Building inauguration
Celebrating the inauguration of Wadham new Undergraduate and Access Centres
Prix Versailles nomination for Wadham buildings
Date Published: 16.07.2021
Wadham’s new Back Quad Buildings have been selected as finalists for the Prix Versailles, a prestigious international architecture prize.
The Dr Lee Shau Kee Building (right) and William Doo Undergraduate Centre
The William Doo Undergraduate Centre and Dr Lee Shau Kee Building, designed by AL_A Architects, have been chosen as one of six finalists in the World Selection for the Prix Versailles Campuses 2021.
Criteria used by the judges to make their selection include their innovativeness, creativity, reflection of local heritage and energy efficiency.
We are delighted with the grace and beauty of these buildings which sit so well on our historic site and provide functional academic and social space for our student community. The buildings will serve to inspire students from all backgrounds to consider an Oxford education, providing purpose built space for our comprehensive widening participation programmes. We are so grateful to the generous donors who made these buildings possible
Ken Macdonald QC, Warden
Warden Ken Macdonald comments: “We are absolutely thrilled by this announcement. We are delighted with the grace and beauty of these buildings which sit so well on our historic site and provide functional academic and social space for our student community. The buildings will serve to inspire students from all backgrounds to consider an Oxford education, providing purpose built space for our comprehensive widening participation programmes. We are so grateful to the generous donors who made these buildings possible.”
The Prix Versailles ‘Campuses’ sends a lasting message about the crucial, universal role played by those buildings in fostering learning and training, research and the transmission of knowledge.
The World Awards Ceremony, during which the three winners will be revealed, will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, in the most appropriate form given the context, in late November or early December 2021.
Jérôme Gouadain Secretary General of the Prix Versailles commented: “We would like to take this opportunity to heartily congratulate you.”
The Prix Versailles architectural prizes have been awarded annually since 2015 to recognize the world's most beautiful university campuses, passenger stations, sports venues, retail stores, shopping malls, hotels and restaurants.
Among the other finalists in the 2021 'Campuses' category are: University of Western Australia, Ezone Student Hub; Peking University, East Building of PKU Library, Beijing, China; Paris-Saclay University, Institut des Neurosciences, France; California Institute of Technology, Chen Neuroscience Research Building, USA; Harvard University, Science and Engineering Complex MA, United States