Boban John
The 117,190 net sq ft development is set to be built within Paddington Village, Liverpool City Council’s flagship development site in the city’s Knowledge Quarter innovation district.
Hemisphere One is part of a two-phase project, alongside Hemisphere Two, that will ultimately offer a combined net total 216,693 sq ft of chemistry labs, data labs, bio labs and innovation labs, alongside incubator space, grow-on and commercial lab space. Procurement for Hemisphere Two will be managed via a separate tender process at a later date.
For the £61m Hemisphere One project, Morgan Sindall will support Sciontec in refining the technical design to smooth the transition into the construction phase of the project, which is expected to start on site in the autumn.
The appointment follows a competitive tender process coordinated through the North West Construction Hub high value framework. Morgan Sindall previously delivered The Spine, a 160,000 sq ft commercial building which is home to the Royal College of Physicians, adjacent to the site of Hemisphere One.
Sciontec is a partnership between Liverpool City Council, University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Bruntwood SciTech. It has already reached outline letting agreements prior to work commencing at Hemisphere One.
Sciontec chief executive Colin Sinclair said: “We are bringing Hemisphere One and Two forward to satisfy the rocketing demand for high-quality lab space in Liverpool city centre and support delivery of the city region’s Innovation Zone ambitions.
“The appointment of a trusted and experienced main contractor in Morgan Sindall allows us to now confidently move ahead with finalising the designs and commencing shell and core work over the coming months.
“While we are advancing with pre-let agreements, we also hope that this latest step forward will offer confidence to the wider market and future innovation occupiers that Liverpool can deliver excellent new developments at scale.”
Morgan Sindall northwest area director Steven Gregory said: “This is an exciting time for the city region, with the Innovation Zone set to make it a life science powerhouse. As such, Hemisphere One is strategically important for the city region and our wealth of experience when it comes to delivering high performance science and technology schemes means we are well placed to take this project forward. The exceptional facilities we will build will create the perfect environment for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, enabling world leading researchers and scientists to deliver work that will result in better patient outcomes.”
Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool city region, said: “The development of Hemisphere One isn’t just another building project – it’s a clear demonstration of our region’s determination to be at the forefront of global innovation and life sciences. This cutting-edge facility will not only house world-leading research but foster a culture of collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. By creating spaces where brilliant minds can come together, we are setting the stage for breakthrough discoveries that will benefit not only the Liverpool city region but the world.”
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