A project commencement ceremony has been held on the site of Oxford University’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.
The ceremony on Friday represented an important milestone in the single biggest capital project ever carried out at Oxford University. It marks the conclusion of preparatory construction work and the clearance of the site ready for the main construction to begin. The centre is on track to be completed in 2025
New hoardings have also been installed around the site.
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The centre will boost teaching and research in the humanities and bring together seven faculties, the Institute for Ethics in AI, the Oxford Internet Institute, and a new humanities library. It has been made possible by a £175m gift from Mr Schwarzman, the chairman of Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms.
The ceremony included speeches by Mr Schwarzman; Professor Dame Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; and Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
Professor Richardson said: “I am delighted that the construction of the fabulous Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities is now under way.
"This centre will be transformative for the Humanities at Oxford and for the city, its residents and visitors. While we await the opening of the building in 2025 the Institute for Ethics in AI and the Humanities Cultural Programme are offering a vibrant academic and cultural programme which engages Oxford students, academics and the wider world. We are forever indebted to Mr Schwarzman for this extraordinarily generous gift.”
Mr Schwarzman said: “I’m incredibly proud and excited to see the new Centre for the Humanities come to life.
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"It will benefit Oxford students, faculty and the community for years to come and help Oxford best apply its global leadership in the humanities to some of the most pressing questions of the 21st century.”
The centre will house a full suite of high-quality exhibition and performance spaces, allowing public audiences to engage more deeply with the University. It will be a model for the essential role of the humanities in helping the world to confront some of the most pressing questions and challenges it faces today. It will be a building that invites the widest range of audiences inside, and its many benefits will include major new performances venues, including a 500-seat concert hall, a 250-seat theatre and a 100-seat Black Box space for creating and delivering experimental performances.
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This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
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