Set to deliver over 100,000 sq ft of fitted lab and office space through the sensitive repositioning of Cambridge's former printing press, the new science and innovation campus introduces desperately needed lab and office space in a world-class R&D ecosystem mired by undersupply.
Held on 9 July, the topping out ceremony was attended by local stakeholders, partners and advisers to celebrate the completion of the building’s structure. Mission Street founder and CEO Artem Korolev and architect Richard Warwick undertook a ceremonial filling of the last structural concrete in the building.
Completion is expected in Q1 2025, with fitted labs and collaborative workspaces already available to potential occupiers.
The Press is being delivered in three phases. Phase one (recently completed) saw the refurbishment of the former Burlington Press, providing 16,000 sq ft of fitted lab suites across two units, while phase two will deliver a further 65,000 sq ft of larger scale R&D space via a newly constructed two-storey building.
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Artem Korolev, founder and CEO at Mission Street, said: "This is a significant development for the Cambridge Southern Cluster, home to the UK’s highest concentration of biotech companies. The Press responds to a persistent shortfall in fit-for-purpose lab and office space that has meant that many outstanding innovators have had to settle for second-best alternatives and suffered as a result."
Originally constructed as a printing works in 1909 alongside a series of workers’ cottages, the Burlington Press was first intended as a means of bringing non-agricultural employment into the rural communities outside of Cambridge. After the printing industry declined, the building was repurposed and extended with low quality industrial units in the 70s and 80s.
Now, through the creation of new employment space, amenities open to both employees and the public at large, newly landscaped gardens, and an improved environment for Foxton’s war memorial, Mission Street’s refurbishment intends to re-introduce the site to the heart of its local community.
Located at a five minutes' walk from Foxton station, The Press benefits from direct train routes to wider science and innovation hubs including King’s Cross, Cambridge Central, and the soon-to-open Cambridge South station at the centre of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
Colin Brown, development director at Mission Street, said: "It was an absolute joy to work with the best of the existing buildings at the Burlington Press, and with phase two we had the opportunity to replace the lower quality buildings on site with industry-leading, purpose-built lab space, public space and additional amenity for the village of Foxton."
Designed by Cambridge-based architects Owers Warwick Architects, phase one of The Press retains the historic features of the Burlington Press, including its high-volume space and saw-tooth roof that have been repurposed into 'spectacular' lab and office spaces.
