“Odessa steps in Oxford?” someone mutters. This monumental staircase before us at the St Cross Building indeed conjures such images. Welcome. I will tell you about the architectural marvel that stands before you.
The St Cross Building is home to the Bodleian Law Library and the English Faculty. It also houses the Law Faculty of Oxford University. Almost all Law Faculty lectures and seminars happen here. Most academic administration also occurs here.
This building is more than just a place of learning. It is a Grade II listed building. It is celebrated as a work of Sir John Leslie Martin and Colin St John Wilson. Patrick Hodgkinson also contributed. Design and construction took place between 1960 and 1964. Martin designed the Royal Festival Hall in London. Wilson designed the New British Library. Hodgkinson was the principal architect of London’s Brunswick Centre.
Notice the three interlocking cubes of different sizes. The central common area contains lecture theatres and rooms. These are where the cubes overlap. Geoffrey Tyack noted Martin followed Le Corbusier’s belief. The plan generates the form. The building’s form is determined by internal arrangements. Different-sized boxes are placed at different levels. They ingeniously interlock.
The massive cubic blocks are clad in buff brick. This was chosen to harmonize with the stone. Look at Holywell Manor and St Cross Church nearby. Long strips of plate glass windows in metal frames break up the brick. This is a favorite Corbusian mannerism.
The largest cube contains the Bodleian Law Library. It features a glass ceiling and galleried central space. The medium-sized cube holds the English Faculty Library. The small cube was once the Economics and Statistics Library. It was redeveloped in 2011. It now provides a new seminar room and offices for the Law Faculty.
Philip Opher notes the building has been detailed with great care. Its exquisite taste is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. It also draws from Dutch building of the 1920s.
Since 2008, there have been redevelopments to ensure expansion. Improvements have been made to storage. Modern technology has been adapted. Spaces have been created to suit contemporary teaching methods. Phase 1 and 2 allowed the Law Faculty to receive a new administrative center. A Moot Court room was created. This allows for Harvard-style methods of lecturing. It is housed within the heritage space that was the Statistics Library.
Phase 3 was completed in 2016. It involved adapting the Bodleian Law Library. This suited the needs of its expanding collection. A new English reception and administrative center was created. The heart of the building was revitalized. This includes break-out spaces and a cafeteria. A new area for the Institute of European Comparative Law was inserted.
All these works were achieved by working closely with Historic England. A Conservation Management Plan was developed. This allowed an understanding of the building’s significance. It has significance both locally and nationally.
So, as you ascend these steps or explore its interior spaces, remember the St Cross Building is not just a structure. It is a testament to architectural vision and adaptation. It embodies the spirit of Oxford’s pursuit of knowledge.