CONSTRUCTION work is due to start tomorrow (Monday, June 8) on a new £11.5m research centre for a North-East university.

The timber-clad structure has been designed by the man behind the redevelopment of the World Trade Center in the United States.

Durham University chose the renowned international architect, Daniel Libeskind, of Studio Daniel Libeskind (SDL), who produced the master plan for Ground Zero, New York, to design the building.

The new Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics will house two research institutes that are world leaders in their field, the Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC) and the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP).

Professor Tom Ward, pro vice chancellor of education at Durham University, said: “The university is excited to be embarking upon the next phase of this project to develop an iconic new building that reflects the high international standing of the Institute for Computational Cosmology and the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology.”

The new centre is a top priority because of the institutes’ rapid growth and academic success, enabling them to maintain their leading global positions in the decades ahead.

It has been made possible thanks to a donation of £3.35m from The Ogden Trust, whose chairman is Durham physics alumnus and entrepreneur Sir Peter Ogden, and a further £1.5m from the Wolfson Foundation.

The new centre will be built next to the University’s Department of Physics on Lower Mountjoy, South Road, Durham.

Daniel Libeskind has received numerous awards and designed world-renowned projects including: the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Denver Art Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, The Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin, the Military History Museum in Dresden as well as the masterplan for Ground Zero among others.

Prof Ward said: “Its unique design will also make an important contribution to the architectural heritage of the University and Durham City.

The new centre will enable both institutes to remain at the forefront of research as they seek to advance our understanding of particle physics and the structure and evolution of the universe.”

The building is expected to be completed by autumn 2016.