Jesus College
2014
In early 2014 Níall McLaughlin won a competition for the development of Jesus College’s West Court, Auditorium and Forum. The design entailed a masterplan for the site and works in three phases.
Phase 1 completed in early 2017. The works involved the sensitive refurbishment and extension of the Grade II listed Webb Building to provide offices, social spaces and student accommodation. A new café pavilion and basement bar extends the building’s north elevation and provides a prominent link to the rest of the College. The 1970s Rank Building completes the courtyard at West Court and was refaced, refurbished and converted to provide a 160-seat lecture theatre with research facilities, teaching spaces and two floors of visitor accommodation. Linking the two existing buildings, a new entrance building on Jesus Lane houses conference facilities and serves the lecture theatre, research spaces and an exhibition room. It will provide access to future phases of the development.
Phase 2 of the development will provide a new purpose-built 300-seat auditorium and Phase 3 offers archive and gallery space, student accommodation and sports facilities.
The proposals offer an opportunity to make West Court a new heart of the College within its historic footprint. The Master of Jesus College, Professor Ian White, said “We are excited by the opportunity the West Court development brings to take the facilities we can offer to students, alumni and the wider world to a new level of excellence.”