The four-storey scheme for Oxford’s Somerville College will create a new and permanent home for the Oxford-India centre opposite Herzog & de Meuron’s 2015 Blavatnik School of Government. It was granted consent by Oxford City Council this month under delegated powers.

The scheme, which was won in an invited competition, will be named the Ratan Tata Building after the Indian industrialist and philanthropist, and chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, who died last year.

The east London practice’s design was first unveiled in October last year. It includes flexible teaching, study and event spaces with an internal link connecting eight tutor rooms, two seminar rooms, and flexible study and events spaces to the college’s existing buildings.

At ground level, a multi-use event space will connect the building to a newly landscaped area opposite St Paul’s Nursery, one of the first childcare facilities at Oxford. An ‘opening façade’ is intended to provide a public-facing presence.

Other key features include a large oculus above the main entrance to maximise sunlight, and ‘Passivhaus principle’ design, including an airtight envelope, mass timber frame, air-source heat pumps and solar panels.

Practice director Joe Morris said: ‘The Ratan Tata Building is conceived as a beacon for Somerville’s RISE campaign, a place where inclusivity, sustainability, and academic ambition converge. Our design responds to the heritage of Oxford while creating an exemplar of contemporary architecture: a building that is both sensitive and bold, efficient and delightful, deeply rooted in its context yet open to the future.’

It is the first time Morris + Company has worked with the University of Oxford. A timeline for completion has yet to be set out.


Project data

Architect Morris+Company
Client Somerville College, University of Oxford
Size 700m²
Facilities 6 tutor rooms, 1 seminar room, 1 board room/seminar room, 1 Chai Ideas room, 2
research rooms, a flexible hall space and roof terrace
Planning authority Oxford City Council
Location Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Oxford
Project manager Bidwells
Planning consultant Bidwells
Structural engineer London Structures Labs
Service engineer Etch
Facade engineer Eckersley O’Callaghan
Fire engineer Bureau Veritas
Acoustic engineer Hann Tucker
Cost consultant CHP
Landscape consultant Townshend
Building Control Socotec

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