Denys Wilkinson, Thom and Holder Buildings, Oxford
Denys Wilkinson Building (Nuclear Physics Lab)
Philip Dawson for Arup & Partners, 1963-71
Ernest Rutherford led the world in nuclear physics but he was based in Cambridge, so when Denys Wilkinson needed a vertical accelerator tower to study the breakdown of atoms, Oxford were very pleased to receive a grant from the Atomic Energy Research Establishment to build one. A horizontal accelerator was also build in the basement.
It was decommissioned in 1997 when the research moved to Geneva and renamed in 2002 after Sir Denys Wilkinson, who founded the laboratory in 1957. The domed observatory was added in 2005. The building now houses astrophysics and particle physics.
This is probably the most unusual and radical structure in Oxford. Occupying a similar accolade as the Cheese Lane Shot Tower in Bristol. Both should be cherished for their uniqueness…
The Thom Building (Department of Engineering Science)
Romsey Murray, White & Ward, 1960-62
This eight-storey concrete and glass tower was opened by the Duke of Edinburgh. It was named after Alexander Thom, an engineer and archaeoastronomer. The butterfly roof line houses a rooftop wind tunnel used for aerodynamics research. Central Oxford hasn’t allowed a taller buildings since.
Holder Building (Engineering and Metallurgy)
Arup Associates 1973-76
Named after Professor Douglas W Holder who headed the Department of Engineering Science.
