Oxford architecture: English buildings designs

Oxford Architecture News: Buildings Designs

Key modern Architectural + Property Developments in Oxfordshire, England, UK.

post updated 14 September 2026

The e-architect team select major contemporaryOxford Architecture. This resource includes the most interesting Oxfordshire buildings.

We cover completed English buildings, new building designs, architectural exhibitions and architecture competitions across Oxford. The focus is on contemporary Oxford buildings but information on traditional buildings is also welcome.

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New Architecture in Oxford – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

Oxford Architecture Walking Tours by e-architect

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Oxford Building Designs

Oxford architecture news in 2025

9 September 2025
Heyford Park Homes, near Bicester, Oxfordshire

22 August 2025
Warneford Park Oxford mental health and medical research campus
Architecture: Eric Parry Architects

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Oxford buildings images in 2017

22 Nov 2017
Global Leadership Centre for the University of Oxford
Design: John McAslan + Partners
Global Leadership Centre University of Oxford Building
John McAslan + Partners has been commissioned by one of the world’s leading business schools, the Saïd Business School at The University of Oxford, to transform the currently unoccupied Osney Power Station into the School’s new Global Leadership Centre.

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Oxford College Design Competition in 2016

28 Jan 2016
St Hilda’s College Oxford Design Ideas Competition

Images unveiled of the shortlisted designs.

St Hilda’s College Oxford Design Competition

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Oxford Architect project designs in 2013

5 Sep 2013
Florey Design Competition Oxford, Queen’s College

photograph © James Brittain
The Queen’s College, Oxford announce the launch of the Florey Design Competition. The College seeks a dedicated team to restore and add new facilities to James Stirling’s modernist masterpiece, The Florey building, which is Grade II listed.

30 Jun 2013
Oriel College, Oxford
Oriel College Design Competition
Oriel College, Oxford has launched a design competition to find an exceptional team for a major project, estimated between £5-10 million, to reprogramme its social spaces and catering facilities. The competition focuses on the wedge-shaped area that lies between the Grade I listed Hall, Chapel and medieval wall running along Magpie Lane. The site includes the dining hall, bar and social space, kitchen and ancillary facilities.

20 Jun 2013
Pembroke College Oxford Building
Design: Berman Guedes Stretton

photo © Quintin Lake
Five buildings and two quads have been added to Pembroke College, Oxford. The 5,500 sqm development comprises five buildings, which surround a large and a small quad.

14 May 2013
St Antony’s College Building Oxford
Design: Bennetts Associates
Construction starts on the new Gateway Building for St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, a graduate college specialising in international relations, economics, politics and specialist areas of history.

26 Mar 2013
Radcliffe Humanities Building, University of Oxford, England
Design: Purcell
Building shortlisted for prestigious architecture awards: The Radcliffe Humanities building at the University of Oxford has been shortlisted for a prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award and a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Building Conservation award. Once the home of Oxford’s first ever hospital, the Radcliffe Infirmary underwent a £10m renovation last year.

24 Jan 2013
Saint Antony’s College – Middle East Centre Oxford
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects
The Middle East Centre of St. Antony’s College is the University of Oxford’s centre for interdisciplinary study of the Modern Middle East. The centre was founded in 1957 and it is focused on research on humanities and social sciences with a wide reference to the Arab World and its geographic adjacencies.

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12 Nov 2012
St Cross College Oxford
St Cross College Oxford, Design Competition – Winning Architect
Niall McLaughlin Architects win

Shortlisted Architects – 14 Jun 2012
The St Cross College Building Committee, advised by MRC and the Oxford University Estates Directorate, selected four practices to work on the project:
– Niall McLaughlin Architects
– Pringle Richards Sharratt Architects
– Walters and Cohen
– Wilkinson Eyre Architects

12 Oct 2012
University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute
Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects
University of Oxford Mathematical Institute
Rafael Viñoly Architects is proud to announce that the University of Oxford is currently celebrating the “Topping Out” of the Mathematical Institute, a landmark for the site and sets the stage for future development. Construction began in the summer of 2011 and completion will be achieved in 2013.

