On June 17, 2026, Caltech officially dedicated the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Center for Quantum Precision Measurement, a four‑story, roughly 70,000‑square‑foot research facility on the institute's south side. The new center is laid out to keep experimentalists and theorists in close contact, with offices, seminar rooms and labs all arranged to encourage cross‑disciplinary run‑ins. The building is expected to speed up work on quantum sensing, gravitational‑wave technology and other ultra‑precise measurements.
Built for ultra‑quiet experiments
The design revolves around keeping the outside world from messing with sensitive experiments. Two basement levels and specialized lab shells sit below street level to protect instruments from vibration, electromagnetic interference and temperature swings. HOK notes that the quietest research spaces are positioned about 28 feet below grade, with the subterranean volumes helping preserve the stability needed for quantum measurement. According to HOK, the exterior nods to nearby historic campus buildings while largely concealing just how delicate the work inside really is.
A hub for interdisciplinary quantum work
Caltech says the 70,000‑square‑foot Ginsburg Center will bring together researchers from the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, teams working on future technology for LIGO, groups in condensed‑matter and quantum theory, and atomic‑, molecular‑ and optical physics experiments. The institute also credited lead gifts from Broadcom, the Duan Family, Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg and a Sherman Fairchild Foundation grant with making the building possible, and noted that occupancy is expected in fall 2026. “The notion of a place where you can bring together people who think about important problems from very different directions is very Caltech,” Caltech President Thomas F. Rosenbaum said at the dedication, according to Caltech.
Campus context and what's next
The four‑story center sits between Linde Hall and the Downs‑Lauritsen complex and is tied to the neighboring building by both a bridge and a tunnel, creating literal new pathways between theory and experiment on campus. The dedication comes as Caltech rolls out other major facilities, including the Resnick Sustainability Center, as reported by Urbanize LA. Researchers say the new spaces will start hosting experiments and collaborations as labs come online later this year.
