Frank Whittle designs health education centre

Architecture and design practice Frank Whittle Partnership has created a state-of-the-art health education centre in Wigan – the first step in a £70m NHS hospitals investment programme in the area.

FWP, which has offices in Preston and Manchester, provided design and management services for the new £2.9m flagship centre on Wigan Lane.

Its team came up with an innovative solution to bring together two detached listed Victorian buildings, refurbishing and extending them to create the new training facility.

A two-storey library has been built for students in a cutting-edge modern extension at the rear of the buildings.

The new centre features an upgraded lecture theatre, eight seminar rooms for training and meetings and modern new offices. The second floor also has a purpose-built clinical skills lab.

The design project included the construction of a lightweight glazed atrium linking the various lecture, conference and training rooms.

A contemporary and modern design scheme complements the conversion.

The centre has also received a Commendation with Merit award from Wigan Council.

Barry Cleminson, project architect at FWP, said: "The new education centre and library at Wigan Infirmary is a flagship training facility for medical students and doctors and represents a major investment by the foundation NHS Trust.

"We were working on a constrained site next to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary and using two listed Victorian buildings.

"The end result is a modern, flexible and high quality facility that can provide first-class educational services for medical students and staff."