Oxford University has announced plans for a new university building on the 10-acre site that is the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter off Walton Street in Oxford, made possible by a landmark £150 million gift from Mr Schwarzman, a businessman and philanthropist.
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities (or the Schwarzman Centre) will be a hub for the Humanities – those fields which inform the understanding and appreciation of the human experience – which includes programmes in English, history, linguistics, philology & phonetics, medieval & modern languages, music, philosophy, and theology & religion.
It will also house a concert hall and auditorium, as well as performing arts and exhibition spaces designed to used by the University and the public.
Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: “This generous donation from Stephen A. Schwarzman marks a significant endorsement of the value of the Humanities in the 21st century, and in Oxford University as the world leader in the field.
“The new Schwarzman Centre will open a vibrant cultural programme to the public and will enable Oxford to remain at the forefront of both research and teaching while demonstrating the critical role the Humanities will play in helping human society navigate the technological changes of the 21st century.”