Eagle and Child has been shut since covid pandemic more than five years ago
Foster & Partners has secured planning permission and listed building consent for the restoration of The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford once used by a group of writers that included Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien and Chronicles of Narnia author CS Lewis.
The grade II listed building, which dates from around 1840, is being refurbished for the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) and will incorporate new collaborative workspaces alongside the reinstated pub.
The project seeks to revive the landmark building, which has been closed for several years, while preserving its historic character. The pub is best known for its association with the Inklings, a literary group that included Tolkien and Lewis.
The pub closed in March 2020 during the covid pandemic and has never reopened.
According to Fosters, the design is intended to “preserve the unique character of The Eagle and Child and respect its many layers of history”. The scheme will introduce a café adjacent to the pub, new workspaces for EIT on the upper floors and a landscaped garden at the rear.
Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Fosters, said: “Our sensitive interventions will create an all-day meeting place by introducing an adjacent café and inspirational workspaces for EIT across the upper levels.
“The scheme is stitched together by a newly landscaped garden and restored passageway between the café and the pub – new social spaces that transition effortlessly from day to night.”
The practice is working with heritage specialists Donald Insall Associates on a conservation-led approach intended to retain as much original fabric as possible.
A new dining room will be created at the rear to connect with the garden.
A light-touch refurbishment is planned for the pub’s historic interiors, including the ‘Rabbit Room’, where the Inklings once met. Features added over time, including stone repairs and 1980s roof lights, are to be kept as part of what the team describes as “the building’s evolving narrative”.
Two adjoining properties, 50 and 51 St Giles’, will provide a café serving coffee and baked goods, while upper floors across the buildings will accommodate informal meeting and study spaces for EIT’s staff and fellows.
The announcement follows the news over the summr that the Ellison Institute of Technology has also appointed Fosters to design its new London headquarters.
The building, located in St James’s Square in Piccadilly, is being refurbished to provide a base for the US-founded research organisation, which is backed by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.
The institute is currently developing a £300m cancer research facility in Oxford, also designed by Fosters, which is under construction by Laing O’Rourke.
The approval comes in the same week the government announced a fast-track review of licensing laws as part of its Plan for Change to support pubs and hospitality venues.
The four-week consultation, led by the Department for Business and Trade, seeks to remove barriers that have made it harder for pubs to serve food, host live music or extend opening hours, with the aim of boosting high streets and encouraging community use of local venues.
>> Also read: Fosters working on new London HQ for firm behind Oxford cancer facility being funded by world’s second richest person
>> Also read: Fosters’ plans for Oxford cancer research facility set for approval
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