Hammersmith and Fulham Council has granted planning permission for the Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Research Hub — a 13-storey building on Imperial College (www.imperial.ac.uk) London’s White City campus.

The new hub, which will contain research laboratories, an out-patient clinic and a 150-seat auditorium, has been supported by a £40 million gift from Imperial alumnus Michael Uren OBE and his foundation (this is the most generous donation in the history of the college).

Graham Stark, development director for the White City Campus, said: “The Michael Uren Biomedical Engineering Research Hub will harness the expertise of our engineers, scientists and researchers under one roof, to drive forward medical technology.

"We’re delighted to have planning permission, and we look forward to continuing to work with the council and the local community.”

The new centre is a key component of Imperial’s White City Campus — itself a major boost to the regeneration of the local area. The building has a triangular plan with a flexible and efficient servicing strategy, in which the laboratory and the clinical spaces are served by interconnected facilities on each floor.