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. The Power Station holds a wealth of opportunities to create a dynamic environment as the centre for the School’s executive education provision.
In particular, the riverside setting creates a unique opportunity for adaptive re-use and new build for both academic and residential amenities, creating an enclave which is both part of the urban Oxford scene whilst being suitably distinct and tranquil. The proposed scheme seeks to identify opportunities for social space, break-out meeting spaces and areas for informal study. It is these vibrant ‘market places’ that will celebrate the diversity of the student’s cultural and educational specialisations, facilitating the cross-fertilisation of ideas, stimulating learning and development and promoting a real sense of community.
Located on the banks of the River Thames in Central Oxford, Osney Power Station was the city’s first electrical power plant, open from 1892 to 1968. It was acquired by the University in 1969 and turned into a research laboratory for the Department of Engineering Science, where researchers performed cutting-edge experimentation in hypersonics and turbo-machinery. It was used for this purpose up until 2010. Source and photos, Courtesy of John McAslan + Partners.
