The Fleming Centre is part of the wider Fleming Initiative, established jointly by Imperial College Healthcare and Imperial College London to find solutions to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at a global scale. The Centre will provide a space to bring together researchers, policymakers, clinicians, behavioral experts, commercial partners and the public to combine their shared networks, expertise and skills in the fight against AMR. It will also be part of a global network of centres in strategic locations around the world, aiming to catalyse worldwide action. The Centre is intended to be integrated into a full redevelopment of St Mary’s Hospital which is included in the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The Centre is due to open in 2028, marking 100 years since the discovery of penicillin at St Mary’s by Sir Alexander Fleming. The concept design for the Fleming Centre embraces the heritage of its proposed location on the site of The Bays. These former industrial warehouses, dating back to around 1850, were originally used for transport and distribution before being incorporated into the hospital in 1983. Their approach retains and adapts The Bays as a vital link to Paddington’s industrial past while inserting new elements, including the Fleming Discovery Centre, to showcase cutting-edge science and research. The design prioritises sustainability, proposing features such as renewable energy systems, including a water-source heat pump and photovoltaic panels, alongside biodiverse landscaping and a low-carbon structure. Public engagement is central, with the ground floor designed as an open and welcoming extension of the public realm, offering views into laboratories and curated exhibition spaces to bring science to life.

“Stanton Williams has a bold vision for the Fleming Centre and have brought our ambitions to life with a concept that reflects the Centre’s unique purpose and global significance. By providing a flexible space to unite researchers, policymakers, clinicians, behavioral experts, commercial partners and the public in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, we can ensure that the Fleming Centre becomes a global beacon for change in healthcare” – Professor the Lord Darzi, Executive Chair of the Fleming Initiative

«This is an exciting milestone for the Fleming Centre and the planned, wider redevelopment of the St Mary’s Hospital site. The Stanton Williams design concept gave the selection panel great confidence that the building they design will honour both Sir Alexander Fleming’s legacy and our aspiration for continued innovation with local and global impact” – Professor Tim Orchard, chief executive of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

“The Fleming Centre will bring together Imperial’s world-leading researchers with diverse UK and international partners, including from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, policy community and civil society to tackle the challenge of AMR head-on. The new building will also be a key part of the Paddington Life Sciences development and Imperial WestTech Corridor vision. We are excited to be one step closer to starting the transformative work it will enable us to do” – Imperial President Professor Hugh Brady