The Saïd Business School building, designed by Dixon and Jones, the architects responsible for the Royal Opera House in London, opened in 2001 in the centre of Oxford. In design it brings together over three millennia of academic tradition, from its classical amphitheatre, to the mosque-like columns, medieval cloisters, four horseshoe style lecture theatres, and its contemporary interpretation of the traditional dreaming spire.
Sharing ideas
A key feature of the building is the provision of informal working areas. There are numerous open spaces throughout, including cloistered walkways and a large internal courtyard - all of which help foster informal interaction between students, faculty, staff and visitors. Professor Anthony Hopwood, formerly Peter Moores Dean of the School, comments: “I call these ‘democratic spaces’ because of the ease of interaction which they facilitate.”
Relaxing
The common room, a large semicircular space with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the School's landscaped grounds, is a relaxed area for easy socialising with fellow students, faculty and staff. The grounds contain the Fellow's Garden, a place for quiet reflection, the remains of Rewley Abbey, the very first seat of learning in Oxford, as well as space for a full size croquet lawn.
Studying
The Sainsbury Library at the Saïd Business School offers an innovative information support service with a strong emphasis on electronic resources and delivery.
The state-of-the-art library comprises two spacious floors and an array of networked study desks, PCs, copiers and printers. The Lower Reading Room contains copies of books and articles on reading lists, and may be used for quiet talking and group work, while the Upper Reading Room is dedicated to quiet study and research and houses the research collections, as well as generous study space.
In addition to the print collection, the library provides a gateway to a rich and powerful collection of electronic resources accessible from the School’s Intranet, including access to business databases, financial and economic data, industry reports, e-journals and course reading lists with direct links to online readings.
Experienced library staff are available for general advice and support, as well as more in-depth help with finding and using more complex information sources for research, course projects and theses.
Learning
Most classes take place in one of four wood-panelled lecture theatres, with desks, each with its own network connection, arranged in a horseshoe pattern to facilitate open discussion. These theatres contain dual screens to enable simultaneous use of a range of visual media, and there are numerous seminar and project rooms for small group work. There is also a 300 seat traditional style auditorium, opened by Nelson Mandela in 2002.