Scott Tallon Walker wins planning for UK's most advanced radiotherapy centre

Scott Tallon Walker, Edward Williams Architects and Tsoi Kobus have won planning for one of the world’s most advanced radiotherapy treatment centres.

The £250 million cancer hospital and proton beam therapy (PBT) centre in London will be the first facility of its kind in the UK and one of just a handful in the world.

It is one of the most significant projects being undertaken by University College Hospital (UCLH) in its long-term £600 million redevelopment strategy, said estates director Kieran McDaid.

Irish practice Scott Tallon Walker is one of the architects on UCLH’s framework and won the job by teaming up with US proton therapy specialist Tsoi Kobus and young local practice Edward Williams Architects. The practice was set up in 2011 by former Hopkins partner Edward Williams.

The new development, beside a conservation area on Grafton Way, will begin with the construction of a PBT centre below ground. A cancer in-patient facility will then be built above ground.

PBT is an important new form of cancer treatment – especially important for children. It targets tumours more precisely with less damage to surrounding tissues than traditional forms of radiotherapy. This can improve patients’ quality of life following cancer treatment and reduce side effects and help treat hard-to-reach cancers, such as spinal tumours.

Eoin O’Morain, London director with Scott Tallon Walker, said: “We have managed to ‘shoehorn’ a significant healthcare facility into a very tight site. But that very location makes the hospital’s services very easy for people to access while importantly the state-of-the-art PBT unit means that very sick patients will no longer have to travel to overseas hospitals to get this potentially lifesaving treatment.”

Edward Williams said: “This was clearly a fantastic opportunity for us. Working with a world-class client like UCLH has given us the ability to develop the practice in the direction we wanted by giving us a stable, long-term project. It has significantly raised our profile and will allow other organisations both to view us in a positive light and consider us for similar projects.”