James H. Clark Center

Friday, Oct. 24, 2003, marked the dedication of the James H. Clark Center, the centerpiece of Stanford University's Bio-X program -- an innovative campuswide initiative designed to foster interdisciplinary research in the biosciences by bridging the worlds of biology, medicine, engineering and the physical sciences.

First-time visitors to the James H. Clark Center often are struck by its dramatic inner courtyard: A circular granite entryway surrounded by three glass-encased buildings -- known as the East, West and South Wings -- with curved facades and sweeping staircases that create a remarkably serene atmosphere for a 146,000-square-foot sci-tech research center.

But enter one of those wings and you find yourself in a starkly different environment: floor after floor of open laboratories, each with a decidedly industrial feel.These cavernous mega-labs -- unlike any on campus -- are the heart and soul of the Clark Center: Cauldrons of creativity where researchers from different disciplines have been willingly thrown together in the hope that close encounters will spark undreamed of discoveries in biology and medicine.

The multi-tiered walkways that surround the courtyard of the Clark Center allow the viewer many different vantage points of the building's design and the cutting-edge research occurring just behind the glass. The building invites interactions in many different ways, including an underground auditorium, a coffee house, a flashy new international restaurant and numerous stone benches that encourage intermingling. Photos: L.A.Cicero

A bridge that links the east and west wings of the new Clark Center provides a comprehensive view of much of the building's signature courtyard. Photo: L.A. Cicero

Related Information

A tour of the Clark Center (Stanford Report, 10/22/03)

Bio-X program