Somerville College is delighted to announce that Oxford City Council has granted planning consent for its new academic building, The Ratan Tata Building, designed by Morris+Company with project-management by Bidwells.
Set within the College’s historic campus and facing directly onto the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter (ROQ), this is the last remaining plot to be developed at Somerville College, completing the architectural framework of its historic campus. The new 700m² building will serve as a new academic hub for teaching and learning, as well as the permanent home of the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, thereby reinforcing Somerville’s position as a hub for inclusive, world-class research and teaching.
The Ratan Tata Building has been conceived as a physical manifestation of the College’s RISE Campaign, embodying the values of Resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability and Excellence through state-of-the-art learning spaces and sustainable design. Key elements include six tutor rooms, two research rooms, one seminar room, one boardroom/seminar room, one “chai ideas” room (a flexible shared space with plenty of tea and good conversation!), and a reception room to the ground floor.
Exterior elevation and interior impression of the new Ratan Tata Building
Design
Morris+Company’s design for The Ratan Tata Building balances a sensitivity to Oxford’s historic setting with bold contemporary architecture. The curved form and massing is inspired by the rich architectural heritage of Oxford and its campus buildings new and old, including the Blavatnik School of Government, while the façade will be constructed from Clipsham Stone with refined timber detailing to connect to both heritage and modern contexts.
The defining feature is the Oculus, a large circular opening in the facade above the main entrance, and on a critical axis through the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. This symbolic gesture of observation and openness brings natural light deep into the building while glowing outward at night as a beacon of learning and inclusivity.
The building is designed to Passivhaus principles, incorporating a low-carbon timber structure, highly insulated envelope, air-source heat pumps.
Comments
Catherine Royle, Principal of Somerville College
“This is a landmark moment for Somerville. With planning consent for The Ratan Tata Building now secured, we can look forward to realising a project that will complete our historic campus, provide a permanent home for the Oxford India Centre, and embody the values of Resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability and Excellence that define our College community. I would like to thank everyone who has been so instrumental behind the scenes in making this moment possible, at Somerville, Morris+Company, Bidwells, and Oxford City Council.”
Mr N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Group:
“The Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, housed in The Ratan Tata Building, will provide an extraordinary platform for collaborative research and innovation on the urgent global challenges of climate, equity, and sustainability. We are proud to support this vision, which reflects the values of the Tata Group and the mission of Somerville College.”
Joe Morris, Founding Director, Morris+Company:
“The Ratan Tata Building is conceived as a beacon for Somerville’s RISE campaign, a place where inclusivity, sustainability, and academic ambition converge. Our design responds to the heritage of Oxford while creating an exemplar of contemporary architecture: a building that is both sensitive and bold, efficient and delightful, deeply rooted in its context yet open to the future.”
+ For further information please contact:
- Matt Phipps, Head of Communications, Somerville College
manager@some.ox.ac.uk | 07495083170 - Sara Kalim, Development Director, Somerville College
kalim@some.ox.ac.uk | - Anna Robinson, Head of Communications, Morris+Company
robinson@morrisand.company | 020 7566 7440