ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic celebrates the grand opening of the 11-floor Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Building. The building will support hiring more scientists to contribute to Mayo's unique capabilities to bring scientific discoveries to patients. It joins other Mayo Clinic research facilities where investigators discover scientific advancements that affect patient care, leading to better outcomes and improved quality of life in Minnesota and beyond. 

At Mayo Clinic, research is the engine that drives advances in medical care, and the building expands the research footprint in the Discovery Square district in downtown Rochester.

Watch: Dr. Gores talks about the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Building and the impact on medical research

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites with Dr. Greg Gores, interior tour B-Roll and exterior drone footage are available in the downloads at the end of the post. CG: "Greg Gores, M.D. / Executive Dean of Research/ Mayo Clinic."

Work on the building began in June 2021 with a lead gift from the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation. Contributions from the Kellen Foundation and other generous benefactors have supported the majority of the construction costs for this new research building. It features flexible facilities for basic and translational research to address serious and complex conditions, with a focus on discoveries in neurosciences and cancer research. The research floors include open, collaborative areas and lab space.

"Our journey to disrupt and revolutionize how we discover treatments and cures and how we deliver healthcare and hope to patients is well underway. We have designed the building to adapt to the evolving needs of Mayo Clinic's patients and foster collaboration," says Gregory Gores, M.D., Kinney Executive Dean of Research, Mayo Clinic. "Through team science, researchers will discover scientific breakthroughs via advancements in areas such as artificial intelligence and clinical trials so cures can reach more people outside our walls."

"Mayo Clinic's vision for healthcare transformation demands relentless pursuit of innovations that lead to new cures," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. "Through thoughtful team-oriented facilities such as the Kellen Building, our researchers and clinicians will find more ways to detect and eradicate disease earlier, faster and more efficiently."

"We appreciate the vision of the Kellen family and all of our benefactors who made this building possible and who understand the importance of early science. This building will further enable our Bold. Forward. strategic plan and help us engage new collaborators to join us in transforming healthcare," Dr. Gores says.

The Kellen Building features 11 floors, 176,000 square feet and subway connectors to other Mayo Clinic buildings. The new research facility joins other community and industry partners dedicated to improving patient care, health and wellness in downtown Rochester's Destination Medical Center Discovery Square district, a research, innovation and development hub.

Watch a time-lapse video of the building's construction.

Kellen Building Fast Facts

Building shell

• 10,000 cubic yards of concrete.
• 30,000 cubic yards of excavated soil.
• 1,480,000 linear feet (52 tons of weight) of electrical wire.

Interior

• 16,000-pound steel staircase on the ground floor.
• 600 5-foot mobile laboratory benches.
• 53 fume and biosafety hoods.
• Designed and constructed to use 30% less energy than comparable buildings.

Exterior

• The glass exterior consists of 979 panels covering 60,000 square feet of 1-inch insulated glass.
• Each panel weighs over 600 pounds and is made of material completely sourced from the U.S.
• 334 steel outrigger embeds, or support beams, support the scrim structure. Each beam weighs about 160 pounds, bringing the total weight to over 53,000 pounds.
• The scrim features a secret shield graphic, representing the three shields of Mayo Clinic: Practice, Research and Education.
• The external scrim reduces solar heat gain and contributes to energy reduction.

###

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Heather Carlson Kehren, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

B-roll of the grand opening celebration on Dec. 13 is available. Journalists who would like to access the video can register with the Mayo Clinic News Network.

Related Articles