Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on behalf of UCL, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Moorfields Eye Charity have today launched a competition calling for multi-disciplinary design teams for a new joint eye care, research and education facility.
It is proposed that all services provided at Moorfields Eye Hospital on City Road and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology on Bath Street will relocate to this new, integrated building on a preferred site at St Pancras Hospital.
David Probert, chief executive at Moorfields Eye Hospital said: “The launch of this RIBA led design competition is an exciting step forward in our proposal to relocate our City Road services to a new, state-of-the-art, integrated facility for eye research, education and care with our project partners.”
“We want to create a new, flexible and modern facility to enable us to continue to deliver the best eye care to our patients and to attract and retain the very best ophthalmic scientists, educators and clinicians in the world.”
Alan Thompson, Dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences at UCL said: “World class research and education facilities are essential in developing new treatments, interventions and technologies that will improve patient, student and staff outcomes.”
“A new facility that integrates eye care, research and education in a single building will drive innovation and invention, and encourage ground-breaking research into eye health.”
Robert Dufton, chief executive at Moorfields Eye Charity said: “Moorfields Eye Charity’s key priority is raising money to help Moorfields and UCL provide the best possible care for its patients; to educate the researchers and clinicians of tomorrow; and to support leading edge research that aims to develop new treatments for eye disease.”
“Philanthropy has played an essential role throughout Moorfields Eye Hospital’s 200 year history. Along with our partners at UCL, we are committed to continuing this important work to secure the philanthropic support to fund this essential facility, which will improve patient outcomes and increase opportunities to develop eye research and education.”
Architects and design teams have until 13 July 2018 to complete and submit the Selection Questionnaire. Teams will then be shortlisted, and invited to produce a preliminary design of what this new facility could look like.
If approved, it is currently planned that the new facility could be open to patients in 2024/25.