Moorfields Eye Hospital’s proposed relocation to King’s Cross reaches a major milestone as it gets the green light for the next stage of planning.
Plans to build a world leading, innovative eye care and research centre in central London took a significant step forward after they were agreed at a special decision-making meeting on 13th February 2020. A Committee in Common – a group of 14 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) from in and around London – considered and agreed plans put forward by Moorfields Eye Hospital to create a new integrated eye health centre. The decision means that plans for ‘Oriel’ – a proposal to bring together excellent eye care, ground-breaking research and world-leading education in ophthalmology on one site – can now move forward to focus on designing what the new centre could look like and how it works for patients and staff.
Together with AECOM as lead designer with its advanced engineering, sustainability, planning and delivery expertise, and White Arkitekter with its sublime Scandinavian approach to interiors and landscape, Penoyre & Prasad will create a new home in St Pancras for Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Project Oriel, which has Moorfields Eye Charity as the third partner, takes a radical approach to the integration of sight related care, research and education. The project’s aims include driving innovation and speeding up the translation of research findings into treatment.
The design will enable a seamless collaboration between clinicians, patients and researchers; provide a flexible and adaptable armature to facilitate future evolution in clinical, research and education practices, and make a beautiful centrepiece for a new neighbourhood – a renewed St Pancras as part of an evolving Knowledge Quarter.
