Conference Oxford Newsletter Summer 2009
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Conference Oxford Newsletter Summer 2009 Welcome to our Summer Corpus Christi College 2009 Major new auditorium now complete newsletter beautiful views across Christ Church Meadow to the river, blending into the The Colleges and University surroundings of the ‘wild’ garden for of Oxford are committed to which the College is noted. The lower ongoing investment in their first floor terrace will quickly become buildings. Our newsletter gives a popular venue for receptions and a you the latest updates and space to mingle during the intervals of developments. New state- performances and meetings. of-the-art lecture theatres Although Corpus runs a bustling add to the rich variety of programme of lectures and academic venues available for meetings conferences, it has never been well and conferences, and the equipped to do so within the College upgrading of bedrooms he MBI Al Jaber Building at itself. With a maximum capacity of 135 ensures that Oxford continues Corpus Christi College – the most in theatre style, and modular seating to provide excellent facilities at Tsignificant addition to the main allowing for various smaller events, great value for money. site of the College since the 1700s – is the new lecture theatre’s versatility now complete. This new auditorium, Regular readers of our will enable Corpus to bring its current situated in the southwest corner of the newsletter will know of our programme of lectures in-house. The College and built into the bastion of the monthly Familiarisation Trips: design includes large picture windows that ancient City wall, replaces a smaller we take you to see three bring natural light into the auditorium and construction of the 1980s and affords venues interspersed with incorporates two small seminar rooms (a twice as much space and opportunity as champagne and lunch – so you great addition to a College where teaching its predecessor. can sample for yourselves the space is at a premium) that will also excellent standard of food. The brief was a challenging one: to serve as breakout rooms for conferences Our new developments will construct a modern building sympathetic and meetings. The conference facilities feature in our forthcoming to the architecture and feel of a 16th- are enhanced by modern AV facilities. programme of trips so do keep century Oxford college. Without flinching an eye on our website – see from modernity, Rick Mather Architects, Corpus students are greatly looking www.conference-oxford.co.uk who won the College’s RIBA competition, forward to putting the building to for details. provided a design that represents a extracurricular use. Until now, talented synthesis of the traditional and the new, student musicians and actors have not Do call us if we can help with compromising neither. The building is had a proper venue for concerts and your enquiries – whether it is incorporated into the ancient City wall recitals or dramatic productions. The for a day meeting, residential and both preserves and accentuates lack of a theatre has not diminished their conference or celebratory original features such as the arrow-slots achievements, but it has meant students dinner. and embrasures of the bastion. It has have had to use outside facilities. We wish you a very happy marvellous views of the Cathedral and As a home for drama and music, the summer. College gardens; the sliding glass screens auditorium will offer an unprecedented to the foyer give access to a new paved performance space within the College, as Sally Dunsmore quad, linking it with the facilities of the well as providing space for student events Director Old President’s Lodgings. and parties. The rooftop Handa Terrace features a For further information please contact: garden space for quiet study, and affords email: [email protected] 2 Conference Oxford Newsletter The Old Bodleian Newly refurbished Proscholium reopens he entrance to the Old Bodleian, known as the The Proscholium refurbishment was made possible thanks Proscholium, reopened to staff, readers and to a grant from the Wolfson Foundation CURL Libraries Tvisitors on 16 February, after a six-week closure for Programme. refurbishment. The Proscholium was constructed in 1610–12 to create a The newly renovated Proscholium provides a welcoming new entrance for the 15th-century Divinity School. At the space for all readers and visitors. There have been a same time, a new room, Arts End, was built above it to number of improvements which enhance both the area’s provide more space for the Bodleian Library. For 300 years functionality and its architecture. New bespoke desks the Proscholium served as an ante-room to the Divinity designed by Donald Insall Associates have replaced the School, until 1968 when it became the main entrance hall 1960s furniture, while book detection devices have been for the Old Library. For a short period, it was also the site installed. The glass entrance doors were also