30 Jun 2012
The Shulman Auditorium, Queen’s College Oxford
Design: Berman Guedes Stretton
The Shulman Auditorium Oxford
The context could not be more challenging: with Hawksmoor spires behind it sits in the heart of the college facing the dons’ Senior Common Room. Yet the Shulman Auditorium is remarkable for its skilful combination of traditional materials with an uncompromisingly modern design.

26 Jun 2012
Brasenose College Buildings, Oxford University
Design: Berman Guedes Stretton
Brasenose College Oxford University
Brasenose College’s bursar has highly commended Berman Guedes Stretton’s recently completed work at the college, reinforcing the practice’s reputation for bringing exceptional design skill and imaginative space use to the most challenging historic buildings.

22 Jun 2012
Student Accommodation, Somerville College, University of Oxford
Design: Niall McLaughlin Architects
Student Accommodation Oxford – RIBA Awards 2012 winner
The demolition of the Radcliffe Infirmary exposed a long blank façade as the college had long turned its back on the hospital. An exchange of land allowed a development on this edge site containing new student rooms thus meaning the college can re-orientate its grounds towards a new Humanities faculty.

26 Apr 2012
Lincoln College Arts Centre
Design: Stanton Williams
Stanton Williams’ new Arts Centre for Lincoln College, one of the colleges of Oxford University, has received planning permission. The new Arts Centre consists of the refurbishment and extension of the existing Grade II listed Garden Building, giving it new purpose and meaning whilst improving facilities for, members of the College and the public.

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9 Aug 2011
Ashmolean Museum Dynastic Egypt and Nubia Gallery
Design: Rick Mather Architects
Dynastic Egypt & Nubia Gallery
The Ashmolean Museum, established in 1683, is the oldest public museum in Britain. In 1999 Rick Mather Architects were appointed to develop a long-term masterplan and expansion scheme to provide more space and 21st century facilities for its world renowned collections.

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Oxford Architecture – Major Buildings

Major modern Oxfordshire Buildings, alphabetical:

Ashmolean Museum
Design: Rick Mather Architects
Ashmolean Museum
The new building, designed by award-winning Rick Mather Architects, will provide the Ashmolean with 100% more display space. Located to the north of Charles Cockerell’s original Museum built in 1845, it comprises 39 new galleries, including 4 temporary exhibition galleries, a new education centre, state-of-the-art conservation studios, and Oxford’s first rooftop restaurant The Ashmolean Dining Room.

Bonn Square
Design: Graeme Massie Architects
Bonn Square Oxford

Brasenose College Buildings
Design: Berman Guedes Stretton
Brasenose College Oxford University

Chemistry Oxford
Design: Francis- Jones Morehen Thorp
Chemistry Oxford

Corpus Christi College Building
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Corpus Christi College Building

Middle East Centre
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects
Middle East Centre Oxford

Oxford Cancer Centre
Design: Steffian Bradley Architects
Oxford Cancer Centre

Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute
Make with Nightingale Associates
Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute

Oxford Science & Enterprise Centre
Design: Foster + Partners
Oxford Science & Enterprise Centre

Oxford Science Park Offices
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Oxford Science Park Offices

Queens College Oxford Building
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Queens College Oxford Building

St Clare’s College
Design: Hodder + Partners
St Clare’s College Oxford

St. John’s College
Design: MJP Architects
St. John’s College Oxford

Somerville College – Accommodation
Design: Niall McLaughlin Architects
Student Accommodation Oxford

The Shulman Auditorium, Queen’s College
Design: Berman Guedes Stretton
The Shulman Auditorium Oxford

University College Boathouse
Design: Belsize Architects
University College Boathouse

