The University of Oxford

900 Years of Urban Evolution

Abstract

The University of Oxford is an ancient institution. It has existed for more than 900 years in the centre of Oxford and is continually evolving and developing its estate. Today it maintains all its principal buildings in the centre of Oxford whilst being ranked by THES as the Best University in the World. The University of Oxford enjoys a unique architectural idiom and urban context, which has steadfastly endured over the University’s long history. The hallmark of the University is its colleges. Today, the University and its colleges are a melange of architectural styles and periods dating back to the 13th century, woven into the urban fabric of central Oxford. The University estate is anchored by the Bodleian complex, a group of library and ceremonial buildings dating back to the 14th century. Two other clusters comprise the majority of the University’s other buildings: The Science Area, which grew up in the 19th century and is now densely populated by modern research buildings; and the ROQ, a 10-acre site acquired by the University in 2003. The evolution of the University is an indelible mark on the planning of the City which decisions in the 1960s to densify in the centre of Oxford has required significant innovation in melding the need for modern science buildings with the special heritage of Oxford. In the past century, the University of Oxford has changed dramatically. However, the fundamental approach to development – central University plus semi-autonomous colleges – has remained vital. The University’s unusual form – neither campus nor fully urban, it comprises small pockets of private space woven into the fabric of Oxford – has stood the test of time. The paper will align the development of the University with the urban morphology of Oxford illustrating how a City has been defined and how a single institution has adapted over 900 years always remaining at the head of its peers. It is an enduring narrative of evolution, city planning, density, competition by the same institution over nearly a millennium remain as relevant today as it was on creation