Wellcome Trust Announces Wellcome Collection

A new £30 million public venue exploring human wellbeing through medicine, life and art

6 June 2006

Wellcome Collection, a new £30 million public venue exploring the connections between medicine, life and art, providing radical insights into wellbeing and the human condition, will open in summer 2007 at 183 Euston Road, London, the Wellcome Trust announced today.

Wellcome Collection will use contemporary and experimental techniques to challenge and inspire visitors to consider issues of science, health and human identity through the ages. It is the first venue of its kind in the UK and forms a significant cultural landmark for London and the country. Wellcome Collection is targeted at all those over 14 years old and entry will be free.

The six-storey building will house at least 1500 exhibits in temporary and permanent exhibitions across three galleries. Exhibits range from the bizarre to the beautiful, the ancient to the futuristic. Examples include a used guillotine blade, Napoleon's toothbrush, 19th-century amputation saws (with extra wide gaps between teeth to prevent clogging) and a 14th-century Peruvian mummy. Contemporary works include a DNA sequencing robot, a sculpture exploring HIV by Mark Quinn, and major works by artists including John Isaacs and Christine Borland. All are linked to wellbeing or identity and combine to form a new approach to engaging the public in medical science and human health. A lively programme of public events will expand on exhibition themes, bringing audiences face-to-face with prominent experts and personalities from the worlds of art, science and medicine in order to explore the current issues and ancient mysteries of human wellbeing. The internationally renowned Wellcome Library, the world's largest library devoted to the history of medicine, will be housed on the upper floors of the building. Wellcome Collection will also have a café and it's own members' club.

Wellcome Collection is the transformation of the Wellcome Building - the former headquarters of the Wellcome Trust - at 183 Euston Road in London. The Wellcome Building was built in 1932 to the specifications of Wellcome Trust founder Sir Henry Wellcome (1853-1936). Sir Henry was a pharmacist, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector.

His passionate interest in medicine and its history, as well as ethnography and archaeology, led him to gather more than 1 000 000 objects from across the world. Over 900 objects from Sir Henry's collection will be on permanent display in Wellcome Collection; some of these were displayed in the exhibition 'Medicine Man', originally held at the British Museum.

Hopkins Architects is remodelling 183 Euston Road to create light and open galleries and public spaces. Contemporary materials are being used in conjunction with some of the original 1930's features to form a modern and light gallery facility.

Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "Wellcome Collection will be an exciting place in which to explore themes of human wellbeing, starting with the powerful collections of Sir Henry Wellcome. We will supplement this with contemporary artefacts, many of which will relate to current medical research and to public concerns about health and disease. Engaging with the public is an important part of the mission of the Wellcome Trust. The applications, implications and impacts of the biomedical sciences touch us all."

Dr Ken Arnold, Head of Public Programmes at the Trust, said: "Sir Henry Wellcome was one of the world's greatest collectors. Maybe the last great non-art collector, much of his collection has never been seen, yet is a treasure trove of insight into human wellbeing through the ages. Wellcome Collection combines Sir Henry's museum with modern and contemporary exhibits to provide novel and experimental installations offering unparalleled insights into human wellbeing from the gruesome to the beautiful".

"Wellcome Collection builds on our experience of running hugely popular exhibitions at the British Museum and Science Museum, and provides a new public venue for future collaborations with institutions in the UK and abroad."

Architectural transformation

Hopkins Architects is remodelling 183 Euston Road to create Wellcome Collection. Sir Henry Wellcome specified that the building should include a sculpture court and majestic galleries. Wellcome Collection will reflect this vision and the ideas of public access and exploration. The transformed building will be a light, modern, airy and contemporary space while also linking back to the original architecture and design. The ground floor windows are being enlarged to better connect the inside of the building to the outside: passers by will be able to gaze into the gallery and café areas. The entrance has been modified to allow wheelchair access. Three galleries span two floors; the materials used in these spaces include limestone and maple flooring, maple wall panels, steel and glass.These provide a modern yet largely neutral space to enable the artwork and collections to be presented to best effect. The Wellcome Trust headquarters at 215 Euston Road was designed by Hopkins Architects and completed in 2005.

Wellcome Collection forms an integral part of a new cultural quarter emerging in North London around Euston and King's Cross. Wellcome Collection is close to University College London (UCL), Birkbeck College, the School of Oriental and African Studies, the British Library and the British Museum. The redevelopment of King's Cross and the arrival of the Eurostar in 2007 provide an exciting new commuter, commercial and creative hub.

Purchase of three major artworks announced

Three major artworks by leading contemporary artists - including a mountainous figure of obesity, a sculpture from HIV drugs and a symbolic representation of the Periodic Table - have been purchased by the Wellcome Trust for Wellcome Collection.

The works by Marc Quinn, Keith Wilson and John Isaacs all engage in different ways with medical science and human wellbeing. They captivate the viewer to consider issues of human wellbeing and survival. The works are:

John Issacs – I can't help the way I feel, 2003
Mark Quinn – Silvia Petretti, Sustiva Tenofivir, 3TC (HIV), 2005
Keith Wilson – Periodic Table, 2004.

The full release on these purchases, together with high-resolution images of each work, can be found on the Kallaway website.