replaced with of the Bodleian Shop, which relocated to a more spacious powered doors to improve access. The ceiling has been room across the Old Bodleian quadrangle in 2007. cleaned and the architecture can now be fully appreciated. For further information about using the Divinity School for Much of the complicated ‘behind the scenes’ work of this an event please contact: project has concentrated on upgrading and improving the electrical, data and security infrastructure. Anna Staszewska: [email protected] 3 Conference Oxford Newsletter Egrove Park A warm welcome awaits you grove Park is Saïd Business School’s purpose- built Executive Education Centre, located just off E Oxford’s southern bypass, only two miles from Oxford city centre and easily accessible by road and rail with ample parking. To meet the increasing demand for high quality accommodation for senior executives, Egrove Park has added an additional 12 stylish and comfortable bedrooms to its extensive range of rooms available for delegates. We now have 63 study-bedrooms – 36 are split-level – with generous desk and seating provision. All rooms have en-suite facilities and are equipped with a telephone, networked Internet access, television and other essentials to make your stay as comfortable as possible. An choice are the essentials of our cuisine. For those important additional meeting room, two syndicate rooms and a new ‘chill-out’ times, guests may use the fully equipped gym, coffee lounge were also added in December 2008. This squash courts, sauna, all-weather tennis court, croquet lawn enables us to offer a wide range of fully equipped meeting or snooker room. rooms, from the Clifford Barclay Lecture Theatre (seating So if you are looking for all the attractions of Oxford, without 112) to syndicate rooms suitable for breakout sessions, any of the city centre distractions and bustle, in an easily to meet our expanding diversity of conference bookings accessible location, whether for a single day or longer, then and the increasing number of Executive Education please contact our Conference Manager, Jill Grieveson, who programmes. will be delighted to help you plan your next event: The Grade II listed building is situated in 37 acres of peaceful tel: (01865) 422757 wooded parkland. Head Chef Darren Lomas and his multi- award winning team believe that excellent food and drink are email: [email protected] essential to the success of any event. Quality, variety and or visit: www.sbs.oxford.edu/conferencing Harris Manchester College Warrington House renovation t Harris Manchester College we are always striving of Warrington House were preserved, while providing all to improve facilities for our students and conference modern facilities, including Internet facilities, and en- Aguests. It was, therefore, with great pleasure that suites or private bathrooms to each bedroom. in January this year we were able to reopen our completely Warrington now houses the upgraded Peter Cruddas IT refurbished Warrington House. Warrington House is an Centre, and the college was delighted that Peter Cruddas extremely interesting 16th-century Grade II listed building, officially opened the IT Centre himself on 4 February providing accommodation on the main site of Harris 2009. Manchester College, located in Mansfield Road. For further information and to make a booking please The college, along with the architects and builders, worked contact Patricia Edwards: extremely hard during the 18 months of building work to email: [email protected] ensure that the beautiful and interesting Tudor features 4 Conference Oxford Newsletter Keble College Hall floor and bedroom refurbishment aid edge to edge, the floor tiles stretch across the The logistical challenges were considerable: weighing in at longest dining hall in Oxford – and span 150 years. over three tonnes, only a few tiles could be carried up in the LOver the Christmas 2008 vacation, Keble College Goods Lift at a time. The oak tables and benches, and the called in craftsmen to repair the wear and tear of countless portraits (many larger than life) of successive generations mealtimes since the College’s foundation in 1870. The tiling of College Wardens, founders and benefactors, had all to makes up an intricate geometric pattern, so exact replicas be protectively draped and wrapped. A strict ‘no-entry zone’ of several thousand individual tiles had to be custom-made, was established – mandated by contemporary building site to replace the worn-out segment. health and safety regulations, but also out of anxiety for the temporary and uncharacteristic fragility of the huge unset (and hugely costly) tiles. Though working to the music of local radio, today’s workmen had to labour on hands and knees as painstakingly as their forerunners, laying the tiles one by one, the modern indistinguishable from the original. After 17 days (and some nights) of effort, with only Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year day for respite, the floor was restored to its full glory.