Exciting development opening in 2027

Construction work has finally begun on a “state of the art” new eye hospital in St Pancras which will see researchers and doctors work together under one roof. Oriel is a joint initiative between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity.

Together, they will relocate all services at Moorfields Eye Hospital on City Road London and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology on Bath Street, to a new, integrated facility on part of the St Pancras Hospital site.

With its unique location at the heart of London, Oriel is designed to enhance knowledge exchange by bringing together care, research and education with the aim to provide the best care for patients. Based on our significant research within healing environments, our design aims to supports patient recovery, while creating a state-of-the-art workplace for staff.

CHARLOTTE RUBEN, LEAD ARCHITECT, COMPETITION 2018, WHITE ARKITEKTER

Sight loss is an increasing problem. By 2050 it’s estimated that four million people will be living with sight loss in the UK. Innovation and technology offer new possibilities for treatments and cures, but we need the right facilities. Prior to breaking ground, six buildings on the Oriel site were demolished. The foundations for the 10-storey, 47,000 sq. m, centre are now being laid.

The new centre will be located in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, an internationally renowned hub for science and innovation.

Oriel will create an environment for innovation to flourish, inspiring improvements in people’s sight. The new facility will be flexible and modern, enabling us to bring together healthcare, eye research and education for the first time. Ophthalmology is currently the busiest outpatient speciality in secondary care and makes up almost 10 per cent of the entire NHS waiting list.

Harnessing all the expertise under one roof in a new fit-for-purpose centre will enable closer collaboration between clinicians and researchers to speed up the delivery of treatments and therapies for patients – ultimately helping them work together to discover, develop and deliver the best eye care sustainably and at scale.

Construction has started and it is planned to open the centre in 2027. Visit the dedicated Oriel website to learn more.

The atrium is an important social space where we want to encourage interaction between patients as well as staff. The sculptural timber volume will be a significant feature, a landmark which will serve as an informal meeting point on different levels within the public space.

RAFEL CRESPO SOLANA, ARCHITECT, WHITE ARKITEKTER

The atrium – the heart of the building
The building’s heart and social meeting hub, the atrium, is designed to create an inviting public space which welcomes everyone. Within the atrium rises the Oriel, which will contain spaces for patients to wait and for staff to meet, study and collaborate.

The design process for the atrium consider several areas, including levels of brightness, acoustics and wayfinding. It has natural and fair-faced materials mostly in wood.

By giving the atrium a distinctive tactile character, a contrast is established as the patients move across the plan, between the enclosed and controlled environments of the departments and the more public and tactile environment of the oriel and atrium.

Oriel is among the 40 new hospitals promised through the Government’s New Hospital Programme. It is the first hospital on the programme in London where building work has begun following delays to Whipps Cross in Leytonstone and Epsom and St Helier in Sutton.

Bouygues UK are the contractors who will build the centre which is due to open in 2027 (below breaking ground for Oriel in July 2023.