Thread by @OwainEvans_UK

News stories about Oxford University often use a photo of Gothic churches and colleges, the “dreaming spires”, etc. But what kind of buildings does research actually happen in today?

Medical research is a big part of Oxford's research spend. Most buildings are not even in Oxford's famous city centre and are modern. Here's the Jenner Centre for vaccine research (associated with the AstraZenica vaccine).

Here's Oxford's maths department. Home to Andrew Wiles and a cool Penrose tiling at the entrance.

Here's the new physics building, which overlooks the University Parks.

Oxford's Psychology and Zoology buildings are currently being replaced (with modernist buildings) but this is what they looked like in their brutalizing heyday.

It's not just the sciences. Here's the English and Law building at Oxford.

Here is economics (greenish square windows) and the school of government (Herzog and de Meuron's glass slabs).

Oxford also has a business school right next to the train station.

Some departments do have older buildings. Here's the History department (1881) and the Philosophy department (1770s).

Researchers also do work in their college offices (which are mostly older) and in libraries (some of which are old). But considering the scale of science/medicine/engineering, I'd guess a majority of research is done in recent buildings.