Our Response to the Public Consultation:
March 2025
Whilst we support the overall scheme and the principle of development, we do have some concerns.
The proposed landscaping scheme fails to respond to the neighbouring developments within the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. The proposed Ratan Tata building would face the Blavatnik School of Government and the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. It’s important that any landscaping scheme attached to the Ratan Tata building should respond to schemes associated with neighbouring developments to create a cohesive public realm throughout the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter.
It is unfortunate that the proposed building will obstruct views of Nial McLaughlin’s ‘ROQ West’. The western façade of this building is largely glazed with timber framing, and this would be obstructed by the proposed Ratan Tata building. The same can also be said for the northern face of Somerville College’s Park building, its north facing facade would be entirely obscured from the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter by the proposed Ratan Tata building. Good design should work with its surroundings rather than harm them.
Further information is required on the detail of the proposed access between the Ratan Tata building and the Holtby and Park buildings. Any alterations to the either of the historic college buildings must be sensitive and well documented.