The University of Oxford has officially opened the Life and Mind Building, a major new facility that will house the Departments of Biology and Experimental Psychology, as well as the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research. The opening ceremony was led by Sir Paul Nurse, former Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at Oxford, and attended by Chancellor Lord Hague of Richmond and Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey.
The event brought together representatives from Legal & General, Oxford University Development (OUD), architecture firm NBBJ, and construction partner Wates. The building is one of the largest in the university’s history and was developed through a £4 billion joint venture between Oxford University and Legal & General.
Sir Paul Nurse commented on the significance of the new facility: "It is always a pleasure to return to the University, and to mark the official opening of this remarkable new building is particularly special. Science is an endless frontier, and today the biological and brain sciences are at the forefront of that exploration. The discoveries that will emerge from the Life and Mind Building will help answer questions that matter to all of us: what it means to be human, how we can respond to climate change, how we can ensure food security, and how we can tackle the growing challenge of mental ill-health."
Chancellor Lord Hague described the project as a milestone for Oxford: "The official opening of the Life and Mind Building marks a milestone moment for the University. It symbolises the ambition, creativity and partnership that drives our universities and sustains our global leadership in research and education.
"These outstanding new teaching and research facilities will enrich the student experience and enable the next generation of discoveries. Seeing this remarkable building come to life, filled with energy and collaboration, is deeply inspiring and I look forward to the bold, interdisciplinary projects that will emerge from within its walls."
Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey highlighted collaboration as key: "The Life and Mind Building stands as a powerful example of what collaboration can achieve. It unites two of our most dynamic disciplines under one roof, providing the space and facilities our researchers and students need to explore some of the most fundamental questions about life and the human mind.
‘It embodies the best of Oxford - working together to advance knowledge for the good of society and the world - and has been made possible by our partnership with Legal & General, the skill and dedication of all those who designed and built it, and the resilience of colleagues who have sustained world-class research and teaching over so many years without a permanent home.'"
António Simões, Group Chief Executive Officer at Legal & General (L&G), said: "Today’s opening of The Life and Mind Building is a landmark achievement for our £4 billion partnership with the University of Oxford. It reflects our commitment as a long-term investor in the UK economy, using pension capital to fund world-class research facilities that will drive innovation for generations to come."
The building features advanced laboratories such as sleep labs, virtual reality rooms, lecture theatres, experimental classrooms, rooftop glasshouses for plant science research, controlled environment labs for scientific experiments requiring specific conditions like temperature or humidity control (https://www.wates.co.uk/case-studies/life-and-mind-building-oxford/), as well as housing approximately one million botanical specimens from Oxford's collections.