University of Oxford Biochemistry Department
Design: HawkinsBrown
University of Oxford Biochemistry Building

University of Oxford Earth Sciences Building
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University of Oxford Earth Sciences

University of Oxford, Mathematical Institute
Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects
University of Oxford Mathematical Institute

Worcester College Building – Design Proposal
Design: Rick Mather Architects
Worcester College Building

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Contemporary Oxford Architecture

New Oxford Buildings – no images, alphabetical:

Balliol College – Jowett Walk
Dates: 1996 ; 2004
MacCormac Jamieson Prichard Architects

The Bowra Building, Wadham College
Date built: 1993
Design: MacCormac Jamieson Prichard
RIBA Awards 1993 Regional Award : Southern

Brasenose College, Oxford
1960-61
Powell & Moya Architects
Last major addition to Brasenose College, built west of New Quad.

Christ Church College – Blue Boar Quad, St Aldate’s, Oxford
1965-68
Powell & Moya Architects
Listed Grade II property

Keble College – Sloane Robinson Building
2002
Rick Mather Architects
Oxford Halls of Residence – RIBA Award winner 2004

New Bodleian Library
1940
Giles Gilbert Scott Architect

New Bodleian Library redevelopment – proposal
2008-
Wilkinson Eyre
Existing building by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.

Oxford Academy School, Peers School, Littlemore – Proposal
HKR Architects
Oxford Academy School

Oxford University Humanities Centre
2008-
Shortlist:
Design: Bennetts Associates, David Chipperfield, Kohn Pederson Fox, Wilkinson Eyre
Part of Rafael Vinoly masterplan
Former Radcliffe Infirmary site, north Oxford

Oxford University – Radcliffe Masterplan
–
Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects
£490m approximate building construction cost estimate
Masterplan for former Radcliffe Infirmary site
Demolition of the grade I & II listed buildings; new mathematics institute, underground library, NHS health centre, humanities building; public arts spaces
RIBA 2005 architecture competition winner

Queen’s College – Florey Building
1966-71
Design: James Stirling Architect

Queen’s College Library
Rick Mather Architects
Oxford Library Building

The Ruth Deech Building, St Anne’s College, Oxford University
2007
Design: KPF
110 student bedrooms; three seminar rooms; 80-seat lecture theatre
Shortlisted for 2007 RIBA Award

Said Business School, Oxford
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Design: Dixon.Jones

St Catherine’s College, original building
1960
Design: Arne Jacobsen Architect

St Catherine’s College Expansion – Residential accommodation Phase I & II & III
1994; 2000; 2006
Design: Stephen Hodder Architects – Stephen Hodder
St Catherine’s College Oxford original architect : Arne Jacobsen
Winner in the RIBA Awards 2006

St Catherine’s College, Junior Common Room, Oxford
1995
Design: Stephen Hodder Architects

St Cross College Oxford
St Cross College Oxford, Design Competition – Shortlisted Architects

St Edward’s School : see North Wall arts centre

St Johns College – Garden Quadrangle
1993
Design: MacCormac Jamieson Prichard Architects

St John’s College – Senior Common Room
2006
Architect: MacCormac Jamieson Prichard
Client: St John’s College, Oxford
Winner in the RIBA Awards 2006

St Hilda’s College – Garden Building
1968-70
Design: The Smithsons

Stelios Ioannou School for Research in Classical & Byzantine Studies
2007
Design: van Heyningen Haward Architects
Oxford University property development

Wadham College, University of Oxford
1977
Design: Gillespie Kidd & Coia Architects
Wadham College Oxford – architects : Isi Metzstein & Andy MacMillan

Worcester College – The Sainsbury Building
1983
Design: MacCormac Jamieson Prichard Architects

More contemporary Oxford Architecture projects online soon.

Oxford Architect : Practice Listings on e-architect

Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire, southern England, UK.

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Oxford Architecture – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

Oxford Architecture Walking Tours – city walks

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