The Burghley Room at St John’s College has been recognised in annual awards held by the digital architecture, interiors and design magazine, Dezeen.
Set within the College’s historic Chapel Court, The Burghley Room is made entirely from reclaimed wood and locally sourced materials, including historic oak benches, pews and tables stored by the College for decades. The unused timber furniture was meticulously dismantled and reworked to create the room’s distinctive table, wall panelling and dividing screen.
It is at the heart of a project that saw the transformation of a series of surrounding internal rooms into versatile meeting and work spaces. A new lift provides step-free access to the historic building for the first time.
The room is named in honour of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, a prominent 16th-century statesman who studied at St John’s and was chief adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. Work started on the redesign in March 2024 and the project was completed in September 2025.
Designed by London-based Scott Whitby Studio, the scheme has been named as one of the top 50 design projects in Europe, the Middle East andAfrica (EMEA) in the Regional Showcases of the Dezeen Awards 2026. The Burghley Room is also shortlisted in the Sustainable Interior of the Year category.
Alison Cox, the College Domestic Bursar, said: “Working with listed buildings on a site as historic as St John’s College always brings a unique set of challenges. Scott Whitby Studio’s beautiful design has enabled us to uphold our commitment to keep improving our estate in a way that honours our history, while ensuring we can meet the needs of generations of members of St John’s to come.”
The walls and ceilings are lined with cork to help keep the room warm and reduce noise and the flooring is made from recycled wine corks that lock away carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it contributes to climate change.
Alex Scott-Whitby, Director of Scott Whitby Studio, said: “The Burghley Room is a testament to the potential of what already exists and by reimagining and reworking materials found within the College itself, we were able to create a room that is contemporary yet deeply rooted in its historic setting. The room now honours the history of its surroundings, while meaningfully reducing environmental impact.”
“We are delighted this work has been recognised with two Dezeen Award nominations, and we are proud to have such an outstanding example of improving sustainability and accessibility through a careful and considered design,” said Alison Cox. “With vision and creativity, Scott Whitby Studio has given us a space in which our College Council can discuss and make decisions for our future, surrounded by our history.”
This year’s awards saw more than 4,300 entries from 91 countries. The 112 shortlisted interiors projects from as far away as Indonesia and Australia are in the running for awards in 14 different categories.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Royal Opera House, London, on 16 November. If The Burghley Room wins the sustainable interiors category, it will compete for the prestigious title of Interiors Project of the Year globally.
Members of the public can vote for their favourite architecture projects on the Dezeen website before 16 October.
