The development of new Crick supported lab space at 20 Triton Street on British Land’s Regent’s Place campus represents a bold step in transforming London’s Knowledge Quarter into a global leader in life sciences.
Gensler partners with British Land and the Francis Crick Institute, a flagship for discovery research in biomedicine, on new labs at 20 Triton Street in Regent’s Place, Euston. The space aims to support the shared mission to strengthen London’s Knowledge Quarter as a world-leading life sciences and biotech destination.
Spanning 33,000 sq. ft the design concept developed by Gensler focuses on creating best-in-class, adaptable spaces for future tenants, utilising the Crick’s expertise in the design and operation of world-class laboratory facilities within the heart of the Knowledge Quarter. This collaboration mirrors the rapid evolution of King’s Cross, which has become a thriving science district with a high concentration of life sciences companies, research centres, and academic institutions.
Nathan Morgan, Project Director at Gensler, said: “This collaboration at 20 Triton Street represents a bold step in transforming London’s Knowledge Quarter into a global leader in life sciences. Through our partnership with British Land, we have designed flexible, cutting-edge spaces that drive innovation and scientific discovery, supporting the shared mission to accelerate the process of scientific discovery, deliver benefits to society and reinforce London’s position as a world-class destination for biotech.”
Gensler’s design features a central community hub to foster interaction and collaboration, providing dynamic spaces for both individual scientific discovery and collaboration. The space includes CL-2 wet lab suites, flexible office spaces, meeting rooms, and shared amenities such as an outdoor terrace, ideal for driving creativity and cross-disciplinary exchange. The range and type of modular spaces provided underscores the flexible, hybrid nature of today’s research and development environments, where cross-functional teams from academia, industry, and start-ups work closely together to tackle global health challenges.
Stephen Mayhew, Chief Business Officer at the Francis Crick Institute, said: “By bringing the expertise in technology and infrastructure of the world- renowned Francis Crick Institute, we are opening the door to the next generation of global life science businesses – helping them to go faster and further than ever before.”
The Francis Crick Institute supported lab space at 20 Triton Street is designed to feel like a Crick space. The resulting aesthetic features intentional injections of bold colour balanced with a neutral base palette along with branding and environmental graphic design. The space also incorporates elements of biophilia, with a focus on sustainability using high-recycled content materials such as perforated timber and acoustic walls, creating a natural, calming atmosphere.
Simon Hepher, Head of Regent’s Place Asset Management, commented: “The completion of this pioneering, highly flexible lab space at Regent’s Place marks an exciting next chapter for lab space within the Knowledge Quarter. Collaborating with The Francis Crick Institute and Gensler has been a fantastic experience, showcasing the incredible outcomes that can be achieved when experts unite. I am eager to see the innovative companies, groundbreaking research, and scientific advancements that will emerge from this space.”
This speculative development approach by British Land caters to the dynamic nature of scientific research and aligns with the Crick’s goals, providing highly serviced and state- of-the-art laboratories and office facilities to companies sharing its scientific mission in biomedicine. This emerging idea of a collaborative network reflects a broader shift towards creating a cohesive and interconnected community within the Knowledge Quarter.
Gensler’s development of the Francis Crick Institute supported lab space at 20 Triton Street builds on an earlier collaboration with British Land to design shared tenant facilities within the building, including end-of-trip facilities, lobbies, and amenity spaces. The project team at 20 Triton Street includes Gensler, Bulb, Studio Sutton and ARUP.
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