The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute’s Lowy Packer Building was conceived as a companion building to the existing Garvan Institute of Medical Research. It houses both the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) and the St Vincent’s Centre for applied Research. The building seeks to consolidate all the shared scientific support facilities into one efficient and flexible facility designed to suit current needs and anticipate the future needs of the St Vincent’s Research and Biotechnology Precinct.

The (VCCRI) was named after the late Dr Victor Chang, a pioneer in heart transplant surgery who established Australia’s first heart transplant program. It comprises an eight storey building with two basement levels, and consists predominantly of state-of-the-art research laboratories and ancillary services and facilities.

Research facilities and public spaces are the two key arenas within the Institute. The former consists of laboratories and offices while the latter includes a series of seminar and meeting rooms, interaction areas, physical links to the Garvan building and an open staircase which facilitates interaction between floors.

Spaces are functionally layered to allow natural light to penetrate deep into certain parts of the building. A naturally day lit ‘axis’ for east-west circulation on every level enables intuitive wayfinding and connects social spaces to work areas. Full height glass partitions and entry points allow vistas through multiple zones. Administration, laboratories and write-up areas are decorated in neutral tones with splashes of colour in fabrics and glass graphics. Unique feature colours were assigned for each building level allowing similar components throughout the building to maintain overall cohesion, and assisting in wayfinding of facilities and services located on different floor levels.

The building showcases biomedical research in a high-profile urban setting, with clear connections to the surrounding city.