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 £82million grant[citation needed] from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, one of the Sainsbury family charitable trusts.[4] The work of the laboratory complements that of the Sainsbury Laboratory at Norwich.[5]
Construction of the 11,000-square metre building,[4] led by Kier 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 by Elizabeth II.[6]
The laboratory building also provides plant growth facilities and a home for the University Herbarium, which contains over one million pressed and dried plant specimens from around the world, including the great majority of those collected by Charles Darwin on the Beagle Voyage, and scientific research material relating to newly discovered plants from the 18th and 19th centuries.[citation needed]
The Laboratory meets Cambridge City Council’s planning requirement for 10% renewable on-site energy generation through use of photovoltaic panels,[7] and has been awarded a BREEAM '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 the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2012.[8]
