Worcester College has submitted a planning application for a new £30 million library, funded entirely by a donation from alumnus and former CEO of L’Oréal Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones. This “transformational gift”, which totals nearly half of the College’s endowment, is the largest donation to the college to date.
The building’s architecture will echo the current 18th-century library while complementing the award-winning Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre at the rear of the college. Plans include a two-storey glass-and-Clipsham-stone building with silent study zones and an outdoor terrace surrounded by Worcester’s orchards. It will be located where the car park and greenhouse currently reside.
Architects Wilmotte & Associés were chosen as part of Worcester’s international architectural competition in 2025. Designers of the inside of the Louvre, Google’s office building in King’s Cross, and the UN House for West Africa, they have also designed universities like SciencesPo.
Pioneer of the “Because you’re worth it” slogan, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones hopes the building “will help inspire generations of students to work comfortably and creatively”.
In a statement to Cherwell, Worcester called the donation “transformational” and “unprecedented”. It will be used “to fund the entire cost of the project – from feasibility and planning exercises to design and construction”.
Worcester has confirmed that there will be no disruption to the college’s study facilities during the construction. “The current Lower Library will remain in operation as the home of Worcester’s internationally significant special collections, as well as a reading room open to all members of the College,” the College added. The functions of the Upper Library, which currently houses modern lending collections, will transfer to the new building. There are currently no plans to repurpose the vacated space.
The current, Grade-I listed library no longer meets accessible, sustainable, and academic standards. The transfer of Worcester’s main library will mean the development of a new greenhouse and car park with added bike sheds.
A student told Cherwell that the announcement of the plans was a relief, stating that after the project’s announcement in 2023, students had concerns that their accommodation would be knocked down.
Vice-Chancellor Irene Tracey has sent her “heartfelt thanks” on behalf of the entire University for this gift. Public consultation on the building is available until October 30th.
