The Apex

Located alongside Regent's Canal in King's Cross, The Apex is the first phase of Tribeca, Reef + Partners' major new innovation campus, located in the heart of London's Knowledge Quarter.

Surrounded by leading research institutions, technology businesses and scientific organisations, Tribeca is designed to bring together a growing community of innovators, researchers and businesses.

Area Laboratories was appointed to deliver the design and build fit-out across floors three to six of The Apex, alongside the ground-floor reception and mezzanine café. The project combines specialist laboratory infrastructure, flexible workspaces and shared amenities to create an environment that supports scientific discovery, collaboration and growth.

Working alongside Gensler Architects, Gardiner & Theobald, KJ Tait and the Francis Crick Institute, Area Laboratories was involved from the early design stages, providing specialist laboratory design expertise, buildability advice and guidance on specifications, procurement and cost efficiency.

The fit-out across floors three to six was designed to accommodate a range of life sciences occupiers, providing Containment Level 2 (CL2) incubator laboratories supported by dedicated write-up areas, ancillary laboratories and flexible office accommodation.

Breakout spaces, communication rooms, shared hubs and training facilities were also incorporated, creating an environment that balances the technical requirements of laboratory operations with the everyday needs of the people working within them.

Beyond the laboratory floors, Area Laboratories also delivered the building's reception and mezzanine café, working with architects Anomaly to create a distinctive arrival experience.

The ambition was to move away from the traditional corporate reception, introducing a more welcoming, hospitality-inspired environment that reflects the building's identity as a destination for science and innovation.

The design celebrates the building's generous proportions and architectural character, combining warm timber panelling with bespoke terrazzo and stainless-steel detailing. The result is a considered balance of natural materials and contemporary finishes, creating spaces designed for both everyday use and long-term durability.

Material reuse was also incorporated into the scheme. Bespoke terrazzo produced by London-based manufacturer Altrock uses reclaimed marble from the original reception, giving existing materials a new purpose within the finished space.

Together, the reception and café provide welcoming spaces for visitors, informal meetings and interaction, extending the building's role beyond the laboratory.

Delivering the fit-out while the main building construction was progressing required close coordination with base-build contractor VolkerFitzpatrick and the wider project team.

Area Laboratories carefully sequenced its laboratory construction works to make the most of early access, coordinating activities including laboratory flooring preparation and first-fix partition installation with the wider construction programme.

This approach helped minimise disruption to base-build commissioning while maintaining progress across the specialist laboratory floors and shared amenity areas.

The completed fit-out brings together flexible CL2 laboratory accommodation, supporting workspaces and welcoming communal facilities, helping establish The Apex as a destination for life sciences businesses within London's growing Knowledge Quarter.