Big names eye £250m Moorfields centre

Some of the biggest names in UK architecture are in the running to deliver a new eye-care, research and education facility for London with an estimated project value of £200-250m.

Teams led by RSHP, Bennetts Associates, Hopkins Architects, Aecom and Ryder Architecture have been shortlisted for the joint Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology facility, being developed with Moorfields Eye Charity.

The teams on the RIBA Competitions shortlist also include White Arkitekter, Penoyre and Prasad, Reiach & Hall, Hawkins/Brown, Arup and Spacehub.

The project envisages the creation a new 45,000 sq m facility at London’s St Pancras Hospital Site, around two miles away from Moorfields Eye Hospital’s current base on City Road and UCL’s adjoining Bath Street institute.

Kieran McDaid, director of capital estates and major projects at Moorfields Eye Hospital, said the new facility would bring together eye care, research and education for the first time, and be focused on patients and attracting and retaining the best ophthalmic scientists, educators and clinicians.

He said the shortlist announcement marked an important phase of the project, which would allow the clients and organisers to begin visualising what the new facility would look like.

“The joint partners were very pleased by the quality and innovation presented in the submissions of the shortlisted teams,” he said.

“We are excited to see the preliminary designs proposals that each shortlisted team will submit for the next stage.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to all teams who submitted applications to design this new, world-class facility.”

Preliminary design proposals are set to go on public display in late November, with the winner due to be announced in December.