A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday to mark the start of construction of a £5 million building for the University of Cambridge, to the north of Madingley Road, to be known as The Battcock Centre for Experimental Astrophysics.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday to mark the start of construction of a £5 million building for the University of Cambridge, to the north of Madingley Road, to be known as The Battcock Centre for Experimental Astrophysics.
Sited next to the Kavli Institute for Cosmology and the Institute of Astronomy, the Centre will establish a global reputation as a world class centre of research excellence in all aspects of astrophysics and cosmology, which will attract the very best scholars and young scientists from around the world.
Managing Director of main contractor SDC, Francis Shiner and Michael Bienias, Director of Estate Management for the University, welcomed guests to the event including Guest of Honour Mr Humphrey Battcock whose substantial philanthropic gift, together with a grant from the Wolfson Foundation, have made the project possible
Construction of the Centre will bring together all the experimental, observational and theoretical astronomers in Cambridge on a single site for the first time.
The Centre will house around 12 faculty, and 50 post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. Bringing together expertise at all levels will create a lively research environment that will feed directly into the teaching programme.
The new Centre will be principally dedicated to astrophysical and instrumentation activities which complement the work being conducted at the Kavli Institute.
The opening of the Centre will be coordinated with the launch of a major new initiative to make Cambridge a world-leading centre for extrasolar planet and astrobiological research.
Professor James Stirling CBE FRS, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory and Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy, said: "The very generous gifts by Humphrey Battcock and the Wolfson Foundation have enabled the Cavendish Laboratory to begin the next stage of its redevelopment and at the same time bring to fruition the vision of consolidating on a single site the enormous strength of Cambridge Astrophysics and Cosmology.
"Already it has enabled us to develop new and important initiatives in the areas of instrumentation for the large telescopes of the future and of Extrasolar Planets.
"This is just the beginning of an exciting new era for Astrophysics and Cosmology research in Cambridge."
Completion of Construction is set for September 2013.
Picture shows all guests at the groundbreaking with, front row wearing personal protection equipment, l-r Francis Shiner, Managing Director of SDC; Professor James Stirling, Director of the Cavendish Laboratory; Mr Humphrey Battcock, Benefactor; Professor Malcolm Longair, Director of Development, Cavendish Laboratory; Michael Bienias, Director of Estate Management
Project Team
Architect: Annand & Mustoe
Principal Contractor: SDC
Client: University of Cambridge
Project Manager: Estate Management
External Project Manager: Davis Langdon
Cost Manager: Gleeds
Structural Engineer: Hannah Reed
Building Services Consultant: AECOM
Landscape Architect: David Brown Landscape Design
CDM Coordinator: Gardiner & Theobald LLP
Town Planning: University of Cambridge Estate Management'
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