H. B. Allen Centre

The H B Allen Centre is the graduate centre of Keble College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.

H B Allen Centre
The courtyard of the H B Allen Centre
General information
Address25 Banbury Road
Town or cityOxford
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51.76097°N 1.26091°W / 51.76097; -1.26091
Opened3 October 2019
Design and construction
Architect(s)Rick Mather
Architecture firmMICA

Background

The H B Allen Centre is named for Heather Barbara "Mickie" Allen, founder of the H B Allen Charitable Trust. Ms. Allen was a descendant of the founder of Beefeater Gin, James Burrough,[1] and also donated to RNLI for lifeboats in Padstow. The trust contributed a £25 million capital grant to assist with construction and fitting out of the new site.[2]

Construction

The centre was built on the site of the former Acland Hospital. Part of the old hospital, the Sarah Acland House, is a Grade II listed building, and a significant challenge in construction was preserving this structure.[3]

The H B Allen Centre was officially opened on 3 October 2019 (a year behind schedule) by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.[4]

Facilities

The centre includes accommodation for 230 full-time graduates, as well as common area including two multipurpose rooms, laundry facilities, a gym, a café, and lecture theatre.[2]

References
  1. "Gin heiress' £2m lifeboat legacy". 25 October 2005.
  2. "The H B Allen Centre". Keble College. Keble College, Oxford. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  3. "Eckersley O'Callaghan – Engineers – Keble College H B Allen Centre". www.eocengineers.com. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  4. "Duke of Cambridge opens Oxford University's H B Allen Centre". BBC News. UK: BBC. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
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