Oriel Room, Pitt Building
History of the Building
Commissioned in honour of Britain's youngest Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, The Pitt Building is a Cambridge icon and formerly housed Cambridge University Press.
William Pitt (1759 – 1806) was an undergraduate of Pembroke College, Member of Parliament for the University and the youngest prime minister in British history at the age of 24. After his death in 1806, funds for a commemorative statue in London (now in Hanover Square) were collected but a considerable amount of money was left over. It was suggested that the money be used to build the new Press between Silver Street and Mill Lane, directly opposite Pembroke, Pitt’s own college. Preliminary plans were put on display in October 1825.
In 1831, Edward Blore was the architect chosen to design the main frontage of the building. He was a highly respected architect having worked on some of the most important buildings in the country including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. His brief stated that a handsome room should be included in the design - the result of which is the stunning Oriel Room. View a video of the room below.
The foundation stone of the Pitt Building was laid on 18th October 1831 and the building was completed and handed over to the University of Cambridge in 1833
Steeped in Cambridge’s publishing and academic history all the business of the Press in Cambridge, including the printing of books, journals and Bibles, was carried out in the Pitt Building and the other buildings around the courtyard.
