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

viewed from the street.The landscape setting of the building has changed since its construction as the Science Areahas become more heavily developed. One would imagine the rear elevation originally lookedonto parkland, but Smith categorises this space immediately behind the building as ‘nearwasteland…useful for disposing of sodium residues and evil-smelling products.’ 30 Though hedoes also talk about the pleasant views over tennis and croquet lawns further north.Extensions have ‘cruelly spoiled’ the rear elevation. 31 The new forum created by the rearelevation, the eastern elevation of the1939-40 extension, and new EarthSciences, is a particularly pleasantspace however. South Parks Road haslost the residential character itpossessed when the Dyson PerrinsLaboratory was first constructed, withthe only remaining indicators being 1and 2 South Parks Road (WilliamWilkinson, 1868-69 and 1865-66).Smith describes the laboratory’ssetting in 1916: ‘South Parks Roadwas a quiet by-road and the shrubberyin front of the laboratory was muchused by courting couples.’ 324.2.2 Interior SpacesFigure 16. Unsympathetic repair to tiles onground-floor corridorThe interior of the building is of someinterest. The main entrance with itsinternal porch and central staircase isan attractive space, with a discernableearly-twentieth-century institutionalcharacter. The corridors, with theirhalf-height green and white glazedtiles, have been compared to a publiclavatory, but are of some illustrativevalue, their design having beendeemed a necessity by Perkin. 33 Insome cases these have suffereddamage and have not necessarily beenrepaired in a sympathetic manner (e.g.Figure 17. The original benches in 15.20.0430 Smith, J.C., op. cit., 18.31 Pevsner, N., and Sherwood, J, Buildings of England: Oxfordshire (Harmondsworth, 1974) 277-278.32 Smith, J.C., op. cit., 16.33 Williams, R.J.P., et al., op. cit., 134.The Dyson Perrins Laboratory, Oxford 37Conservation Plan, May 2012