Nottingham-based architects and interior designers, Marchini Curran Associates, has been appointed to redevelop the Clarendon Centre in Oxford.
Working alongside the Lothbury Property Trust, the major scheme in Oxford city centre will transform the shopping arcade into a new landmark 226,547 ft² mixed-use scheme, with a high-specification research and development facility at its heart.
The higher enterprise business facility, in partnership with Oxford Science Enterprises, will provide world-class laboratory and serviced incubator accommodation, acting as a steppingstone of support for the burgeoning university spin-out sector and business owners moving into markets in the early stages of inception.
Alongside the enterprise building, which comprises 50,279 ft², the scheme will include a phased building approach to the delivery of 153,406 ft² of student and Grade A office accommodation, alongside 22,862 ft² of retail and leisure units – creating a pivotal professional and educational hub in the city centre.
A new public square will also be open to all, creating a vibrant communal green oasis in the middle of the bustling city, with spill-out spaces for cafes and restaurants.
Marchini Curran Associates has been facilitating with full design works for the scheme, and the first phase is expected to start in Q1 2023, with the aim of completion during Q2 2025.
Justin Ziegler, director at Marchini Curran Associates, said:
“We’re delighted to have been appointed to deliver fundamental design works for what will be a central landmark in Oxford.
“The mixed-use scheme will take the current shopping centre and transform it into a professional, educational and social hub in the city, and we look forward to working closely with the Lothbury Property Trust and Oxford Science Enterprises as part of a long-standing partnership for this regeneration scheme.”
Adam Smith, executive director of Lothbury Investment Management, said:
“This is a milestone investment for Lothbury, which has owned the Clarendon Centre since its inception in 1985 and brings Lothbury’s investors into the new and exciting life science and biomedical sectors for real estate.
“The joint venture with Oxford Science Enterprises is the first letting within a comprehensive redevelopment project, which is planned to be implemented on a phased basis. The proposed development will comprise four highly sustainable buildings, bringing office, laboratory and student accommodation into the heart of Oxford city centre.”
Since its formation in 2002, Marchini Curran Associates has designed a diverse portfolio of projects for local, national, and international clients, across commercial, retail, leisure, residential, education, industrial and master planning.
To find out more about Marchini Curran Associates and Marchini Curran Interiors please visit: www.mc-a.co.uk and www.mc-i.co.uk.