BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE Stellenbosch University
ARCHITECT Roelof Rabe Architects
LABORATORY PERFORMANCE SPECIALISTS / FACILITY PLANNING & DESIGN LTS
PROJECT MANAGER Henry Fagan
CIVIL , STRUCTURAL & WET SERVICES EKCON Engineers
ELECTRICAL , ELECTRONIC , MECHANICAL & FIRE ENGINEERS Triocon Consulting Engineers
ACOUSTIC ENGINEERS SRL South Africa
INTERIOR ARCHITECTS Roelof Rabe Architects
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Terra + Landscape Architects
MAIN CONTRACTOR WBHO Construction
PHOTOGRAPHY David Savage ; Courtesy of WBHO
The launch of its new state-of-the-art Biomedical Research Institute ( BMRI ) places Stellenbosch University ( SU ) at the forefront of biomedical sciences on the African continent .
Situated at SU ’ s Tygerberg Campus in Cape Town , The BMRI is a world-class biomedical research complex on par with the best in the world and is unparalleled , not only on the African continent , but the entire southern hemisphere , in terms of its cutting-edge facilities and extensive research capacity .
The facility houses more than 500 biomedical researchers and students , including some of the world ’ s foremost scientists in the fields of bioinformatics , tuberculosis , neuroscience , and urology . The leading-edge research emanating from the facility has a decidedly African focus and seeks to understand the genetic and biomolecular basis of diseases afflicting South Africa and the rest of the African continent .
Construction of this R1,2 billion facility commenced in 2018 and was completed in 2023 , despite major challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic . The planning and design of this multifaceted complex followed a future-focussed approach resulting in a high-performance research hub that is modular , functional and sustainable .
The BMRI boasts numerous state-of-the-art laboratories , including the largest ( 600m 2 ) biosafety level 3 ( BSL-3 ) laboratory and fully-automated biorepository in Africa . Lecture and conference theatres are equipped with the latest audio-visual technology and large modern dissection halls are custom-engineered to minimise formaldehyde exposure .
30 Biomedical Research Institute