Royal Brompton Diagnostic Centre: a timeline

The timeline below tracks the development of the Royal Brompton Diagnostic Centre, from the beginning of its construction phase which began in January 2020.

The site is ready for construction to begin

The construction phase begins

The construction phase begins

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January - March 2020: laying the foundations
Following the completion of the first phase of the project, the site becomes a largely empty space, offering a blank canvas on which to begin phase two: construction. Click the images to enlarge.
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Setting up a base to support the crane

The tower crane goes up

Excavation of the to-be basement levels

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April – May: tower crane goes up and excavation begins
Arguably the tallest and most common fixture on a construction site, a tower crane is set up to help dig the ground.
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A foundation of concrete is prepared

A foundation of concrete is prepared

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June: excavation complete
Excavation is complete and the ground is prepared for the concrete work to begin.
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Demolition of part of Chelsea wing begins

Roof ready to be capped off with concrete

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July – October: second phase of demolition and milestone reached
The second phase of demolition work begins, involving part of Royal Bromton Hospital's Chelsea wing, and a structural milestone is reached.
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Basement interior work in progress

Basement interior work in progress

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November – December: shell construction complete and internal work starts
Work begins to 'fit-out' the inside of the building with key structural elements that will divide the inside space into separate areas.
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The tower crane comes down

The first batch of chillers arrives

Internal walls divide the interior

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January – February 2021: tower crane dismantled
The beginning of the new year bids farewell to the tower crane that had been up since April 2020, and welcomes the arrival of plant equipment to be installed in the lower basement.
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Roof membrane installed to seal the roof

Concrete is poured to level the floors

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March – April: roof complete
Work on site has continued throughout the winter months despite the constraints brought about by Covid-19, with the roof complete and the site connected to mains power.
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Architectural renderings of the exterior

Architectural renderings of the exterior

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May – June: brickwork lifts the building exterior
The outside of the Diagnostic Centre gradually comes to life as facing bricks are laid - the architectural renderings above show what the exterior of the centre will look like on Dovehouse Street. Meanwhile, the first batch of scanners are due to arrive.
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MRI scanners go in

MRI scanners go in

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August: MRI scanners are installed
A landmark moment is reached with the installation of magnetic imaging resonance (MRI) scanners.
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Diagnostic Centre project team

November 2021: Diagnostic Centre is handed over
The Royal Brompton Diagnostic Centre reaches the final stages of completion after being handed over to Royal Brompton and Harefield.
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A patient's first visit to the centre

Teams prepare for the arrival of patients

The front of house team

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January 2022: Diagnostic Centre opens its doors to patients
After nearly five years of planning, designing and building, our teams welcome the first patients into the Royal Brompton Diagnostic Centre.
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The Princess Royal meets staff

The Princess Royal opens the Diagnostic Centre
The Princess Royal officially opens the Diagnostic Centre, and is given a tour of the £50m centre, meeting staff along the way.
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