Cambridge's new Ray Dolby Centre gives scientists space to think outside the box
The Ray Dolby Centre, the new home of the Cavendish Laboratory, is set to revolutionise physics in Cambridge.
Designed to match the most exacting standards of current research and teaching, the state-of-the-art building is in part inspired by the original Cavendish Laboratory’s ethos – to provide an environment that fosters creativity and collaboration.
Professor Mete Atatüre, the current Head of the Cavendish Laboratory, says a space of this kind is essential to enable researchers to make scientific breakthroughs. “The work that has had the greatest scientific impact on society – including huge discoveries at the Cavendish – didn’t happen just because they had the biggest building or the most expensive equipment, it happened because they created the right space for people to think outside the box, to be able to ask the right questions."
The Ray Dolby Centre, the new home of the Cavendish Laboratory.
The Ray Dolby Centre, the new home of the Cavendish Laboratory.
In the 150 years since its founding, scientists from the Cavendish have changed our understanding of the physical world, discovering the electron, the neutron and the structure of DNA. And as they continue the search for a fundamental understanding of the Universe and the laws which govern it, such as unlocking the secrets of dark matter, Cavendish scientists today are also at the forefront of research into modern technology, including quantum science, and societal challenges like addressing the energy crisis. Thirty-one affiliates of the Cavendish Laboratory have been awarded the Nobel Prize.
The original Cavendish Laboratory in Free School Lane.
The original Cavendish Laboratory in Free School Lane.
Cavendish scientists worked closely with architects on the layout of the Ray Dolby Centre, where a central ‘street’ running through the facility encourages interaction and collaboration.
“We’ve designed the Centre with humans in mind – the way they operate, the way they work, the way they create curiosity in each other – to originate new ideas,” Prof Atatüre said. “More people will bump into each other here, and talk more. We’re not simply maximising the number of offices and people we can put in a building, we’re maximising the impact those people can have.”
Professor Mete Atatüre, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory.
Professor Mete Atatüre, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory.
And these serendipitous encounters will not just involve physicists. The Ray Dolby Centre will be a magnet for scientists across a broad spectrum of research fields.
“We’ll be answering questions from a physics perspective, but we won’t just do physics because it’s a physics building,” said Prof Atatüre. “There’ll be a fluidic research culture, so that chemists, biologists, and others are all involved in tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time.”
And access to the general public – another key feature of the original Victorian laboratory – will also be a big part of the new building. The Ray Dolby Centre will serve as a national hub for physics, hosting the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s National Facility, to foster collaboration between industry and university researchers, and engage the wider community in ground-breaking scientific endeavours.
A pre-1914 photograph of a physics practical class supervised by George Searle.
A pre-1914 photograph of a physics practical class supervised by George Searle.
“We’re working to address society’s challenges – the energy crisis, healthcare, future technology – so of course that means involving the public. The old Cavendish had a ‘front of house’, where the public came in to see demonstrations of electricity, magnetism, and other research of the time, and a ‘back of house’, where the research happened. They were communicating with public about what they were doing, what science is, and it’s one of the first places where that happened. So in the same spirit, people will be able to come into the Ray Dolby Centre’s public wing for events, into the big auditorium and the lecture halls, and hear directly from Cambridge scientists.”
The five-floor 32,900m² space – designed by architects Jestico + Whiles and constructed by Bouygues UK, in partnership with executive design partners NBBJ and BDP – features advanced facilities to support pioneering scientific research for years to come, including laboratories, workshops, cleanrooms, offices, and collaborative spaces. It also offers extensive teaching and learning spaces for its 1,100 staff members and students, including a 400-seat lecture theatre, undergraduate teaching labs, a learning resource centre, café space, and outreach and exhibition spaces.
Scientists worked with architects on the Ray Dolby Centre's design, which encourages interaction and collaboration.
Scientists worked with architects on the Ray Dolby Centre's design, which encourages interaction and collaboration.
But as well as the high-spec precision equipment, Cavendish scientists were determined that the Ray Dolby Centre would also include another, more analogue, feature of the original laboratory – blackboards.
“We made sure of it,” said Prof Atatüre. “The AV in every lecture hall is state-of-the-art, so lectures can be captured, and any question from the farthest corner can be heard. But there’s always a blackboard, because we want a lecturer to be able to pick up a piece of chalk and draw a diagram, or explain an equation, in the moment. It’s part of Cavendish teaching and we want to hold on to that legacy. We should be state-of-the-art, we should be the future today, but we shouldn't forget the past.”
Published: 9th May, 2025
Words: Stephen Bevan
Images: Cavendish Laboratory
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