Planning permission and listed building consent have been granted to restore and reopen The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, which was built around 1840. The Ellison Institute of Technology appointed Foster + Partners to revive and continue the legacy of the Grade II listed building that was once frequented by members of the Inklings group, including J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The addition of collaborative workspaces for EIT will activate the upper levels and provide a more informal setting for scholarly work in the heart of the city.
Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “The design preserves the unique character of The Eagle and Child and respects its many layers of history. 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.”
Working closely with heritage architects, Donald Insall Associates, the practice is employing a conservation-led approach to restore and preserve as much of the original building as possible after years of dormancy. Light-touch interventions within the pub's two historic parlour rooms and famous ‘Rabbit Room’ – where the Inklings group once convened – maintain a sense of familiarity and continuity for returning guests. Evidence of patchwork updates over the years, such as stone repairs and 1980s roof lights, are retained and treated as part of the building's evolving narrative. The pub’s third parlour room will also be reinstated to provide an additional space for socialising.
More contemporary elements are gradually introduced towards the rear of the building and remain in keeping with the existing fabric, thus creating a seamless transition between old and new. A new dining room offers an elevated dining experience and restores the connection to the garden, which will be revitalised as a new outdoor space for patrons.
The lower levels of two adjacent buildings – 50 and 51 St. Giles’ Street – will become a café that serves coffee and freshly baked goods. The new addition of the café transforms The Eagle and Child into an all-day destination, by activating the street front and garden throughout the morning. A historic passageway between the pub and café will also be reinstated and serve as a flexible social space, transitioning from café use by day to pub use by night.
The floors above the pub and café will provide informal, domestic-scale meeting and study spaces for the Institute’s scholars, staff, and fellows. These inviting and inspirational spaces are respectful of the historic fabric, while building on the pub’s legacy as a place for people, conversations, and ideas.
