Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Parks Road, Oxford, adjoining the Pitt Rivers Museum.
The neo-Gothic building was designed by the Irish architects Benjamin Woodward and Thomas Newenham Deane. Construction by Lucas Brothers began in 1855, and the building was ready for occupancy in 1860.[1]
1858 'UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD, MAY 29. THE NEW MUSEUM.
The ironwork of the roof over the central court of this building having been proved to be inadequate to the weight which it may have to sustain, notwithstanding various remedies which have been tried without success, and it being the opinion of an eminent civil engineer (Mr. Fairbairn, of Manchester), who has examined the structure carefully, that the whole of the ironwork must be reconstructed, on the principle of using a large portion of cast iron in combination with the wrought iron, also that new bases for the columns be provided in the existing foundation, the Museum Building delegates have recommended the Hebdomadal Council that the original design for the new roof, which was to consist of cast and partly of wrought iron, and to cost £5,216, be at once proceeded with, a combination of circumstances having rendered it imperative to revert to the plan above referred to. The cost of the plan which has failed was estimated at £3,100, and Mr. Skidmore, the contractor, having proposed to execute the works, as originally proposed, in the more expensive way for the first estimate, and to remove the present edifice at his own cost, deducting all money he has hitherto received on account of time work already executed, the Hebdomadal Council has given notice, that in a convocation, to be holden on Thursday, June 3, at two o'clock, a decree will be submitted to the house to allow the additional sum of £2,116, which will be required for the completion of this part of the works, being the difference between the first estimate of £5,216 and the one which has failed, estimated at £3,100. In the same convocation a decree will be submitted to the house for a grant of £250 for the alteration of the roof of the tower, so as to obtain a platform for observations, the details of the alteration be referred to a committee consisting of the Master of the University, the Dean of Christ Church, Professors Phillips and Donkin, and Mr. Johnson, the Radcliffe Observer.'[2]
1858 'UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGIATE
Oxford.
The progress of the new museum has received a very serious check. The spacious elaborate iron roof of the grand central hall having been pronounced unsafe, has been taken down for reconstruction. Of course, the bare suspicion of many tons of iron crushing in upon assembled multitudes could not be permitted to exist, and the authorities have acted wisely in resorting to extreme measures. But for this drawback, the building was far on its way to completion. Many months are thus lost, to say nothing of additional expenses. The more immediately useful departments are progressing rapidly. The whole of the furniture, being specially manufactured on the spot, is strictly in harmony with the Gothic features of the edifice, and at the same time admirably adapted to the purposes in view. Natural science never yet possessed so perfect a sanctuary as will be afforded by the new museum at Oxford. Each Professor will be provided with private apartments, lecture-rooms, and apparatus of the most perfect kind. Every recent improvement has been unreservedly adopted.'[3]
1859 'THE NEW MUSEUM AT OXFORD.—The new museum is in the northern part of the city, to the east of St. Giles's-street, in the open space known as the Parks. The gateway opens into a glazed court ; this is formed into five unequal aisles, by columns and arches of iron supporting the roof. The roof as at first raised was too light. This is not the case with the present, whereof the iron box-girders of pointed arched form, in their present unpainted state, oppress, not to say overwhelm, the decorative ironwork in the shape of spandrils and columns below. When 'varied with colour this evil will doubtless be lessened. The object of the museum is "to give the learner a general view of the planet on which he lives, of its constituent parts, and of the relations which it occupies as a world among worlds; and, secondly, to enable him to study in the complete scientific manner, and for any purpose, any detailed portion which his powers qualify him to grasp." The decoration of the building is being made to bear on this purpose. The wrought-iron spandrils are worked to represent interwoven branches, flower, and fruit of various trees and shrubs, native and foreign — the sycamore , the palm, the oak, the chestnut, the elm, East Indian plants, Australian, and others ; while in the capitals of the columns we have the water-lily, passion-flower, holly, and other plants, skilfully wrought and arranged. Around the court are dispersed the lecture-rooms , work-room, and private studies required in each department. Some of these have been decorated by Mr. Swan, which is not entirely pleasing. Indeed, Mr. Swan, cleverly, but so roughly as to have a makeshift appearance. Indeed, in many parts of the building alas is a mean and pinched aspect, which those who have praised the building the loudest have not been able to ignore. The vaults that cover some of the rooms are turned more roughly than those of many speculative builders' coal-cellars, and are simply coloured blue. The effect of these is altogether unsatisfactory. It is to be regretted that the artist is not to be allowed to carry out his views in the library, a fine apartment, where the colourings of blue and pale green proposed in lieu promise but ill, and will be worse when the boarding shrinks and shows open joints. The Builder.[4]
The extensive masonry and sculptural work were undertaken by O'Shea and Whelan from County Cork (James and John O'Shea and their nephew Edward Whelan).
EXHIBITION HALL
The magnificent exhibition hall is effectively a quadrangle covered by a glass roof. In fact there are three pitched roofs, the central roof being taller and wider than its neighbours. To complicate matters, the roofs are hipped, and the central roof is of the combination type (in which the glazed portion becomes less steep part way down). The change in slope is just discernible in Fig. 4 (the camera is looking down the central aisle). Figs 6 & 7 show the hipped end of the roof.
8500 diamond-shaped (square) glass tiles, nominally 3/8" thick, and a smaller number of slates, are nailed to a wooden structure. Leakage was a problem from the outset, and extensive remedial work was undertaken in 2012-3.[5]. A photo here[6] shows beads of silicone sealant set back from the edge of the glass, with a gap having vertical beads on each side to provide ventilation.
The glass tiles and slates are fixed to a wooden structure comprising rafters and battens. There are no joists.
The wooden structure is supported by iron beams and wrought iron gothic arches. The arches are supported from the floor on cast iron columns, and from the walls on corbels. The brick and stone walls of the exhibition hall are pierced by masonry gothic arches, supported by 125 cylindrical stone columns. Each polished stone column is made from a different type of stone found in the UK and Ireland (see Fig. 24 for an example).
Figs 13-15 show examples of cast iron brackets which support the roof's timber structure from the wrought iron arches. The arches are constructed from riveted wrought angle iron and plate.
Columns: The lower portion of the columns comprises groups of four hollow cylindrical iron castings, joined at the top and at the middle and bottom (Figs. 18-20). Wrought iron arches spring from the head of the groups of four columns, while single columns of round or square section rise from this springing point (e.g. see Fig. 9).
Car iron beams: The tops of the cast iron columns support horizontal cast iron beams. Cast iron brackets connect these beams and the columns (Figs. 9-11). In some cases thin ligaments on these brackets have cast, and have been repaired.
There is considerable variation in the types of flora represented throughout the museum in wrought iron and stone. Figs 16 & 17 show examples at the top of columns, the leaves made from wrought iron sheet and the stems from wrought iron bar. Fig. 21 shows wrought iron 'vines' between the columns. Wrought iron pipes support the 'vines', but as indicated by Figs 22 & 23, these pipes make no other structural contribution. Wrought iron decorations even found their way into the trefoil-shaped openings in the cast iron beams (Fig. 12).
See Also
- [4] Museum website