.jpg) Exterior of the Sainsbury Laboratory from theCambridge University Botanic Garden | |
Academic affiliation | University of Cambridge |
|---|---|
| Endowment | Gatsby Charitable Foundation |
| Director | Henrik Jönsson |
| Location | , |
| Architect | Stanton Williams |
| Website | www |
 | |
TheSainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (orSLCU)[1] is a British research institute, which is funded by theGatsby Charitable Foundation. Its "aim is to understand the regulatory systems underlyingplant growth andplant development."[1]
The "state-of-the-art" research facility, completed in 2011, is located at theCambridge University Botanic Garden.[2]
As of 2025, the research groups at Sainsbury Laboratory are:[3]
The Sainsbury Laboratory houses 120 plant scientists studying plant development and diversity in state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. The building was made possible by the award of an £82 million grant[4] from theGatsby Charitable Foundation, one of theSainsbury family charitable trusts.[5] The work of the laboratory complements that of theSainsbury Laboratory at Norwich.[6]
Construction of the 11,000-square metre building,[5] led byKier Group, began in the private working and research area of the Botanic Garden in February 2008 and was completed in December 2010. The building was opened on 27 April 2011 byElizabeth II.[7]
The laboratory building also provides plant growth facilities and a home for the UniversityHerbarium, which contains over one million pressed and dried plant specimens from around the world, including the great majority of those collected byCharles Darwin on theBeagle Voyage, and scientific research material relating to newly discovered plants from the 18th and 19th centuries.[8]
The Laboratory meets Cambridge City Council’s planning requirement for 10% renewable on-site energy generation through use of photovoltaic panels,[9] and has been awarded aBREEAM 'Excellent' rating. The Gilmour Suite, in a wing of the Sainsbury Laboratory, provides a public café and terrace for Botanic Garden visitors and is open all year during the garden's public opening hours. The building was awarded theStirling Prize for architecture in 2012.[10]
| Architect: | Stanton Williams |
| Furniture consultant: | Luke Hughes[11] |
| Construction Start date: | February 2008 |
| Completion Date: | December 2010 |
| Date of Occupation: | January 2011 |
| Number of Occupants: | 150 |
| Gross Internal Area: | 11,000 m2 (120,000 sq ft) |
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The laboratory has several pieces of art, including:[12]
| Artist Name | Work |
|---|---|
| Norman Ackroyd | Galapagos |
| Susanna Heron | Henslow’s Walk |
| William Pye | Starburst |
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52°11′41″N0°07′40″E / 52.19475°N 0.12777°E /52.19475; 0.12777
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