Refurbishing the Museum of Oxford
Client: Oxford City Council
Project: Refurbishing the Museum of Oxford
Department: Construction
Date of completion: September 2021
Budget: £2.8m
Summary
ODS undertook the redevelopment of a Grade II listed Victorian building within Oxford Town Hall, transforming it into an award-winning museum and heritage events space. The project, completed in September 2021, required sensitivity to the building’s historic nature and its active location in the city centre. ODS carefully balanced the redevelopment with the need for uninterrupted operations at the live site. The £2.8 million project expanded the museum, restored original Victorian features, and improved accessibility while maintaining the building’s unique character.
Requirements
The Museum of Oxford redevelopment aimed to restore the building’s Victorian grandeur, improve accessibility, and create larger, modern spaces for exhibits and education. This involved restoring original features, removing 1970s alterations, expanding galleries, and adding wheelchair-accessible facilities, including the basement, to display more objects.
Challenges
The museum’s location within Oxford Town Hall in the city centre required careful planning to minimise disruptions to daily operations in the live site.
ODS needed to remove intrusive modern elements while preserving and restoring the building’s Victorian character.
Making the basement wheelchair-accessible and ensuring that other new spaces met modern accessibility standards without compromising the historic fabric of the building were crucial.
Solution
To overcome the challenges, ODS implemented a phased construction approach, allowing the museum to remain operational while minimising disruptions to public access. In phase one, they removed 1970s alterations to reveal original walls and windows, while phase two focused on restoring the Victorian architecture and creating new galleries, learning spaces, and a gift shop. Additionally, ODS enhanced accessibility by making the previously inaccessible basement wheelchair-accessible and creating welcoming spaces for visitors of all abilities.
Results
The redevelopment was completed on time and within budget, tripling the museum’s size and significantly improving its functionality. ODS restored key Victorian architectural elements, reviving the building's original charm, and expanded the galleries to display over 750 objects, up from 286. Accessibility was also enhanced, with the addition of wheelchair-accessible spaces and modern facilities for visitors with mobility challenges. In partnership with local social enterprise RAW, ODS reclaimed waste wood from the project to create furniture, adding environmental and social value by supporting sustainability and local employment initiatives.
Social Value
ODS partnered with local social enterprise RAW who used their specialist skills in reclaiming and recycling wood for the project to ensure maximum social value and environmental benefit to the community. RAW used waste wood from the project to manufacture and sell indoor and outdoor furniture.
