Oxford Circus Underground Station at the north-east corner of Argyll Street and Oxford Street, including offices above is a Grade II listed building in the Westminster local planning authority area, England. First listed on 20 July 2011. Underground station. 6 related planning applications.

Oxford Circus Underground Station at the north-east corner of Argyll Street and Oxford Street, including offices above

WRENN ID
shadowed-jade-gold
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Westminster
Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster MP: Rachel Blake (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
20 July 2011
Type
Underground station
Address
Oxford Circus Underground Station at the north-east corner of Argyll Street and Oxford Street, including offices above, London, City of Westminster
OS grid reference
TQ 290 812
Coordinates
51.51516, -0.14096
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

Oxford Circus Underground Station is located at the north-east corner of Argyll Street and Oxford Street, and includes offices above. The building features pinkish-buff terracotta and red brick with a slate roof.

The lower storey consists of the original station building designed by Measures, which is entirely clad in terracotta and showcases Mannerist detailing. The entrances are flanked by pilasters with capitals adorned with masks and scroll brackets, supporting a cornice and frieze decorated with moulded swags and cornucopias. The short elevation facing Oxford Street contains the main entrance, which is now an exit, featuring a broad segmental archway that was originally glazed with timber mullions. This archway now includes an openwork transom panel with diamond bracing. Above it is a large cartouche that rises into a gable, although its cherub finial is now missing. The longer elevation along Argyll Street has two smaller segment-headed entrances, one of which has been altered from an original window, and between these are two similar openings that house shops. In the center, a narrower doorway with a glazed overlight provides access to the upper floors. A curved corner section features a metal-framed kiosk with bowed sides bearing monograms, which was added before 1927 and is now blocked.

The four upper storeys, designed by Joseph, are constructed of red brick with buff terracotta dressings and window bays that match the base. The building is in the Flemish Renaissance style. On the Oxford Street side, there are two tall canted bays with projecting transoms and string-courses, culminating in a broad scrolled gable topped by a dragon finial. A round corner turret features transom windows and a conical roof. On the Argyll Street side, there is a recessed canted bay with mullioned windows that rise into another scrolled gable. The right-hand section is slightly misaligned and has one square bay and two canted bays, with plain dormers above instead of gables.

The interiors of the station have been extensively remodeled and do not retain any visible features of interest. The interior of the upper-floor offices has not been inspected.

Local climate

Oxford Circus Underground Station at the north-east corner of Argyll Street and Oxford Street, including offices above sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 690 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 95% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 98% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 35 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 57% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 6 applications
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. The Argyll Public House Grade II* 30 m
  2. Oxford Circus Underground Station entrance on north-west corner of Argyll Street and Oxford Street Grade II 31 m
  3. Pair of K6 Telephone Kiosks in Argyll Street, London Grade II 46 m
  4. No. 219 Oxford Street Grade II 58 m
  5. Peter Robinson Grade II 67 m
  6. The London Palladium Theatre Grade II* 89 m
  7. Dickins and Jones Grade II 101 m
  8. Palladium House Grade II 102 m
  9. Ventilation Standard on Island North of Oxford Circus Grade II 114 m
  10. 5, Princes Street Grade II 137 m