Hadyn Ellis

At the core of all innovative universities is the concept of collaboration. The flagship Hadyn Ellis Building houses four research groups with shared central facilities and adaptable lab spaces, once and for all uniting the university’s cross-disciplinary minds in one holistic environment. 

Hadyn Ellis acts as the ‘front-door’ to campus, expressed through a colourful exterior representative of its surroundings and a transparent glass façade that allows outsiders to observe the bustling flow of activity taking place within the foyer and exhibition area.

Inside, open balconies visually connect workers and visitors while a feature concrete staircase rises through the four-storey atrium, providing quick access to world-class laboratories and office spaces. The design provides a range of collaborative spaces for work and play, including a comfortable atrium café, stunning double-height exhibition gallery, and a spacious 150-seat lecture theatre.

Special emphasis was put on the controlled use of construction materials and colours, allowing us to create a visual identity that also acts as a natural wayfinding tool, intuitively guiding researchers to their destination.

The building has provided an inspiring new home for The European Cancer Stem Cell and Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institutes, as well as the Medical Research Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics and UK Dementia Research Institute.