In 2017, an international architecture competition was called with a view to building the new Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) research building. Seven years on, a building spanning 16,792 m2 that is dedicated to research activity has now been inaugurated. This iconic building, which has its own identity and represents the values of innovation and excellence that underpin our daily work, is one of the first parts of the new Vall d’Hebron.

The ceremony was presided over by the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa; the Catalan Minister for Research and Universities, Núria Montserrat; and the Catalan Minister for Health, Olga Pané. Also in attendance were Raquel Yotti and Gonzalo Arévalo, commissioners in Advanced Healthcare for the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities PERTE Plan (strategic projects for economic recovery and transformation); Marta Villanueva, the Barcelona City Council Councillor for Health, People with Disabilities and the Loneliness Strategy; Josep Pomar, Managing Director of the Catalan Health Institute; Javier Lafuente, Rector of the Autonomous University of Barcelona; as well as members of the VHIR board of trustees, representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and patrons, among others.

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, praised this new space for its “new architecture, patient-oriented applied research and its proximity and connection to the public”. He went on to state that “this inauguration is an opportunity to raise our voice in support of research and against denialism. The fact that we have progressed so far in recent years is thanks to science.”

Dr Albert Salazar, managing director of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, stressed the importance of healthcare and research working together to the benefit of patients. He said “the different organisations of the Vall d’Hebron Campus share a commitment to fostering a knowledge community, always with the goal of improving people’s health. This is what enables us to achieve our excellent results.”

Dr Begoña Benito, director of the VHIR, reflected on the growth of the institution over the past decade before discussing its future in the new building. She stated that “this is the space where the main challenges of the future must be met, including the development of advanced therapies and immunomodulation and promoting data use and artificial intelligence in research, while never losing sight of the fact that we are a research centre linked to a hospital which covers all medical specialities. Therefore, our priorities will always be cross-cutting, seeking to drive research across all fields at the same time.” She also remarked that “another of the challenges we hope to meet with this new building is retaining and attracting national and international talent,” adding that “we will now be able to expand and strengthen our research and innovation activity, working, as we’ve always done and will continue to do, with dedication while adopting a holistic approach, seeking to have a positive impact on patients and maintain a sense of responsibility.”

A pioneering centre for research, innovation and advanced therapies

The new VHIR research building will become a hub of cutting-edge research, scientific excellence, innovation and teaching, with a clear focus on improving people’s quality of life.

Six hundred researchers will work in the new building, which will also house infrastructures that are used by all 2,000 people that make up the VHIR, including research and support staff and administrative, maintenance and service personnel. The space will promote collaboration and connections between different teams and boost creativity, efficiency and a collective commitment to providing solutions that have a positive impact on society.

At the inauguration ceremony, Dr Rafael Simó, Deputy Director of Clinical Research at the VHIR and head of the Diabetes and Metabolism group, explained how research activity has evolved since the creation of the VHIR 30 years ago: “I am honoured to have been involved from the very beginning, and to have witnessed the growth of the institution that has resulted in this new building. We are committed to making continued contributions through translational research which has a positive impact on patients.”

Dr Meritxell Genescà, principal investigator of the VHIR Infectious Diseases group, stated that “this new building is of the quality that our research activity deserves. It is a crucial step in promoting excellence, creativity and international collaboration, which will help us to consolidate our research activity with new success stories and innovative therapies.”

It will also house a cyclotron, thereby permitting the development of new, personalised radio isotope-based diagnostic and treatment tools and the latest technology in the field of advanced therapies, especially gene therapy. These pillars of research, both today and in the future, must ensure that personalised medicine is accessible to everyone and for all diseases. The challenge: improving people’s quality of life.

The building will also house an innovation hub, a pioneering space aimed at promoting public-private partnerships and driving new disruptive projects with the aim of transferring knowledge by setting up businesses and attracting new investors and biotech and pharmaceutical companies who wish to expand their activity in collaboration with our research groups. “With advanced infrastructures and an ecosystem that fosters connections between researchers, entrepreneurs and industry, this space will become an international benchmark in healthcare innovation,” stressed Dr Benito.

The new building will also be open to the public, as it will have multi-purpose areas to promote dissemination, teaching and citizen participation. For Vall d’Hebron, patients and families are now the protagonists and beneficiaries of our research activity. As such, the new space will become a meeting point between the public and our research staff.

Distribution of the space

The building will have a total surface area of 16,792 m2, distributed as follows:

• Floor -1: Scientific and technical support (5,435 m2). This space will house the cyclotron, occupying an area of 810 m2; and the Centre for Advanced Therapies, which will cover 207 m2.
• Floor 0: Reception, administration, events room (3,576 m2).
• Floors 1 and 2: Research laboratories (5,569 m2).
• Innovation hub/reserve space (2,212 m2)

From architecture competition to construction of the new building

In 2017, an international architectural competition was called to design the new Vall d’Hebron research centre. Out of the five proposals, a prestigious international jury selected the design presented by the Catalan architects from the BAAS Arquitectura and Espinet/Ubach studios.

The work started in July 2021 and ended in the third quarter of 2024.

In terms of architecture, this Mediterranean-style building blends into its surroundings through a modern, sustainable and efficient design that makes use of the thermal inertia of the ground, the green roof, the microclimate in the courtyards and the natural light. These elements will make the building an architectural benchmark in Barcelona and an example of environmentally-friendly architecture.

Funding and financial support 

In mid-January 2020, the Generalitat granted a loan of 17.3 million euros to the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute to build the new Vall d’Hebron research building. This sum, together with contributions from the “la Caixa” Foundation (€3 million), Ferrer (€250,000), the VHIR’s own funds, the FEDER Regional Development Fund and contributions from other private donors, helped raise €40 million for the construction of the new building and an additional €3 million for state-of-the-art equipment and technology. A further €19.9 million was raised for the cyclotron, which includes PET/CAT and PET/MRI imaging study equipment. This was funded wholly by the REACT-EU and Next Generation EU funds.

The CEO of the “la Caixa” Foundation, Antonio Vila Bertrán, stated that “we are extremely proud that the Vall d’Hebron Campus has considered us to be an important part of its activity over the past 20 years. The inauguration of this new building is a great example of the potential of public-private partnerships. We are all united in our common goal: meeting major health challenges through research activity with a view to improving patients’ lives."