A revolutionary new cancer centre is preparing to open after construction work on the site was completed.

Bouygues UK has finished work on the University College Hospital Grafton Way Building, a major new central London healthcare facility incorporating a revolutionary proton beam therapy (PBT) centre.

Created for University College London Hospital (UCLH), the landmark building houses eight operating theatres, a surgical recovery area, a surgical ward, an imaging centre, a 10-bed critical care unit, and three floors of inpatient haematology wards.

Once opened, it will be one one of Europe's largest dedicated haemato-oncology hospitals providing treatment for those with complex cancers and blood disorders.

And the centrepiece of the £380m facility is a state-of-the-art proton beam therapy centre, only the second of its type in the UK.

Proton beam therapy is able to deliver highly targeted treatment that pinpoints a tumour while sparing the surrounding tissue, making it particularly beneficial for younger people as it protects IQ, general growth, and fertility.

The facility will treat 650 people with cancer and benign tumours each year, around a third of whom will be children and teenagers.

The 34,600sq m building was designed by Scott Tallon Walker Architects in association with Edward Williams Architects and includes a five-storey, 28m-deep basement equivalent in volume to the Royal Albert Hall.

Situated in a tight site within the Bloomsbury conservation area, and close to two Grade II-listed UCL buildings and London Underground lines, the complex construction project involved around 3,000 people and the removal of 80,000 cubic metres of earth from the site.

The proton beam therapy centre also required shielding around the equipment, which included 44,000 cubic metres of concrete to form walls typically 2m thick, with areas up to 5m, which were reinforced with approximately 8,000 tonnes of steel.

Through problem solving, strong governance, and project controls, we met an ambitious delivery programme and budget

The construction was project managed by AECOM for UCLH and was one of the firm’s most-challenging developments to date.

AECOM project director, Sam Danquah, told hdm: “Almost six years ago, I stood on the site of a demolished cinema and hospital at Grafton Way, envisioning how we were going to project manage the build of something larger than the Royal Albert Hall beneath my feet.

“Little did we know then the challenges that would come our way, from a global pandemic to Brexit – let alone the sheer complexity of constructing a hospital above ground and installing life-changing proton beam therapy equipment below ground.

“Through problem solving, strong governance, and project controls, we met an ambitious delivery programme and budget and seeing UCLH’s vision for a world-class healthcare facility in action brings an enormous sense of pride, not just in what the delivery partners achieved through collaboration, but in what the facility can to do transform patient outcomes”

Above ground the seven-level concrete-framed structure forms the L-shaped ‘perimeter’ building which sits along Grafton Way and Huntley Street.

Sitting in the space in the middle is the lighter steel-framed courtyard building which is above where the PBT gantries are situated a few storeys below.

A covered atrium fills the space between this ‘pavilion-like’ courtyard building and the perimeter building while connections are provided through a series of lightweight stell bridges.

Our new Grafton Way Building overcomes design and build challenges to deliver a comforting environment for patients alongside the very-latest technology and equipment for our staff

And, externally, a series of garden terraces have been created on the roofs of the courtyard to create a sanctuary for patients.

UCLH chief executive, David Probert, said: “Delivering healthcare is the work of people, but well-designed buildings make a huge difference to how effectively this can be achieved.

“Our new Grafton Way Building overcomes design and build challenges to deliver a comforting environment for patients alongside the very-latest technology and equipment for our staff.”

Fabienne Viala, chairwoman of Bouygues UK, added: “We favour complex projects where we can add value through our global experience and technical expertise and this new state-of-the-art facility for UCLH is one of the most-complex public building projects ever undertaken.

“Its successful delivery is a result of collaboration, both among Bouygues colleagues, and with UCLH and the wider project team, and it’s hugely rewarding to see the first patients beginning their treatment here, highlighting the potential that this facility has to transform people’s lives.”

Commenting on the design, Sheila Carney, director of Scott Tallon Walker Architects, said: “The pandemic has further emphasised the importance of excellent healthcare for patients in a modern considered environment designed to benefit the wellbeing of all users and promote recovery times.

The pandemic has further emphasised the importance of excellent healthcare for patients in a modern considered environment designed to benefit the wellbeing of all users and promote recovery times

“And the design embraces the principles of direct visual access to natural daylight, nature, and landscape, and maximises the use of natural materials and colour palettes throughout.

“The huge success of this project is a testament to the dedication, hard work and determination of a truly-remarkable collaborative team and to the vision of UCLH and our successful collaboration with Bouygues UK to deliver this project.”

Commenting on the design, Sheila Carney, director of Scott Tallon Walker Architects, said: “The pandemic has further emphasised the importance of excellent healthcare for patients in a modern considered environment designed to benefit the wellbeing of all users and promote recovery times.

“And the design embraces the principles of direct visual access to natural daylight, nature, and landscape, and maximises the use of natural materials and colour palettes throughout.

“The huge success of this project is a testament to the dedication, hard work and determination of a truly-remarkable collaborative team and to the vision of UCLH and our successful collaboration with Bouygues UK to deliver this project.”