A major milestone in the construction of a new multi-million-pound centre that will develop the next generation of global health leaders has been celebrated with a ‘topping out’ ceremony. 

Operated jointly by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and iiCON: Infection Innovation Consortium; the new centre, Pembroke House, builds on the Liverpool City’s world-leading capability in infectious disease research and innovation.  

The building, located in the heart of Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter on the corner of London Road and Daulby Street, is undergoing an extensive refurbishment delivered by main contractor, Kier.

This involves the external façade being retained while internal works deliver an attractive, contemporary space with state-of-the-art facilities and immersive and experiential technologies at its core. 

A celebratory ceremony to mark the completion of a key phase in the refurbishment was held on 13 July, with a ceremonial laying of the building’s final brick by iiCON’s founding director, Janet Hemingway, and LSTM director, David Lalloo. 

World-class collaboration

Once complete, the centre will provide a bespoke centre for world-class collaborative and interactive online learning, industry collaboration, and community engagement and training.

And it will accelerate the development of transformative technologies and futureproof the region as a world-leading centre for infection innovation, research, and learning. 

Professor Lalloo said: “Pembroke House responds to a growing need for a step change in training to equip health professionals to deal with the global health challenges of the future.   

“The new centre will support impactful global partnerships with multiple stakeholders in teaching and research and enhance LSTM’s educational collaboration with overseas partners and students by linking learning on-campus in Liverpool into a world-class, globally-connected digital learning environment.

“It’s exciting to be ‘topping out’ the building and laying the final brick and we look forward to officially launching the building as we celebrate LSTM’s 125^th anniversary next year.” 

Making progress

Professor Hemingway added: “It’s great to see such good progress being made on the refurbishment of Pembroke House and we’re delighted to be marking this key development milestone.   

“Once open, the centre will support and super charge infection innovation by bringing together industry, academia, and our regional community in world-class facilities and providing industry partners with a dedicated space to enable high-quality training, networking, and partnering – supporting pioneering collaborative innovation.” 

Offering innovative learning platforms and cutting-edge facilities, including immersive reality technology, the centre will be used to train future health leaders, both globally and across the Liverpool City and the wider North West, as well as supporting increasing industry, NHS, and academic collaboration. 

Secured with funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), donations from leading philanthropic organisations, including The Garfield Weston Foundation and Lord Leverhulme’s Charitable Trust, have supported the development of the new centre.