Oriel College, Oxford
Remodelling of the Grade 1 Listed lodge, gateway and entrance to create a single large room with all the functions of the lodge incorporated within a piece of furniture.
Oriel College was founded by King Edward II in 1326 and is one of the five oldest of Oxford’s colleges, though little of the medieval fabric remains. The porters' lodge has been the main entrance to the College since 1622.
The design involved removing all of the subdivisions of the lodge and creating a single large room. Within this sits a single piece of furniture designed to accommodate all the functions of the porters' lodge: computers, filing, keys, parcel storage, pigeon holes and gown storage. Secure areas are protected with glass sliding doors which slide into the furniture and do not touch the walls of the lodge.
Project carried out at Marcus Beale Architects
Photos by Marcus Peel
The pavement levels were adjusted to create a level access to the college, a technique that has been followed at a number of Colleges since.
Staff pigeon holes are kept secure by a sliding glass door.
A card model was made to ensure that the Fellows and students understood the design.