Wistar's $100M University City biomedical research tower:

When the Wistar Institute was plotting how best to address its need for more research space, the nonprofit institution considered all its options — including moving away from its University City campus.

“We talked about going off-site,” said Dr. Russel E. Kaufman, Wistar’s president and CEO, “but ... our history is here. This is where we were born.”

So the institute figured out a way to build a $100 million seven-story biomedical research facility on its existing property at 3601 Spruce Street.

The Robert and Penny Fox Tower — named in honor of the former Wistar board chairman and his wife, both long-time Wistar supporters — is set to officially open Friday with a gala scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

The 89,700-square-foot building includes five floors of new laboratory space, which will increase the institute’s total number of labs to 40 from 30.

“At the end of the day we do modern science, and to do modern science you have to have facilities that will accommodate that,” Kaufman said. “In science, you need teams and we needed more space for more teams.”

Wistar has about 180 doctorate-level researchers and scientists on staff working in three core areas: cancer research, vaccine development and genetics. Kaufman envisions that number growing to about 350 over the next seven years with the new space.

The tower also features a 200-seat auditorium, where Wistar plans to host national meetings. Kaufman said the institute plans to allow other organizations to use the space.

“It will help people get to know Wistar and help us build relationships with other organizations,” he said.

The tower has a glass-enclosed public entryway and an atrium that links its historic building, erected in 1894, with its recently renovated cancer research building, which was built in 1975. “We think this has more character than a brand-new building.” Kaufman said.

In addition to the open labs, the building also has numerous places in the hallways and other open areas where scientists can sit and talk about projects — and even make use of whiteboards scattered about for impromptu gatherings.

“We want this space to promote spontaneity,” he said.

Wistar Institute, a NCI-designated cancer center, was founded in 1892. Kaufman said he hopes the building will raise the profile of the Wistar Institute, which he noted is on the University of Pennsylvania campus and works with Penn researchers – but is not part of Penn. The top floors of the tower provide Wistar staff and visitors with a sweeping view of the Center City skyline. “We can see the city," he said, “and now the city can see us.”

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal