Oriel

Oriel–designed by AECOM, Penoyre & Prasad and White Arkitekter–is a new home for the Moorfields Eye Hospital, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. It takes a radical approach to the integration of sight related care, research and education to drive innovation and speed up the translation of research findings into treatment. Enabling a seamless collaboration between clinicians, patients and researchers, the building will provide a flexible and adaptable armature to facilitate future evolution in clinical care and research practice and strengthen both Moorfields’ position as a world-leading eye hospital and reinforce the Institute’s capacity to deliver globally-networked, cutting-edge research. The innovative design centres on people, creating the best possible patient and user experience. Three concepts underpin the design: • A new public realm that welcomes everyone into the building’s heart, reinforcing Oriel’s civic presence and sense of place. • A place of collaboration, facilitating chance encounters and serendipitous ‘water cooler’ moments. • An adaptive building that provides flexibility to shifting and disruptive technologies that will change the nature of education, research and healthcare in the future. The site is located within the Kings Cross St Pancras Conservation Area, a sensitive and fine-grained neighbourhood undergoing rapid change. Through its carefully articulated massing and finely detailed elevations, Oriel responds to the existing heritage buildings on the site and St Pancras Gardens to the south, while recognising the emerging denser developments to the north and east. At the heart of Oriel is the atrium, a tall, naturally daylit space forming a new living room for the city and containing the public facing facilities – education, café, exhibition, and support services. Rising up through the atrium is the ‘oriel’, a stack of multi-level platforms and semi-enclosed spaces that form the spatial embodiment of Oriel’s integration and interaction. Embracing the atrium are two boomerang-shaped wings containing the main functional content – education, research and clinical spaces, blended vertically in such a way to maximise cross-disciplinary collaboration. Designed to circular economy principles, the flexible floorplates, optimal floor-to-floor heights and strategic servicing strategy enable the building to flex and adapt over time. Optimised for thermal performance, daylighting and unitisation, the materiality and composition of the façade both reflects and contrasts with the site context - bronzed aluminium fins and louvres, and ceramic tiles, articulated with undulating ribbing, reflect the colour of the adjacent Victorian brickwork and the traditional faience detailing, while the light colour, curtain walling and articulation offsets this contemporary insertion in the historic context. Internally, the atrium and Oriel are inspired by light, modern and transparent design. Working closely with White Arkitekter, we developed a palette of natural materials, internal planting and good acoustics to create a high quality and sophisticated interior promoting Oriel’s civic mission while contributing to the health and wellbeing of the building users.