The laboratory dates from the 1960s, when the money became available to expand the university. In the first years after the Second World War money was scarce, but plans were made to modernise the buildings of the university, so that the quantity of students could be increased and the quality of the facilities improved. First were the science faculties. The faculty of arts followed in the 1970s-1980s and the faculty of law moved into a refurbished building in the early years of the 21th Century.
Gorlaeus was the latin name of David van Goorle, an early 17th Century physicist.