H B Allen Centre
The H B Allen Centre is the graduate centre of Keble College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.
| H B Allen Centre | |
|---|---|
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 The courtyard of the H B Allen Centre | |
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| General information | |
| Address | 25 Banbury Road |
| Town or city | Oxford |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51.76097°N 1.26091°W |
| Opened | 3 October 2019 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Rick Mather |
| Architecture firm | MICA |
Background
The H B Allen Centre is named for Heather Barbara "Mickie" Allen, founder of the H B Allen Charitable Trust. Ms. Allen was a descendant of the founder of Beefeater Gin, James Burrough,[1] and also donated to RNLI for lifeboats in Padstow. The trust contributed a £25 million capital grant to assist with construction and fitting out of the new site.[2]
Construction
The centre was built on the site of the former Acland Hospital. Part of the old hospital, the Sarah Acland House, is a Grade II listed building, and a significant challenge in construction was preserving this structure.[3]
The H B Allen Centre was officially opened on 3 October 2019 (a year behind schedule) by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.[4]
Facilities
The centre includes accommodation for 230 full-time graduates, as well as common area including two multipurpose rooms, laundry facilities, a gym, a café, and lecture theatre.[2]
References
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4373976.stm
- "The H B Allen Centre". Keble College. Keble College, Oxford. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- "Eckersley O'Callaghan – Engineers – Keble College H B Allen Centre". www.eocengineers.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- "Duke of Cambridge opens Oxford University's H B Allen Centre". BBC News. UK: BBC. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.