A £30m landmark cultural centre for science and enterprise is to be built in the shadow of Oxford’s historic Castle Mound in New Road.
It will provide Oxford with a major new tourist destination that is expected to attract at least 100,000 visitors a year.
Plans to create “a world-class facility” showcasing cutting-edge science coming out of Oxford were unveiled yesterday by Science Oxford.
It was revealed that an “iconic” building is to be designed by one of the world’s best known architects, Foster and Partners, whose past work includes the German Reichstag in Berlin, the world’s largest airport terminal at Beijing and the Millau Viaduct in France.
The centre would include a 150-seat domed theatre, to be known as the Sphere, where a huge overhead domed screen would allow visitors to feel inside the action, whether flying through a black hole or exploring the human body.
A state-of-the-art digital planetarium is promised along with three galleries, including a Dreaming Spires to Screaming Tyres gallery that will set out the history of science in Oxford from Roger Bacon to the present day.
The centre would replace Macclesfield House, the unloved 1960s building that formerly housed the county education department, which is expected to be demolished.
Science Oxford, formerly called the Oxford Trust, was set up in 1985 by Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood to encourage the study and application of science and technology.
A registered charity, it bought the 0.47-acre site from Oxfordshire County Council for £3.5m.
The charity also looks likely to take up an option that it has already negotiated to buy Oxford Register Office, the neighbouring building.
Chris Connell, of Foster and Partners, said: “Our intention is to create a striking and innovative contemporary addition to the city’s rich architectural heritage, a landmark building that symbolises and embodies the possibilities of science and the future of technology.”
Ian Griffin, chief executive of Science Oxford, said: “More than anything else, the visitor attraction will be a fun place to visit.
“The overhead domed screen will be so huge that it is called an immersive theatre.
“The sphere will also run interactive astronomer-led planetarium shows allowing viewers to fly through the solar system or to explore the phenomenon of the Star of Bethlehem.”
He said no decision had yet been made about whether Macclesfield House would be demolished in its entirety.
An enterprise and innovation centre is also proposed with full conference facilities to become ‘the first port of call’ for investors seeking to work with the county’s researchers and business leaders.
Science Oxford, which operates a centre in St Clements, has already raised £10m. The remaining £20m would be raised from private individuals, trusts and foundations.
It is hoped that the new science centre could open within three to five years.
Keith Mitchell, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said he hoped that there would be an access route to the castle, linking two major visitor attractions in the ongoing regeneration of Oxford’s West End quarter.
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