Dyson Perrins Laboratory - Central Administration - University of ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

exterior is of some interest: ‘Though neo-Georgian in its general character, with red-brickwalls and detailing inspired by the English Baroque, Waterhouse made no attempt to concealthe building’s function, and much of the wall surface is taken up by large windows lightingthe laboratories. Here, to a much greater extent than in the collegiate buildings of the early20 th century, changes in architectural form were brought about by changing needs rather thanchanging fashion.’ 27 Whilst the façade of the Dyson Perrins Laboratory follows earlyeighteenth-centurymodels, the intrusion of the windows represents function beginning todictate form; a concept which would later influence the modernist buildings elsewhere in theScience Area.The rear (northern) elevation is of someaesthetic significance, with four ionic pilastersand an entablature in response to the porch atthe front (Figure 12). This has unfortunatelybecome boxed in by later extensions. Theconstruction of the roof extension for the cooleron the corner of the rear elevation has lessenedthe definition of the entablature, whichoriginally extruded above the height of thesurrounding roofline.The building’s inscriptions are of some interest.The inscription of the rear entablature reads:ALCHYMISTA SPEM ALIT AETERNAM(Alchemy/chemistry offers eternal hope). Thisinscription was located directly outside Perkin’soriginal office. The inscribed plaque on thesouthern façade reads: BALLIOLENSIS FECIHYDATOECVS O SI MELIVS (I, Waterhouse,a Balliol man, made this. O, if only it werebetter!). The larger (emboldened above) letters,if placed in numerical order, show the date ofconstruction (an optimistic 1915), though as asum rather than as a true numeral:MDCCLLLLVVIIIII (which adds up toMCMXV). A further inscription, visuallybisected by a drain pipe, mixes the names ofPerkin and Dyson Perrins (Figure 13).The building is of some interest as a relativelyearly purpose-built laboratory which follows aMancunian model with Bavarian roots. ItFigure 12. The rear elevation of the 1913-16 phases of the Dyson PerrinsLaboratory looking south-eastwardsFigure 13. The Perkin-Perrins plaque,courtesy of www.headington.org.uk27 Tyack, G., Oxford: An Architectural Guide (Oxford, 1998) 282-283.The Dyson Perrins Laboratory, Oxford 30Conservation Plan, May 2012
epresents a serious attempt to meet the needs of a working laboratory, with Perkin’s inputbeing central to the building’s design. The interior laboratories (Figure 14) with theirsubstantial natural lighting represent an attempt to deal with the darkness experienced insome laboratories (the Abbot’s Kitchen, for instance, must have been dismal to work in). Thewooden benches in the laboratory spaces are also of some illustrative value, representingearly-twentieth-century scientific needs.Figure 14. The first-floor teaching laboratory (152.20.04)3.3 Historical SignificanceThe heritage asset is of substantial historical significance, being central to the development ofChemistry in Oxford, from a nationally-insignificant department in the early 20 th century tothe largest department in the western world. 28 As mentioned above, the building hasillustrative value regarding the development of chemical research and teaching, includingportions of the original benches. The building is a purpose-built chemical laboratory and itsconstruction, including the proportions of its rooms and the high window:wall ratio, arerepresentative of what Perkin, a leading organic chemist, thought were the needs of a firstratechemistry department at the turn of 20 th century. Especially interesting is how externallyit contrasts with the Chemistry Research Laboratory opposite, which was designed to meetthe same needs as perceived a century later.28 Oxford’s 2001 Research Assessment Exercise submission; available online:http://www.rae.ac.uk/2001/submissions/Textform.asp?route=2&HESAInst=H-0156&UoA=18&Msub=Z&Form=RA5a, accessed 26.04.2012.The Dyson Perrins Laboratory, Oxford 31Conservation Plan, May 2012
Page 1 and 2: Dyson Perrins LaboratoryBuilding No
Page 3 and 4: THE RADCLIFFE CAMERA, OXFORDCONSERV
Page 5 and 6: The Dyson Perrins Laboratory, Oxfor
Page 8 and 9: The Conservation Plan should form t
Page 10 and 11: TR.3, TR.11, TR.12 - Car Parking St
Page 12 and 13: THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANKThe Dy
Page 14 and 15: 2.2 History of the Dyson Perrins La
Page 16 and 17: the Great War in August, slowed con
Page 18 and 19: There were some issues with the new
Page 20 and 21: Figure 5. Plan of Dyson Perrin’s
Page 22: accommodate the changing needs of i
Page 27 and 28: 3 SIGNIFICANCENPPF paragraph 128 sp
Page 29: something of a southern perimeter t
Page 35 and 36: 4 VULNERABILITIESThe ability of the
Page 37 and 38: viewed from the street.The landscap
Page 41 and 42: 5 CONSERVATION POLICYHaving establi
Page 43 and 44: outine maintenance; others are impe
Page 47 and 48: 6 BIBLIOGRAPHY6.1 Government Report
Page 49 and 50: Figure 7: Adapted from Bing Maps (s
Page 53 and 54: 7 APPENDICESAppendix 1Listed Buildi
Page 55 and 56: INTERIOR: Main staircase in hall wi
Page 57 and 58: Appendix 2Chronology of Dyson Perri
Page 59 and 60: the road2004 Listed building consen
Page 61 and 62: Appendix 3Checklist of Significant
Page 63 and 64: Appendix 4Floor plansBasement plan
Page 65 and 66: First-floor plan with north at the
Page 67 and 68: Third-floor plan with north at the
Page 71 and 72: 8 ANNEXESAnnexe 1Development of the
Page 73: THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANKThe Dy

Dyson Perrins Laboratory - Central Administration - University of ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?