Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
- Client: University of Oxford/Ashmolean Museum
- Principal designer: Rick Mather Architects
- Principal engineer: Dewhurst Macfarlane & Partners
- Principal contractor: BAM Construct UK
- Contract value: £61 million
About the project
From the outside, Oxford University’s Ashmolean Museum is still the same Greek revival building built by Charles Robert Cockerell in 1845. Inside, however, it has been transformed.
The Ashmolean is the oldest public museum in the UK, housing a unique collection of art and antiquities. It urgently needed more display space, greater accessibility and improved environmental conditions for its collections.
This has been achieved through the construction of a new extension, with six levels of fresh, modern space featuring a light-filled atrium and a grand staircase made up of five curving flights. The new building follows two major axes established by Cockerell, creating a clear route through and unifying the entire museum.
The idea is to entice visitors to move around in a big figure of eight, and the design of the museum allows people to see from one gallery to the next, drawing them through.
Described by The Guardian as ‘a building in which every last inch is hard at work, while giving the opposite impression’, the new Ashmolean also has a low-energy philosophy, and has doubled its display space within its existing footprint. It is a striking addition to Oxford’s historic city centre.
Judges' comment
"A major project for Oxford, beautifully delivered."