PLANS for a new £10m university building have taken a major step forward, after a former student donated £3.35m to the project.

Durham University’s new £10m Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics has been boosted by a £3.35m donation from Sir Peter Ogden, a Durham University Physics graduate, entrepreneur and chairman of The Ogden Trust, after whom the Centre is named.

The gift is the single largest donation in The Ogden Trust’s history; while a further £1.5m has been donated by The Wolfson Foundation.

The building, which will be off South Road, Durham, is being designed by the world-renowned architectural practice Studio Daniel Libeskind, led by the man who created the New York’s Ground Zero.

Professor Chris Higgins, the University’s vice-chancellor, said: “Durham is truly a world leader in physics research and teaching and this exceptionally generous gift from The Ogden Trust, and the wonderful support of The Wolfson Foundation and our alumni, will ensure that we can create a prestigious development to help keep us at the forefront of international physics research for many years to come.”

Sir Peter Ogden added: “This new building and its facilities will attract the best students and researchers in cosmology and particle physics phenomenology from all over the world and will enable Durham to lead international developments in these fields.”

Prof Carlos Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics and director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology, said: “The two Ogden Centre institutes tackle some of the most exciting questions in modern science such as how did our Universe begin; what is it made of; and what is its future?

“The new building is just what we need to ensure Durham stays at the forefront of this exciting science.”