New Story Museum wins planning

Plans by Purcell Architects for a “cathedral of stories” in Oxford have been given planning approval.

Oxford City Council’s planning committee was unanimously passed the £11.5 million project to transform the existing Story Museum into an “international visitor attraction” celebrating storytelling in all its forms.

The centre will include exhibition and performance spaces, learning and creative play areas, a “fantasy library”, café and shop.

Purcell was selected from a shortlist of eight leading architects last year including Hawkins Brown and Pringle Richards Sharratt following a design competition.

Elizabeth Smith, associate architect at Purcell said:  “Creating designs for the world’s first museum of stories required the resolution of complex circulation issues around a quirky group of existing buildings in the historic heart of Oxford.

“We have worked with the Story Museum to design a building which will evoke narratives without fully defining them so that visitors young and old can imagine their own worlds and fairy tales.”

John Goddard, vice chair of the planning committee, said: “Oxford is world renowned for its literature and particularly for children’s literature and to have a Story Museum is exactly right for the city and a delightful addition. I look forward to seeing its interesting and fantastically exciting architecture.”

The Story Museum is one of twelve museums in the UK selected to be part of the Happy Museum project, which aims to put wellbeing and sustainability at the heart of its developments.

The design team is headed by Purcell Architects, supported by engineer Ramboll and lighting designer Light & Design Associates.