John McAslan + Partners Turns Oxford Power Station into Campus Hub

John McAslan + Partners has transformed Osney Power Station, Oxford's first electrical power plant, into the Global Leadership Centre for the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School.

The British studio restored the brick facades of the building, which opened in 1892, and rebuilt its metal-clad upper levels. The renovated complex contains 120 bedrooms, flexible teaching and meeting spaces, a dining room, a library, a gym and a terrace overlooking the River Thames.

The project team included structural engineer Mann Williams, building services engineer Long and Partners, quantity surveyor Arcadis, planning consultant Savills and contractor Graham. Photography is by Hufton + Crow.

How Did the Studio Handle the Industrial Fabric?

A brick extension echoes the existing building, while the power station's metal-clad turbine sheds were rebuilt and extended to continue the repetitive pitched silhouette. The studio aimed to revive the disused structure and maintain its industrial character.

"Our approach to transforming the redundant power station into the Global Leadership Centre for the University of Oxford has been to harness the existing building's distinctive characteristics," said studio founder John McAslan.

"Central to this is the retention and expression of its powerful internal volume as an agora, a collegiate quad for interaction and the exchange of ideas, while the residential accommodation on the upper floors celebrates the surrounding landscape and strengthens the building's relationship with its setting."

The turbine hall became a triple-height entrance and shared space, which the practice describes as an agora — a setting for informal conversations outside the classroom. An outdoor courtyard cuts into the centre of the building to bring in natural light, and three floors of accommodation occupy the upper levels. Perforated grey metal wraps the upper portion to filter daylight into the bedrooms.

Inside, steel trusses, exposed brickwork and a gantry crane preserve the industrial appearance.

Why Rebuild Rather Than Retain Everything?

Associate architect Stephen Leccacorvi explained the carbon reasoning behind the partial rebuild.

"Retaining the three historic facades of Osney Power Station was central to our approach, but energy modelling demonstrated that rebuilding the lightweight internal sheds would deliver substantially better long-term carbon performance than retaining the poorly performing existing fabric," Leccacacorvi said.

"This allowed us to introduce a highly efficient building envelope and accommodate the centre's new programme while preserving the monumental scale and industrial character of the original power station."

The building was upgraded with improved insulation and airtightness. Photovoltaic panels and air-source heat pumps were also installed.

What Else Is Changing at Oxford?

The Global Leadership Centre joins a wave of recent construction for the University of Oxford, including a stone-clad science building by NBBJ, an arts centre built around a four-storey atrium by Hopkins Architects, and a limestone-fronted library extension by Wright & Wright. The Osney conversion signals how the university is meeting demand for executive education space through adaptive reuse of its industrial heritage along the Thames.