Albert E Smith, County Architect (1969-75)
Nestled in the shadow of the Castle Mound, these former premises of the County Council are of a beautifully elegant brutalist style – especially viewed from Tidmarsh Street, where even the plant pots are concrete.
There’s minimal adornment, as you’d expect, but the horizontal slashes underneath each window do just enough to break up the concrete mass below and draw your eye from one end of the building to the other.
Try not to be too upset about the window on the Tidmarsh Street side that’s been replaced by two extractor fans and some disturbing plumbing running down to street level… console yourself instead with a concrete surface that’s good enough to touch.
The County Council has since moved to new premises on the other side of the Mound; it will soon be moving again to the refurbished Speedwell House on Speedwell Street – next to the Magistrate’s Court.
Address: Macclesfield House, New Road, Oxford OX1 1BY
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