page_title: Department of Physics, University of Oxford
section_title: Facilities
hierarchical_section_title: Department of Physics, University of Oxford / Facilities
caption_attribution_description: The Denys Wilkinson Building, formerly known as the Nuclear Physics Laboratory, part of the University of Oxford's Physics Department.
context_page_description: The Department of Physics at the University of Oxford is located on Parks Road in Oxford, England. The department consists of multiple buildings and sub-departments including the Clarendon Laboratory, Denys Wilkinson's building, Dobson Square and the Beecroft building. Each of these facilities contribute in studying different sub-types of physics such as Atomic and Laser Physics, Astrophysics, Theoretical Physics, etc. The physics division have made scientific contributions towards this branch of science since the establishment of the department.
context_section_description: Clarendon Laboratory
  The Clarendon Laboratory was constructed at the University of Oxford in 1872. The building was named after Edward Hyde, who was the 1st Earl of Clarendon, making it the oldest physics laboratory built in England. The Clarendon building was designed by a British scientist named Robert Bellamy Clifton, who made the laboratory a space for undergraduates to prepare for their examinations rather than for research purposes only. In 1908, an architect named Sir Thomas Graham Jackson designed the Townsend building, which was a structure that became part of the Clarendon laboratory. The intent of this construction was to expand the role of the Clarendon building, as a laboratory and a teaching space.  In terms of its architecture, the Townsend building was constructed with red-orange brickwork featured with a stonework detailed staircase and hallway.
  The architecture of the Townsend building was designed by Sir Thomas Graham Jackson. The style he used for the structure was a Neo-Classical design, which draws on inspiration from the Western cultural movement in decorative and visual arts. Jackson refused to implement the Gothic style of architecture in the Townsend building as he intended to keep the design minimal. His choice of architectural style was influenced by his own sympathies towards the gradual movement of Oxford.
  The Townsend building has made some internal changes as small laboratory spaces have replaced regions of the wide-open lecture theatre. This central lecture theatre that was two levels high has now been divided into two single level floors and has become the ‘Institute of Experimental photonics’. Structures within the Townsend building that have remained the same include the entrance hall and the monumental double staircase. These drastic changes to the internal structure of these historical buildings allows the atomic and laser physics and the condensed matter physics sub-departments to be connected throughout the Lindemann, Townsend and Simon buildings.
  The later construction of the Lindemann building was intended to show a basic design. The simplicity of the Lindemann building was displayed at the front elevation with two symmetrical wings around the rectangular tower. The colour of the building was unique in comparison to the Townsend building, but exhibited a plain and unwelcoming appearance. The physical connection between the Lindemann and Townsend building was through the Martin Wood lecture theatre, at the front elevations of both structures. The connection between these two structures was made using darkened glass panels, which makes an obvious appearance of separation due to the contrasting colours of each building.
  During 1919, a British physicist named Frederick Lindemann became the professor of experimental philosophy and the director of Clarendon laboratory. He was responsible for making the laboratory more recognisable for its expertise in low temperature physics as well as to elevate the status of science at Oxford university. Lindemann's success in making the laboratory more recognised led to him opening up a new building of the Clarendon laboratory in 1939, which was located north of the Electrical laboratory.
  Denys Wilkinson Building
  The Denys Wilkinson Building is another facility located in the Department of Physics, along Banbury Road, which was constructed in honour of Deny Wilkinson during the 1960s. This building focuses on the studies of Astrophysics and Particle Physics. This facility was originally known as the ‘Department of Nuclear Physics’ and the ‘Nuclear Physics Laboratory’. The unique architecture of the Wilkinson building appears as a large fan-shaped superstructure which was designed to house a Van der Graaf generator.
  Beecroft Building
  The Beecroft Building is a new construction at the Department of Physics, which was designed by architects Hawkins/Brown in 2018. It is located directly in front of the Clarendon laboratory along Parks Road. This section of the physics department was dedicated towards Adrian Beecroft, who contributed to the funding of th
caption: The Denys Wilkinson Building from the Banbury Road
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