FINAL designs for a major medical research building in Headington have been revealed by Oxford University.

The £11.1m Oxford BioEscalator will house laboratories and offices for scientists and businessmen, with the hope of encouraging research breakthroughs.

It will have strong links to the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals and help with the search for treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancer.

The building will be part of the university’s expanded Old Road Campus, which is already home to a number of medical research facilities.

The university bought the neighbouring seven-acre Park Hospital site, where the BioEscalator will be based, three years ago.

Pro-vice-chancellor Prof Ian Walmsley said: “The BioEscalator will provide the necessary space, support and guidance to nascent and new spin-out companies to give them the best chance to grow and become viable companies ready to move on to one of Oxford’s science parks.

“Importantly, by keeping innovations within the university for longer before spinning out, they will have a demonstrably higher chance of developing into sustainable companies.”

Plans for the BioEscalator and amenities building were announced in January 2014, as part of a £67m cash injection into four science hubs.

Another benefactor of the cash was the university’s Big Data Institute, which will also be located at Old Road.

It is estimated that about 3,000 people will work at both the Old Road and Park Hospital sites when they are fully operational.

The BioEscalator scheme will be made up of two large sections – the four-storey research building and a 459-space multi-storey car park.

As well as offices, laboratories and meeting rooms, the site will feature cycle parking, a cafe and a gym.

In documents submitted to planners at Oxford City Council, the university says that the car park would use “twisted metal fins to create an images of trees” and blend in with the area.

The main research building will have a futuristic look, using metal and glass in its construction.

The university has already been given permission in principle for the development.

But it must submit more detailed plans about the appearance of each building.

It held a public consultation event in December, which was attended by 34 members of staff and 29 people from the area.

It also consulted the Oxford Design Review Panel.

After hearing people’s views, solar panels have been added to the building’s roof .

There are also plans to remove extra trees to the north of the proposed site so as to “deliver a flush central green space”.

The university has an agreement with the city council that it must approve or refuse its application by June this year.

For more information or to comment on the plans you can visit public.oxford.gov.uk/online-applications and use the reference 15/00996/RES