The final bolt for the highest point of the Pears Building was put in place on the 15th of October 2019.

The bolt for the seventh floor was put in place by Sir Trevor Pears, the executive chair of the Pears Foundation, which has made a £5m donation to the building, with help from the chair of the Royal Free Charity, Judy Dewinter

Cris Burghes, chief executive of the Royal Free Charity, commented: “It’s a great feeling to have reached this point and we’re delighted that Sir Trevor Pears, whose foundation contributed £5 million to the project, is here to help us celebrate it.”

Kate Slemeck, chief executive of the Royal Free Hospital, added: “I know that this building, and the Institute of Immunity and Transplantation which it houses, will be something that we can be really proud of not only here at the Royal Free London but also in the community. Hampstead will truly be a global leader in this area of research and patient care.

“The expansion of the institute into this new building will mean many more of our patients can participate in ground-breaking trials – trials that will make a real difference to their lives and their health outcomes. This includes patients with blood cancers, immune conditions, type 1 diabetes, patients requiring transplants – and many others.”

Sir Trevor said: “My brothers and I have been keenly watching this building develop from the window of our offices. We feel confident that the institute will be a fantastic addition to the hospital, Hampstead and London both physically and in terms of what it will contribute to health and wellbeing.”

Professor Hans Stauss, director of the IIT, commented: “This is an important milestone in our ambition to be one of the world-leading centres for understanding the human immune system and for developing new forms of immunotherapy that can transform the lives of our patients.”