Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities opens in Oxford

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre, a new world-class centre for the Arts and Humanities and the English Faculty’s new home, will open to the academic community on 13 October 2025.

The Schwarzman Centre, designed by leading British architects, Hopkins Architects, is a major new cultural campus in the heart of Oxford’s Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. The centre has been developed by the University of Oxford with the support of the largest single gift in modern times made to the University from philanthropist and businessman Stephen A. Schwarzman. Thanks to additional gifts, his total support towards the project now stands at £185 million.

The state-of-the-art spaces will bring together Oxford University’s internationally recognised Humanities faculties for the first time: Classics, English Language and Literature, History, Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics, Medieval and Modern Languages, and Philosophy. The Centre will also house the Institute for Ethics in AI, the Oxford Internet Institute and the new Bodleian Humanities Library.

The public performance spaces include the 500-seat Sohmen Concert Hall, a 250-seat theatre, a black box immersive performance space, dance studio and cinema, an exhibition space, a museum for the display of the renowned Bate Collection of historic musical instruments, café and bar, all set in extensive gardens.

Image credit: Hufton + Crow

The Centre will provide a unique mix of academic teaching facilities for Oxford students and staff with world class research and performance spaces, bringing leading figures from different disciplines together to demonstrate the power of the humanities to tackle the major challenges facing society today.

Professor Irene Tracey CBE FMedSci, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford, said: “As one of the world’s top universities for the Humanities, we attract the very best researchers and teachers in its subject areas. To support their ambition for world-leading excellence and collaboration within and across subject boundaries, with artists or scientists, we need places like the new Schwarzman Centre. Its state-of-the-art facilities, reaching out deep into the international cultural community, enables us all to come together in a new dialogue in one extraordinary building befitting of this great and historic University and City.”

Lord Hague of Richmond, Chancellor, University of Oxford, said: “This extraordinary investment by Stephen A. Schwarzman represents an enormous vote of confidence in the humanities. The launch of the Schwarzman Centre comes at a time when the perspectives of humanities experts have never been more important in confronting the big challenges facing the world, including AI, human rights and the environment. The benefits of bringing together outstanding students and researchers from so many disciplines in a state-of-the-art building will be felt for generations to come."

Image credit: Hufton + Crow

Alongside the launch of the Schwarzman Centre, a new cultural programme has also been announced which will bring outstanding artists, performers, writers and thinkers from around the world together with Oxford’s communities, including leading academics. With experimentation and co-creation at its heart, the cultural programme will present a fresh new experience for audiences.  

Among the collaborations announced today are: a major project with designer and artist Es Devlin, working with composer Nico Muhly and Dr Caroline Green, Director of Research at the University’s Institute for Ethics in AI; and a day-long multi-art-form, multi-faith exploration of the psalms curated by artist and writer, Edmund de Waal, in collaboration with Oxford scholars, the Aurora Orchestra, the BBC Singers and Nicholas Collon.

The Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós will collaborate with leading spatial sound specialists Loss><Gain to create and present a new immersive 360-degree spatial audio experience developed from their recent orchestral stadium tour.

Oxford alumna, Samira Ahmed, journalist and broadcaster, will chair a series of conversations exploring topics including AI and creativity, music, democracy and representation on stage and screen with leading figures such as AI artist Refik Anadol, Globe Artistic Director Michelle Terry, Professor Laura Tunbridge, Professor Nomi Dave, and English Faculty members Professor Christine Gerrard, Professor Peter Boxall and Professor Emma Smith.

The public cultural programme will open with a free celebratory weekend (April 25 and 26, 2026) with activities throughout the building for all ages including performances by ZooNation, Scottish Ensemble and Justice in Motion.

We look forward in welcoming you to our new home!