Since opening in 1929, Rhodes House has been an Oxford landmark — a historic Grade II* listed country house designed by architect Sir Herbert Baker that serves as a meeting place for Rhodes Scholars, Fellows and friends of the Rhodes community in Oxford and around the world.
The renovation and relaunch in 2023 blended innovative design, historic preservation, and sustainable practices to reimagine this iconic space. Led by architects Stanton Williams and Beard Construction, the scheme enabled creation of state-of-the-art facilities for gathering, learning, and collaboration, while preserving the rich heritage of the site. The £38 million project offered significant but respectful interventions that complement Baker’s architecture, while doubling its usable space and substantially improving its environmental performance.
The project has carefully restored the 1920s building and its historic gardens and reorganised the site to establish clear circulation routes and zones, with new conference facilities in the centre; residential uses to the east; and new staff and scholar working accommodation to the west. The sensitive reconfiguration of the lodge buildings and ancillary spaces to the north of the site restored the symmetry of the main façade; while the newly crafted interior spaces engage with the gardens on multiple levels to draw natural daylight and fresh air into the building and enhance wellbeing.
The new Rhodes House acknowledges and transcends history to unlock its full potential, accelerating our ability to foster a vibrant and diverse community committed to building a better world.
