Oculus

UNI OF BATH

2017

Brief

Stations today have become non-places, simply transitional spaces through which people move as quickly as possible. They have lost the sense of excitement they once held, as was captured by the paintings of Terence Cuneo and William Powell. Merchants selling their goods, businessmen travelling, sweethearts parting; these are all scenes and acts that played a part in the spectacle of the train station. This scheme seeks to revive the excitement and thrill of trains and their stations.

Waterloo Station, Terence Cuneo, 1967

The Railway Station, William Powell, 1862

Site

The station site is located on Osney Island, on the western edge of the city centre. The railway divides primarily residential areas to the west and commercial areas in the city centre.

The site is positioned next to the only major road into the city from the west and so forms a gateway into the city by both road and rail.

Design Response

This scheme seeks to revive the excitement of the station by including a number of diverse functions within it, all centred around the activity of the trains within. The station includes a youth hostel, retail spaces and restaurants, as well as a business centre and events space. This combination will make the station a destination in itself and create a thriving centre for Oxford, uniting the city across the tracks and improving the public realm of the area.

The station sits directly over both the railway and road, effectively bridging both elements, whilst the oculus in its centre focuses attention on the activity within. The outer fabric of the building is formed of multiple layers in order to restrict and frame views out, whilst the inner face of the building is completely transparent, promoting the inward-looking nature of the building.