Three free public events announced

Three free public events run by the Wellcome Trust are set to explore the nation's health through happiness, music and medicine.The series provides a foretaste to the type of events that will be held at Wellcome Collection. Members of the public will be able to join experts from the arts, sciences and humanities in exploring how contemporary notions of wellbeing affect how we think, feel and function.

The free events will be held at the Soho Theatre, Dean Street, London.

1. 'What Makes us Happy?', 11 July, 18.30–20.30

2. 'Exploring the Rhythms of Life', 19 July, 18.30-20.30

3. 'Full Life, Long Life?', 26 July, 18.30–20.30

Each event includes short talks, chaired discussion, open floor debate and an informal drinks reception. Tickets must be booked in advance and are not available on the door.

Public ticket hotline: +44 (0)20 7611 8442
Booking email: events@wellcome.ac.uk

A full press release for each event, including speakers, topic areas and high-resolution pictures can be found on the Kallaway website.

Wellcome Collection content

Three galleries

First floor
There will be two permanent exhibitions:

'Medicine Man' (350 m2) will showcase a mix of 900 fascinating objects from Sir Henry's original collection. The exhibition is a new version of the hugely successful 'Medicine Man' show at the British Museum in 2003, attended by over 200 000 people.
'Medicine Now' (350 m2) will look at contemporary medical topics through the eyes of scientists, artists and popular culture, illustrating developments in aspects of these topics in the era after Sir Henry's death.

Ground floor
Temporary exhibitions:

The largest gallery (650 m2) will host temporary shows, presenting newly commissioned works and thematic exhibitions built around topics of medical, cultural and ethical significance. The first temporary exhibition will be announced in 2007.

Flexible events space

First floor
A series of public events, debates and performances will support and expand upon the exhibitions programme, bringing together experts from the worlds of arts, science and medicine to explore the current issues and ancient mysteries of human wellbeing. The space holds up to 70 people and has been specially designed to facilitate a wide range of activities, including performing arts, workshops and debates.

A series of three free public events are being run by Wellcome Collection to provide a foretaste of the type of programmes that will be available in the new building. The events, held in July at the Soho Theatre, Dean Street, London, will explore the nation's health through happiness, music and medicine.

Wellcome Library

First to third floor
The Wellcome Library houses one of the world's greatest collections of books, manuscripts, pictures, films and images about the meaning and history of medicine, from the earliest recordings to present day. Collections include over 100 000 paintings, ancient Egyptian medical prescriptions, Van Gogh's only etching, a first edition of Gray's 'Anatomy', AIDS campaign posters and the papers of Francis Crick – co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. Over 600 000 books and journals, an extensive range of manuscripts, archives, films, and more than 100 000 pictures are available for study.

The Wellcome Library will take up the second floor of Wellcome Collection, and will include the restored reading room from the original building. This will be the first time all its collections are held in the same space. The Wellcome Library is currently in a temporary location at 210 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE.

Conference centre

Lower two floors
A new conference centre comprising a 150-seat auditorium, meeting rooms and breakout areas has been created and will be available for hire.

Wellcome Collection club

Second floor
A members' club will provide an intimate environment where scientists, artists, historians, researchers, students and those with a keen interest in Wellcome Collection can meet and exchange ideas.As well as access to a private social room, members will be invited to private views, have priority booking on events and be offered discounts on paid events.

Café and bookshop

Ground floor
The café will provide an informal space for Wellcome Collection visitors and passers-by to relax and take in Wellcome Collection's atmosphere and exhibits. The bookshop will provide high-quality resources related to the exhibitions and Wellcome Collection's themes of medicine, life and art.

The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL

Fifth and sixth floors
Part of UCL, the Wellcome Trust Centre and its historians will be based in the upper floors of the building, ideally placed to access the Wellcome Library and the exhibitions within the building and take part in the public events programme.

Notes to editors

Wellcome Trust past exhibitions

During the past decade the Wellcome Trust has organised more than 20 exhibitions covering a vast range of biomedical topics, from jellyfish to autism, metamorphosis to pain. In 2003, 'Medicine Man' at the British Museum - a showcase of roughly 700 objects from Henry Wellcome's original collection of more than one million - attracted approximately 200 000 visitors. Between 2002 and 2005 the Trust presented a series of five major exhibitions at the Science Museum, culminating with 'Future Face' in late 2004, which attracted 120 000 visitors. The Trust also hosted numerous exhibitions in its TwoTen Gallery, and funded major projects such as the Wellcome Trust Gallery (home to the 'Living and Dying' exhibition) at the British Museum.

About the Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust, an independent charity, is one of the world's leading biomedical research charities and is the UK's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research. It has an asset base of over £11 billion, spends over £400 million a year and funds 3500 researchers in 44 countries. The Wellcome Trust's mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health. Trust funding has supported a number of major successes including:

sequencing of the human genome
development of the antimalarial drug artemisinin
pioneering cognitive behavioural therapies for psychological disorders
establishing the UK Biobank
building the Wellcome Wing at the Science Museum.

The Wellcome Trust's registered charity number is 210183.

Contacts

Kallaway Ltd (public relations for Wellcome Collection)

Will Kallaway:
T +44 (0)20 7221 7883
E william.kallaway@kallaway.co.uk

Anna Cusden:
T +44 (0)20 7221 7883
E anna.cusden@kallaway.co.uk