St Cross Building Marks 60th Anniversary

This year marks 60 years since the St Cross Building was officially opened. The iconic building is home to the Faculty of Law and the Bodleian Law Library. Completed in 1964, this Grade II* listed building stands as a testament to the University's embracing of modernist architecture in the mid-20th century. 

The St Cross Building was designed by late Sir Leslie Martin, renowned for his work on the Royal Festival Hall in London, in collaboration with Colin St John Wilson, who later designed the British Library. Patrick Hodgkinson, principal architect of the Brunswick Centre in London, also made significant contributions to the project during his time at Martin's Cambridge studio. 

The building's distinctive design features three interlocking cubes of varying sizes, housing different faculties and libraries. The Faculty of Law and Bodleian Law Library occupy the largest cube, which is characterised by its glass-ceilinged and galleried central space. The English Faculty and its library are situated in the medium-sized cube, while the smallest cube, formerly home to the Economics and Statistics Library, was repurposed in 2011 to provide a seminar room and offices for the Faculty of Law. 

One of the most striking features of the St Cross Building is its monumental external staircase, which leads from St Cross Road to the upper floor libraries. This architectural element has become an iconic space for social interaction and informal gatherings over the decades. 

The building's exterior is clad in buff brick, chosen to harmonise with the stonework of the nearby Holywell Manor and St Cross Church. Long strips of plate glass windows in metal frames break up the façade, reflecting the influence of Le Corbusier on Martin's architectural philosophy. 

The building was incorporated in to the Faculty of Law’s logo three years ago, showing how keenly the Law community identifies with the building in which it is housed. 

As we commemorate six decades of this remarkable building, we invite members of the Faculty of Law community, alumni, and visitors to reflect on the role the St Cross Building has played in shaping the Oxford experience for generations of students and scholars. 

To mark this milestone, the Faculty of Law will be sharing posts on social media. We invite alumni, staff and students, past and present, to share their memories of the St Cross Building using the hashtag #StCrossBuilding. These contributions will help document the building's significant role in Oxford's academic landscape over the past six decades.