Works set to start at Radcliffe Observatory

Green Templeton received the final necessary consents on Wednesday 26 November for a transformation at the Radcliffe Observatory.

The project, first announced in August 2025, will restore the south face of the Observatory with new landscaping and will create a new and accessible main entrance to college through the East Wing.

Initial works including lifting the existing lawn and implementing the new design for the southern aspect will take place between January and March 2026. The creation of the new college entrance in the East Wing on the ground floor of the Observatory, along with new accessible ramps on the northern side of the building, will follow from April 2026.

The project will reenergise the Radcliffe Observatory as a focal point of the college and the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter to coincide with the official opening of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in the spring. The work is made possible by a gift of over £3 million from the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation.

This work forms Phase 1 of the college’s plans for the Radcliffe Observatory.  Phase 2 of the project is focused on the conservation and decarbonisation of the building. The college is actively seeking funding for these vital works.