Ruskin School of Art, Oxford

Explore

Architect

Spratley Studios

Structural Engineer

Price and Myers

Quantity Surveyor

Turner and Townsend

Two-stage design and build contract
Provided flexible, light‑filled art spaces including studios, workshops and a media lab
Piled foundations and a steel/composite frame to meet site limitations and programme demands
Contemporary façade with backlit glazing and Smartfilm‑enabled projection glass.

Kingerlee delivered the new Ruskin School of Art building for the University of Oxford under a two stage design and build contract.

The project was undertaken on a highly constrained site with multiple party wall interfaces and restricted access, which required a carefully developed construction methodology. A piled foundation solution and a structural steel and composite frame were adopted to accommodate the accelerated programme and to ensure structural efficiency.

The building design was developed in close collaboration with the client team to meet the requirement for flexible, functional and durable art spaces. The completed facility provided studios, workshops, project areas, a media laboratory, offices and seminar rooms, all configured to maximise usable space and natural light.

The principal elevation incorporated a contemporary architectural expression through the use of backlit glazing, composite cladding and high quality brickwork. The glazed façade integrated Smartfilm technology, allowing the glass to transform into a high definition projection screen capable of displaying corporate presentations, television imagery and video content.