London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) has celebrated the official opening of its new building in Tavistock Place, providing high-quality, flexible and sustainable working space for researchers and other staff.

Tavistock Place 2 was designed by BMJ Architects and has been shortlisted for the Architects’ Journal Architecture Awards 2023 in the Higher Education category.

The purpose-built six-storey building greatly enhances LSHTM’s ability to carry out crucial research in global health and train the next generation of health leaders. Having the right facilities is key to this work, which is highly collaborative in nature and addresses major challenges of our time.

With a shiny exterior made from fully recyclable, natural materials, the building features cascading green rooftop terraces, as well as a ‘blue roof’ for more sustainable storage and use of rainwater. The building has been rated Excellent according to industry-recognised BREEAM standards for its sustainable design.

Abstract patterns are also carved into brass privacy screens around the building, inspired by the ‘father of epidemiology’ John Snow’s 19th century cholera maps.

Set back from the street, the building is tucked carefully into a space which previously housed an old outbuilding used for storage behind the existing Tavistock Place 1 LSHTM building. It’s LSHTM’s first completely new building in London since its Grade II-listed art deco Keppel Street building opened in 1929.

Tavistock Place 2 was a challenging project in a tightly constrained space, with the added complications of the COVID-19 pandemic emerging after building works began in 2018. Main contractor 8build worked closely with the LSHTM estates team and many different specialists and sub-contractors to deliver the finished building on-budget. Long-term relationships and engagement with the local community also played a crucial role. 

The project cost £35m, with construction costs making up £23m. Funding came from LSHTM, with additional support from a Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) grant and generous philanthropic donations, which were critical in keeping the development moving forward.

LSHTM’s Director, Professor Liam Smeeth, unveiled a plaque to mark the celebration at the official opening with staff and members of LSHTM’s Council.

He said: “We are delighted that staff have moved into our new building. It’s a stunning space and a lovely place to work and meet in, with all the modern features and facilities we need in today’s world.

“I want to thank colleagues and neighbours for their patience during construction, and congratulate everyone involved in making Tavistock Place 2 a reality. Credit must also go to my predecessor Peter Piot for his vision and commitment.”

The opening of Tavistock Place 2 – or TP2 for short - represents a major step forward in a long-term programme of improvement works to enhance people’s experience of studying at, working at or visiting LSHTM.

Works to refurbish and upgrade the Keppel Street building are continuing, while the next project at our Tavistock Place campus will involve redevelopment of the interior of Tavistock Place 1, which fronts the street, to create dedicated teaching facilities.

Tavistock Place 2 in numbers

• 15-17 Tavistock Place – the address of the new building in central London
• 2,512m²  of working space (similar size to existing TP1 Tavistock Place building)
• 6 storeys
• 200 members of staff
• 167km of cabling - enough to reach France
• 27 toilets and 37 wash basins
• 78 brass screens over the glazing to provide extra privacy for neighbours inspired by John Snow’s cholera maps
• 138 chilled beams - for ventilation and heating and cooling to the building. 
• 3.8m^³ (cubic metres) of air per second – how much the air handling unit can bring in - capable of blowing up a balloon the size of Wembley Stadium in roughly 3.5 days
• Over 60 separate subcontractors appointed by 8build
• Over 1,400 site workers were inducted during the build
• 150+ people working on site at its peak