But now, University of Otago Pathology Department head Prof Ian Morison believes the Hercus Building - home of the former city morgue - is very different.
He told the Otago Daily Times the department had seen an enormous transition during the past 15 years to a strong medical science department with a broad range of teaching.
"Where the morgue once was, we now have state-of-the-art labs for medical laboratory scientist training.
"Where the pathology museum was, we now have a world-class Zebrafish [cancer research] facility.
"And where the uncomfortable, gloomy tutorial rooms were, we now have an open, bright space for research," he said.
The University of Otago opened the last of its new pathology laboratories in the building on Thursday, and now the department's research groups will be able to settle and focus on their work, which incorporates areas of pathology from conception to old age.
Prof Morison said the new laboratories would be used to find better ways to treat polycystic kidney disease, find solutions to the malignant behaviour of melanoma, find better ways of curing childhood leukaemia, develop a test for the blood disorder myelodysplastic syndrome, solve the mysteries of the placenta, and develop vaccines against cancer.
"Every piece of research aims to solve a human disease problem - to discover causes of low birthweight and prematurity through abnormal placental function, to find approaches to ameliorate developmental disorders, to use the lessons from inherited genetic disorders to untangle chronic disease and cancer, to use the biology of cancer to create smarter, better ways to cure and control cancer."
Prof Morison estimated the recent pathology upgrade cost close to $1 million.
"Compared to the unused and unusable space that we had, it is a great investment in terms of research return to the department and to the city."
