British structure studio Stanton Williams has refurbished and prolonged the Grade II*-listed Rhodes Home on the College of Oxford, including a lantern-like glazed pavilion for occasions.

Initially designed by architect Herbert Baker and accomplished in 1929, Rhodes Home has traditionally housed occasions, lodging and archive areas, set amid landscaped gardens in Oxford’s metropolis centre.

Tasked with doubling the usable area of the location in addition to bringing its environmental efficiency as much as trendy requirements, Stanton Williams reconfigured the constructing’s format whereas retaining its historic character.

“The spatial and environmental efficiency of Rhodes Home not met the wants of its host organisation,” Stanton Williams affiliate Tom Fotheringham instructed Dezeen.

“To permit the Belief to evolve whereas remaining inside its historic premises, we needed to discover methods to double Rhodes Home’s usable area and supply new convention services, new working lodging for employees and students, and new residential makes use of,” he added.

Within the largest alteration to the location, a beforehand restricted archive area on the decrease floor flooring has been transformed right into a 300-seat convention corridor and lobby, accessed through a newly created spiral stone staircase within the Rotunda and illuminated by high-level home windows.

Forming a brand new “sculpture” on the foremost entrance of Rhodes Home, the post-tensioned stone stair was developed with Webb Yates Engineers, and contains a carved sample that references the hexagonal tiling of the unique flooring.

This hexagonal sample was additionally used as a motif within the convention corridor itself, the place a vaulted ceiling has been clad with wood panelling.

“The brand new sculptural stone staircase enhances the prevailing Rotunda, fulfilling Herbert Baker’s ambition {that a} sculpture ought to be put in to assist this area turn into ‘the centre of magnificence and curiosity within the constructing’,” Fotheringham instructed Dezeen.

The constructing’s western wing homes workers and scholar working lodging, whereas the jap wing holds 21 ensuite rooms for convention delegates, and has been prolonged with a brand new brick block offering 16 additional bedrooms overlooking a residential courtyard.

“The brand new residential courtyard inside the East Backyard is positioned under floor to protect key views between the prevailing constructing and the Civil Struggle Rampart on the location boundary,” defined Fotheringham.

“It has been designed as a sunken quantity inside the backyard, with chamfered soffits and piers across the perimeter to maximise daylight and supply privateness for the bedrooms under,” he instructed Dezeen.

Within the west backyard, Stanton Williams has inserted a glass pavilion offering area for occasions, with a versatile, 50-seat area beneath a sweeping wood roof.

Meant as a “photo voltaic collector”, the pavilion collects warmth from the solar and redistributes it by the principle constructing for heating and scorching water, whereas fan-coil models hold the pavilion itself comfy.

Different tasks just lately accomplished by Stanton Williams embrace a brand new educational constructing for College Faculty London within the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which is clad in textured concrete panels.

The images is courtesy of Stanton Williams.