Rock legend Roger Taylor opens landmark research building

Published on 29-6-2026

Roger Taylor opened the Freddie Mercury Building at BPRC in Rijswijk in 1992 as a tribute to Freddie Mercury. The collaboration with the Mercury Phoenix Trust gave a significant boost to HIV/AIDS research. More than three decades later, the building remains a symbol of the power of science and collaboration.

A large black limousine with tinted windows pulls onto the grounds of the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) in Rijswijk, the Netherlands. The door swings open and a familiar face steps out: Roger Taylor, drummer of the legendary rock band Queen. He is not on his way to a concert venue, but has travelled to the Netherlands to open a research building named after his late friend and bandmate, Freddie Mercury.

It is 13 November 1992, exactly one year after Mercury passed away from AIDS-related complications. During the 1980s and early 1990s, HIV and AIDS remained among the world's greatest medical challenges. Hundreds of thousands of people were dying every year from diseases for which effective treatments were still lacking.

Searching for answers to HIV

Scientists around the world were racing to better understand HIV, develop new medicines and ultimately create a vaccine. Researchers at BPRC were also deeply involved in studying the deadly virus.

They investigated how HIV causes disease and explored new strategies to prevent and treat infection. In doing so, BPRC played an important role in the global effort to address one of the greatest public health crises of its time. Research into emerging infectious diseases—including COVID-19, malaria and yellow fever—continues to be a major part of the institute's work today.

The idea behind the Freddie Mercury Building

The idea to name the new research building after Freddie Mercury came from BPRC researcher Peter Heidt. As a devoted Queen fan, he attended the emotional Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness at Wembley Stadium, where tens of thousands of people—and millions more watching on television—were united in mourning the singer while raising awareness for AIDS research.

At the same time, a new research facility dedicated to AIDS research was nearing completion in Rijswijk. Heidt wondered why the building could not bear the name of one of the world's most famous musicians.

What followed were months of phone calls, letters and faxes exchanged with Queen manager Jim Beach and representatives of the Mercury Phoenix Trust, the charity established after Freddie Mercury's death to support AIDS research.

After what felt like an endless wait, the answer finally arrived: Queen approved the proposal. Even more remarkably, Roger Taylor offered to travel to the Netherlands to officially open the building.

Roger Taylor's visit

The visit itself almost did not happen as planned. At the time, BPRC was part of the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Within TNO, discussions arose about hosting the event, and it was eventually decided that the official ceremony should take place at TNO's headquarters in Delft.

Roger Taylor, however, had other plans. Upon arriving, he insisted on seeing the research building that had been named after his friend. Instead of heading to Delft, the limousine drove directly to BPRC in Rijswijk.

There, Taylor unveiled the bronze nameplate that still hangs beside the building's entrance today. For many researchers and staff members—some of whom continue to work at BPRC—it was an unforgettable moment. One of the world's greatest rock icons had become permanently connected to the scientific fight against the disease that had claimed his life.

Supporting HIV/AIDS research

The story did not end with the unveiling ceremony. The relationship with Queen led to tangible support for scientific research.

Through the Mercury Phoenix Trust, more than £240,000 was donated to research into new HIV/AIDS treatments. The funding supported innovative gene therapy research, which at the time represented one of the most promising new approaches in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The collaboration demonstrated how science, public engagement and international support can reinforce one another. What began as the idea of a researcher in Rijswijk evolved into a project that attracted worldwide attention while helping to finance important biomedical research.

A lasting legacy

More than thirty years later, the Freddie Mercury Building remains part of the BPRC campus. The bronze plaque still marks its entrance, serving as a reminder of a time when AIDS devastated communities around the world, scientists worked tirelessly to combat the disease, and one of the world's most influential bands used its global platform to support medical research.

Although HIV/AIDS has become a manageable chronic condition for many patients thanks to modern treatments, research remains essential. Scientists continue to study how HIV interacts with the immune system in the hope of developing better therapies and eventually an effective vaccine.

That research continues to produce important discoveries. A recent study published in the prestigious scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) builds on research conducted at BPRC and suggests that, without effective treatment, HIV may even influence the genetic composition of human populations over time.