Southern Hemisphere’s largest infectious disease centre unveiled

The Victorian government has unveiled the design for the largest infectious disease centre in the Southern Hemisphere.

The proposed Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID) is designed by Wardle with Wilson Architects, international workplace specialist Studio O+A, and laboratory specialist Perkins and Will.

It will be built next to the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne Biomedical Precinct and will be the largest centre for infectious disease expertise in Australia.

Early concept designs depict a singular tower form with horizontal striations that demarcate the building’s various parts and a facade that will be made from natural, low-carbon materials.

The new institute will be a partnership between the University of Melbourne, Doherty Institute and Burnet Institute, which will relocate its headquarters to the new building.

“The relocation of Burnet Institute to the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct as a foundation partner of the AIID is an exciting opportunity that will strengthen collaborations across laboratory-based research and public and global health, and build our capacity to respond to significant global health challenges,” said Margaret Hellard, deputy director of Burnet Institute.

The building will house high-containment facilities, robotic bio-banking, vaccine development facilities, dry laboratories, interview rooms and spaces for community engagement and co-design work.

The ground floor will accommodate collaborative work settings while the floors above will house north-facing laboratories and south-facing work spaces. The building will also be physically connected across multiple levels to the neighbouring Doherty Institute, designed by Grimshaw and Billard Leece Partnership. Public outreach spaces and an external roof garden will be located at the top habitable level of the building, and collaborative working spaces will be scattered throughout.

“Despite its vast scale the AIID building will provide warm and empathetic spaces to support human endeavour, for it is human endeavor that will unlock the challenges we face,” said Wardle founding partner John Wardle.

The proposed centre will enable faster, more effective diagnostic tests, treatments, vaccines and public health interventions. It will be home to more than 1,000 scientists, academics, students and public health experts.

Meaghan Dwyer, project director and partner at Wardle, said the co-location of the founding partners will help protect Australia and the region from infectious diseases and future pandemics.

“Interdisciplinarity is essential for groundbreaking research. This building will provide a home for the three foundation partners while supporting collaboration between them and their many precinct and industry partners. This vast collective intelligence will advance Australia’s capability for detecting, preventing, and responding to pandemics and infectious diseases,” she said.

The $650 million project is funded by the Victorian government to the tune of $400 million, while the remaining $250 million will be funded by the founding partners.

“Victoria has long been the medical research capital of Australia – this world-class centre for research and innovation will ensure medical research breakthroughs keep happening right here in Victoria,” said Victorian premier Daniel Andrews.

Construction is due to begin in 2025, and the building is expected to be complete in 2027.