Overview
Oxford University boasts the oldest university in UK housed with ancient architecture well preserved. To add a new building in harmony with the old ones can be a challenge to any contemporary designer. The Investcorp Building is such a new addition worth our exploration. This week let us continue delving into the world-famous architecture constructed with stainless steel through the case of Investcorp Building in Oxford University.
Investcorp Building, Oxford University
Investcorp Building is the most recent academic building added to the Middle East Centre at St Antony's College in Oxford. The construction was commenced in January 2013 and completed in May 2015.
The new Investcorp Building provides extra 1200m2 floor space and a new 117-seat underground lecture theatre for the Middle East Center. Other facilities also include a 26-reader-station library, a 7-reader-station archive as well as gallery and kitchen.
The Background Information
Investcorp Building constituted a part of the St Antony's College expansion plans. It was commissioned in 2006, constructed to address the rising demand for research and academic activities at the Middle East Centre. The number of the College students including masters’ students and doctoral candidates grew more than the existing teaching and research facilities could accommodate.
The Middle East Centre, founded in 1957, stores Oxford University’s main collection on the Arab world, including over 400 collections of private papers and 100,000 historic photographs from the 1800s till today, with the focus on the research of humanities and social sciences. It provides those scholars and researchers who are interested in the Middle East a platform to research and learning.
The Design of Investcorp Building
Investcorp Building was designed by the world-renown architect Dame Zaha Hadid and won a lot of awards such as Oxford Preservation Trust New Building Award 2015, RIBA National Award 2016, and World Architecture Festival 2016 Award in Higher Education and Research Category – Completed Buildings. Zaha Hadid also made herself appearance on the opening ceremony.
The design purpose was to bridge a gap between two Victorian buildings at numbers 66 and 68 Woodstock Road. The challenges were: 1) a compact space to incorporate all of the facilities required. 2) the preservation of a large 100-year-old sequoia tree as it was. 3) the harmony with the surrounding ancient architecture.
For the design of bridge-like structure at its heart, Investcorp Building was initially called the Softbridge Building. It was officially named as Investcorp Building in recognition of the global investment group Investcorp’s support for the construction.
Due to the innovative design, the form and shape of Investcorp Building looks distinct from every angle. While it meets all the necessary functions from facilities to the tree preservation, it stands out on its own for the unique design and strong impression. Just as the comment from ArchDaily “maintains the detached character of the college’s current buildings, allowing them to be read as separate elements, while introducing a contemporary building that conveys the past, present and future evolution of the college, university and city” (St Antony’s 2025).
Stainless Steel Applied into Investcorp Building
The use of stainless steel was not part of the plan as the decision came late in the design process (TSB 2015). These stainless steel panels were highly polished to mirror finish which can reflect the surroundings to echo the building’s context. The ancient buildings, the century-old sequoia tree, the people, the grass and sky become part of the view thanks to the mirror-finished stainless steel façade.
Just as judges of the World Architecture Festival 2016 awards remarked, “Zaha Hadid expressed an architecture and form that allows the interior of the spaces to enjoy the view of the urban setting while cladding the building in a material that says, ‘I am the future’. (St Antony’s 2025) Stainless steel is such a material that allows designers to create a sense of future and sci-fi quality (TSB 2015) with their imagination.
Stainless Steel at CIVMATS
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