LMS

• Client: Walter Lilly
• Sector: Medical Research
• Services: Commercial Decorating
• Region: Hammersmith, London
• Size: 12,070 m2
• Project Value: £65 million

Project Overview

It was an honour for Sentinel to work with Walter Lilly on a major and much-needed development at the Hammersmith Hospital campus in West London.  

This is the site of the new home for the Medical Research Council (MRC) London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS). 

Before this project began, the LMS was spread far and wide through multiple buildings in the capital. The various research groups working for the LMS had little opportunity for interaction and collaboration. The facility did not even have its own front door.  

That changed with the design and construction of a new nine-storey biomedical research facility at Imperial College London’s campus in Hammersmith.  

More than 400 scientists are now working at the site on a variety of vital biological and medical research projects. These include investigations into genes and the environment, heart and metabolic disease, and sex-based differences in disease.  

This is a state-of-the-art location that incorporates a host of specialist facilities and, crucially, areas where clinical and non-clinical scientists can gather, collaborate and exchange information and insights.   

As London’s leading specialist decorating subcontractor, Sentinel was pleased to be given the chance to deliver commercial decorating services across the nine floors of the building.  

This came with its own challenges, which – helped by the extensive expertise we bring to tasks like this – our team of specialist decorators was able to meet and overcome.  

The new LMS building was officially opened in January 2024 by the Princess Royal, who took the opportunity to tour the superb facilities and to meet many of the researchers who now work there.  

She viewed the large atrium and central staircase, where some of the work delivered by Sentinel on this project is on display.  

Project Brief

Sentinel’s contribution to the development of the new LMS building was to provide commercial decorating services on all nine floors of the structure.  

It was essential that this work was delivered to our usual extremely high standard, given the open nature of the building. Hawkins Brown, the architect on the project, envisaged an interior with a heavy emphasis on breakout areas and circulation spaces. 

This was achieved to encourage communication, collaboration and learnings between the researchers using the building. The building is one of only two laboratories in the UK wholly funded by the MRC, which underscores the importance of the work carried out here.  

As well as the cutting-edge laboratory environments, it was essential that a warm, homely feel was created that would support the researchers’ sense of wellbeing.  

The building’s exterior is distinctively clad in anodised aluminium, finished in a variety of shades. The range of perforated panels around the entrance were inspired by the range of research activities taking place within.

Challenges / Solution

The main challenge faced by Sentinel, London’s top specialist decorating sub-contractor, was the selection of the correct shade of paint on each floor.  

Our client requested that all the walls on every storey were coloured green – but in different shades. 

This presented a problem because the open nature of the design of the building, including a central atrium with a feature staircase, meant several floors might be in view at any one time.  

It was essential that the colours each worked in their own right, and that they did not clash with neighbouring areas.  

At Sentinel, we are always happy to go the extra mile for our clients. Our specialist decorators used all their commercial decorating experience to select various shades of Dulux Diamond Matt green. 

Once the choice for each floor had been made, it was vital that the coverage was even and consistent so that the only difference between two adjacent walls was the colour, rather than the coverage applied.  

The Result

It’s a pleasure to be able to report that the application of our commercial decorating expertise produced a result that met the client’s requirements.  

Creating different colours on each floor was challenging in itself, but the fact that multiple floors were visible at any time added to the complexity – and the necessity to ensure the coverage was even, and the colours worked together where they met.  

All the green walls were completed with an even coverage, and the visual transition between the different floors and walls was seamless. Impressed visitors remarked on how crisp the colours looked against each other when viewed from the feature staircase.  

The structure has already won its first award. It was presented with the Integration & Collaborative Working prize at the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2023.  

Professor Hugh Brady, the president of Imperial College, said: “The new LMS building further boosts our capability for leading-edge translational biomedical research and is a great addition to Imperial’s vibrant inter-disciplinary research and innovation ecosystem.” 

Jane Meredith, head of operations at LMS, added: “The design and build of the new building has successfully delivered a vibrant space that will fuel the collaborative research ethos that is at the heart of the LMS.”