Royal College of Pathologists

The new London headquarters of the Royal College of Pathologists is a highly flexible, enduring building designed to support the College’s growing international membership, research and public education programmes. Based in Aldgate on the City’s eastern edge, the building replaces an existing office block and enables the College’s relocation from its former West End home.

The building has a public dimension, with facilities for major conferences and meeting rooms, as well as more private offices and overnight accommodation for members. The exterior is designed to express the life of the College and the different activities within. Brick columns and recessed windows give a clear, legible sense of order and concrete bands run across the façade to mark each floor. At ground level, the brick columns are larger to signal the double-height entrance. A stepped-back sixth-floor pavilion, clad in zinc, differentiates the upper floor from the main building.

Internally, the exposed coffered concrete slabs that unify the range of spaces play a key role in the passive cooling strategy. The virtually column-free floors allow flexible layouts, anticipating future change. Set-backs on the first, third and fourth floors open the building up with balconies and triple-height volumes, bringing daylight deep into the building. In every detail, this is conceived as a distinctive, adaptable home for the College, supporting its operations and providing an inspiring workplace for members and staff for decades to come.