Oxford’s first electrical power station has been transformed into the Global Leadership Centre at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Leading construction firm GRAHAM has completed the restoration of Osney Power Station, transforming the former industrial landmark into the Global Leadership Centre – a world-class space for education, convening and retreat in the heart of Oxford.
The project showcases GRAHAM’s expertise in delivering complex heritage and education developments, combining sensitive restoration with modern construction techniques to create a landmark destination for transformative executive education—combining sustainability and innovation to continue Oxford’s tradition of inspiring leaders and shaping positive impact worldwide. John McAslan + Partners were the architects behind the scheme.
Retaining the original brick façades on three sides of the building while demolishing and reconstructing the structure behind them required meticulous planning and engineering. Working within the standing façades, much of the new foundation work was carried out under restricted headroom using a compact piling rig to bore, excavate and construct the new ground slab in carefully sequenced phases as the existing slab and foundations were removed.
As part of this work, GRAHAM removed 448m3 of concrete from the ground, with 430m3 of it being crushed and re-used for the piling mat.
Operating within a highly constrained site, bordered by the river on one side and residential properties on the other, GRAHAM implemented a remote materials compound to shuttle deliveries in smaller loads and restricted the tower crane’s operating radius to mitigate disruption to neighbouring properties and the local community.
With a sustainable design ethos, seamless operations, and close integration with the wider University, the Global Leadership Centre enables market-leading programmes, client partnerships and innovative thinking, shaping leaders to positively impact their organisations, society, and the world.
The Global Leadership Centre’s completion sees a complex project finalised to deliver an iconic, modern building while maintaining its heritage dating back to the late 1800s.
Pat O’Hare, Regional Director at GRAHAM, said:
“Projects like this are an opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of expertise within our business. Successfully delivering a redevelopment of this nature required meticulous planning, technical excellence and close collaboration at every stage, from the demolition works and retention of the Victorian façade through to constructing a modern, high-quality building on a constrained site alongside the River Thames.
“The completed building is a fantastic example of how heritage and modern construction can come together to create something truly special. We’re incredibly proud of the role our team has played in bringing new life to this landmark building, preserving its historic character while delivering a high-quality development that will serve Saïd Business School for many years to come.”
Louise Croft, Managing Director, Executive Education, at Saïd Business School said:
“The Global Leadership Centre at Oxford Saïd is our dedicated home for leadership education. Situated within the historic Osney Power Station — the site that powered Oxford’s first electric lightbulb — this remarkable building has been reimagined to energise leaders with new ideas, research and innovations.