cancer research centres in the world.

Integrated Health Projects (IHP), the joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine and its supply chain partners, BDP, Arup and Imtech have realised a fantastic, state-of-the-art facility that will lead world-class transformational cancer research.

The building is set to become home to the largest concentration of scientists, doctors and nurses in Europe. 300 scientists and 400 clinicians and operational staff, practicing what is known as ‘team science’, will deliver clinical trials covering the full extent of the patient pathway, from prevention and novel treatments to living with and beyond cancer.

At more than 25,000 square metres and ten storeys high, the building is more than twice the size of the previous facility, allowing experts to deliver discovery research and translate their findings into innovative clinical trials, at scale.

The building will be occupied by all three of the partners. It’ll be home to the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, as well as several other teams from The University of Manchester’s Division of Cancer Sciences. It will also be Manchester’s scientific headquarters for discovery science within the international Alliance for Early Cancer Detection.

A central component of the building will be the new Cancer Research UK Cancer Biomarker Centre. The centre’s focus will be on biomarkers to aid in early cancer detection and diagnosis, and enable personalised management of a patient’s cancer, to determine which therapy will bring the most benefit.

Roger Spencer, Chief Executive at The Christie, comments: 

“The Christie has been at the forefront of cancer research for over 120 years. Standard treatments that were first trialled here have improved the outcomes for millions of cancer patients across the world. This new centre allows us to build on this legacy, so it’s exciting to see the vision become a reality.

“We want to give every patient who walks through our doors the best possible treatment and care. Having so many different specialists collaborating together under one roof will help us achieve our ambition  to make the facility one of the top five cancer research centres in the world.”

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, comments: 

“As the world’s largest charitable funder of cancer research, Cancer Research UK is at the forefront of the global fight against the disease, bringing together millions of people who share our determination to beat it.

“Co-locating the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute with The Christie fulfils our strategy of delivering scientific breakthroughs which translate into treatments for patients. I’m delighted to see teams moving in and look forward to seeing our researchers find faster routes to new prevention measures, tests and treatments.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, comments: 

“The new research building will be a fantastic opportunity to accelerate cancer research in Manchester, not just because it will provide state-of-the-art facilities, but because it will bring together a fantastic workforce comprised of scientists, clinicians and support staff, including trainees, early career researchers and world-renowned investigators. It will enable staff from The University’s Division of Cancer Sciences to work side-by-side with colleagues from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and The Christie, generating new ideas, making new discoveries and devising next-generation therapies.

“Together with the Proton Beam Therapy Centre and the Oglesby Cancer Research Building, the new facility will be the latest piece of the cancer campus jigsaw, generating a vibrant, high-quality environment for our highly motivated research teams, all seeking to improve the lives of cancer patients, not just in Manchester but world-wide.”

Matthew Holden, Director and Manchester Building Engineering Leader at Arup, comments: 

“Working on a transformational facility for the Christie NHS Foundation Trust has been incredibly exciting for Arup. Reflecting the collaboration principles of ‘team science’, our multidisciplinary team has ensured that the new Paterson Building can deliver its pioneering clinical trials while futureproofing it by design so scientific discovery is at its forefront.

We’re proud to have helped deliver a world-class space which will not only impact the individual through improved cancer treatments but also accelerate the city of Manchester’s contribution to global medical innovation”.

Tony Walker, Regional Director, Imtech Engineering Services said:

“Imtech are incredibly proud to have been involved in creating the world-leading Cancer Research Centre for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, as MEP partner. It’s been a pleasure to work in such a collaborative environment, alongside the project stakeholders.

By utilising innovative off-site solutions and digital technologies the team has challenged conventional construction techniques resulting in a quality installation in this state-of-the-art facility that will help develop treatments in our collective fight against cancer.

Ged Couser, Architect Principal at BDP, said:  

“This building adds a striking new addition to the Manchester skyline, delivering a technologically advanced structure that is already raising the profile of academic collaboration and R&D in the North of England. This project is a prime example of what can be achieved with the right planning, funding and design to create effective, beautiful, highly specialised places that impact positively on communities, businesses and local people.

“We are so proud to have worked on the new Christie Paterson and to be witnessing these moments as the building becomes occupied. It shows that great design can create flexible spaces which centre on diagnoses, patient care, and vital, world-leading research in a truly collaborative environment; about which, we are so excited.”

IHP and VINCI Building’s Managing Director, John Roberts said: 

“Ever since IHP were appointed to deliver the Paterson Building for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, the whole team have been extremely proud to have played their part in delivering this new state of the art cancer research facility.

“Sadly, our friends, families and colleagues are all affected by cancer at some point and the opportunity to have contributed towards creating the environment that will be instrumental in helping deliver pioneering research and medicine as the largest concentration in Europe is something IHP have been honoured with.

“Bringing together the science community and acute hospital in this manner opens a collaborative environment that will help The Christie NHS Foundation Trust stay at the forefront of treatment and care for their patients, for many years to come”

Tom Finch, an Associate at Arcadis acting as Project Manager lead for the Trust’s delivery, said:

“This is a significant project that has brought our team’s depth of science and health experience to the fore in particular around life science delivery. With a great deal of care and determination taken to understand the project and its impact, and working alongside an exceptional delivery team, including IHP, Imtech, CCTech, Actua and the critical stakeholders, we have created a facility that we can proudly state will be improving the quality of life for many, many people.

The research goal of this project is to understand the complexity of cancer and to translate that understanding into new approaches for the early detection and treatment of cancer and their ultimate adoption into clinical application. We are immensely proud to have played a part in achieving that on such a hugely complex scheme, and it has been a monumental effort by the team to achieve this success.”

Jade Flay; Project Director, Arcadis and Client Representative to The University of Manchester said:

“To be part of this scheme and seeing the new Paterson building re-emerge brings pride and the biggest sense of achievement. But my role does not end here; we have planned and strategised as a group to bring back together 300 researchers, 1,800 assets and their invaluable work seamlessly into this fantastic new facility.

I cannot wait to see this facility in full operation and it will be an enabler to transforming patient outcomes through integrated advances in the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer. The collaboration between The University of Manchester, Cancer Research UK and The Christie is a powerful partnership, rewriting the future of cancer.”