Creating a next-generation home for the future of science at Carnegie Mellon University

The foundation of Carnegie Mellon’s vision for the future of science is the new Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences, which will be unlike any other building in existence. The cutting edge facility will create new connections and remove boundaries between people and disciplines. It will bring together researchers from across the university working in the foundational sciences, machine learning, computer science and data analytics.

Made possible by a $75 million lead grant by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences will be designed and built with flexibility in mind, allowing labs to be configured and reconfigured to quickly mobilize to answer emerging problems and respond to the evolution of scientific discovery. Here, groundbreaking research will answer humanity’s greatest challenges and unlock mysteries of the universe, while the next generation of scientists will be inspired, challenged and prepared for new and evolving scientific careers.

Co-located on site will be researchers and educators from both the Mellon College of Science and the School of Computer Science, as well as the university’s Institute for Contemporary Art, creating an environment for partnership across disciplines unlike anywhere else on campus — and even around the world. Faculty, staff and students from the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Neuroscience Institute, Department of Computational Biology, the Language Technologies Institute, and the Department of Machine Learning will employ artificial intelligence, data analytics and foundational science to solve previously unsolvable challenges.

Within the Hall of Sciences, scientists and innovators from across the university will create breakthrough discoveries through collaboration and new connections. This building, its modern labs and the synergies they facilitate will be key to attracting the very best students and faculty to CMU.

Set to be located on the southeast corner of Forbes Avenue and Craig Street, next to the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, the Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences will be a welcoming place for both the campus and Pittsburgh communities, offering event and exhibition spaces and a café. Through its proximity to CMU colleagues in other disciplines, including the School of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the building will provide a physical link to the heart of CMU’s Pittsburgh campus and will spark collaborations across fields.

The building is planned to be completed and ready for occupancy in 2027.