Ray Dolby Centre
Project Brief:
The new Cavendish Laboratory was a major project to replace existing facilities for the Department of Physics at Cambridge West. The new building has been named the Ray Dolby Centre, in recognition of a £85 million gift from the estate of sound pioneer Ray Dolby.
The building will support the world-leading research carried out by the department.
It houses a number of Physics research groups, their laboratories, cleanrooms, office and support accommodation, along with a public wing housing two lecture theatres, seminar rooms, learning resource centre, common room, outreach and the ‘Cavendish Collection’ exhibition.
The building has integrated sustainability into the design, targeting BREEAM excellent and using sustainable drainage techniques to manage water on site.
Site address:
JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0US
Size:
32,900 sqm
Total Cost:
£ 303M
Project Manager:
Matt Allen
Contractor:
Bouygues
Architect:
Jestico + Whiles
Status:
Work started in February 2019
Completed in May 2024
Official opening in May 2025
More information:
Department of Physics RDC website
Hiring the auditorium and other spaces in the RDC