One of my favourite cities in the world...

http://www.rhodesscholar.org/images/1164__011.jpg

http://nodens.physics.ox.ac.uk/~oi/Album2/KebleCD/keblecd17.jpg

http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/oxford/images/skyline.jpg

http://www.linacre.ox.ac.uk/College/Prospectus/skyline.jpg

http://www.williams.edu/admin-depts/dean/oxford/images/skyline3small.jpg

http://www.ox.ac.uk/i/aboutoxford/chchm.jpg

http://www.cap-ox.com/home/oximage.jpg

http://www.oxford-academy.com/skyline.jpg

I used to live 30 miles from Oxford and while its pretty ive never really liked the place as its full of stuck up toffs at the university there (which isnt at all as liberal as most of the other big UK universities) and the town itself is a little dull, but the churches and spires are pretty on the skyline so 6.5

Oxford is ok but I hate the tower blocks that greet you every time you turn a corner. It lacks historical buildings like churches and Universities. Get a few domes in and you could be looking at a skyline befitting of a city with over half a million people.

I'd hardly call that a skyline compared to other cities - but it does have a school with a hell of a campus though! :eek:

4/10

Well it definitely beats out Cambridge!:D

nice city, dunno what to say..
but id also love to see some skyscrapers..
8

what nice architecture. Those gothic styles are pieces of art..:)

9/10

We are rating skylines aren't we?:?

1 - when compared with the skylines of many cities around the globe

Skylines don't necessarily mean skyscrapers. Check out the Edinburgh thread. Your '1' rating is ridiculous.

we are rating skylines, that anyone can give that a one is a mystery. i guess youd rather prefer size than class, height over quality, and concrete over character. its not just the size that matters.

Nice churches, but however it's skyline is disappointing 2/10

10/10

The way Oxford is now as well as has it has always been - perfect. This is one city where a skyscraper does not belong. Another interesting city in England is Bath - with its Roman architecture.

yeah the city it self may be great, but the fact is it has NO (or atleast none in those photos) actual highrises means it can't really score high when you are rating it's skyline...3/10

I love the architecture and Churches And even the city ... But C'mon! Most of the pictures show the same place! Thats the equivilant to NYC having nothing but the Empire State! I just don't like the skyline.


1.0/10

nice churches??? lol!
if you think this place needs skyscrapers you need help.

I'd have to say 4... great place I'm sure, but no skyline at all...

You can't compare it with cities even of the same size.

The buildings pictured are very intricate and beautiful. However, for the puposes of this poll I can only give the skyline a rating of 2/10. It's true that a skyline does not necessarily consist of skyscrapers. A skyline can be made of house roofs, steeples and trees. However, this is a skyscraper forum, so it's only natural that interpretation of the word "skyline" on these forums largely pertains to skyscrapers. The building of Oxford hardly scrape the sky, so on this count, the city can only get a low rating.

Not skyscrapers, but still a cool skyline. 6/10
http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/oxford/images/skyline.jpg

See my comments for Stockholm.

Wahoo! Anybody living there, say hi to my brother!! He is studying abroad there right now. Hope to visit him in June!! Skyline....8/10 for pure architecture and history.

You can't compare it with cities even of the same size.

Oxford only has 100,000 residents, and was founded sometime around the BC/AD changeover... possibly by the Trojans, possibly by King Arviragus. The first of the city's colleges was established in 1168, but most of the buildings currently on the skyline are medieval.

I understand why some people think that skyline means skyscrapers, but it doesn't... 'the skyline' is whatever you see when viewing the city from a distance. I bet nobody excludes the Eiffel Tower from Paris' skyline, and when people complement Paris' skyline, they don't mean La Defense!

If you think Oxford 'needs' some skyscrapers or even one high-rise, you have a very limited imagination... Oxford does have four 15-storey towers, but so what? They're as common as muck, and about as nice. Even a hundred poxy boxes aren't worth one of these buildings, unless you're really into angular concrete...

http://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/oxford.jpg

I'd like to see the skylines of cities like KL, Shanghai and HK in 500 years' time... I bet they won't have aged anywhere near as well, while Oxford will still be beautiful.

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~cycling/images/oxford.jpg

quality skyline.

it seems weird but the pictures makes me think of piaza san marco in venezia. esp this one

http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/oxford/images/skyline.jpg

This is shocking! People would give the likes of Birmingham Alabama a higher rating than Oxford just because Oxford isn't full of 400ft concrete boxes! No wonder city planners get away with erecting enormous piles of shite when people automatically believe that big is beautiful.

Look at Liverpool's Pier Head. Then look at Liverpool's taller Old Hall Street. Which is the better skyline??

What do people think of when they think of London's skyline- St Pauls. Paris? Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe.

5.5/10

9/10
awesome

9/10 A timeless and elegant city.:)

This is a beautiful skyline and gets an 8 from me.

But according to one of Bill Brysons excellent books, oxford has a lot of ugly smaller buildings, that you can't see in those pics..

4/10



just because of the architecture, but the skyline :?

Originally posted by Britannia

Oxford only has 100,000 residents, and was founded sometime around the BC/AD changeover... possibly by the Trojans, possibly by King Arviragus. The first of the city's colleges was established in 1168, but most of the buildings currently on the skyline are medieval.

I understand why some people think that skyline means skyscrapers, but it doesn't... 'the skyline' is whatever you see when viewing the city from a distance. I bet nobody excludes the Eiffel Tower from Paris' skyline, and when people complement Paris' skyline, they don't mean La Defense!

If you think Oxford 'needs' some skyscrapers or even one high-rise, you have a very limited imagination... Oxford does have four 15-storey towers, but so what? They're as common as muck, and about as nice. Even a hundred poxy boxes aren't worth one of these buildings, unless you're really into angular concrete...

http://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/oxford.jpg

I'd like to see the skylines of cities like KL, Shanghai and HK in 500 years' time... I bet they won't have aged anywhere near as well, while Oxford will still be beautiful.

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~cycling/images/oxford.jpg


Excellent point and some good pics - it does have an impact on the "horizon", aka skyline and is something that is unique. This skyline is unique, to give it a low grade shows incompitence. Every city can have a 40 storey concrete box, or a 50 storey curved Houston glass + steel cladded building - but a skyline of Oxford??? These buildings are older than almost all the nations on the planet - they are treasures - to say a glass scraper would probably increase its rating is pure idiotic thoughts. You can build a scraper, you cant build history. 10 for me (the architecture is also very nice) :)

judging from the number of 1s it seems we are amongst barbarians. this is one of europes greatest skylines, its up there alongside prague, edinburgh and munich.

I guess some people never see such history and only concrete, glass and steel - a shame.......

no comment.. 5/10:D

9- I spent 3 amazing years in this city.

Nuffield college is probably the closest the city gets to a skyscraper. Its much newer than most colleges and was built in the 30s.

http://www.nuff.ox.ac.uk/Inc/quad2.jpg

http://innovations.copper.org/2000/09/images/nuffield.jpg


And while Im at it heres two of Wadham college- not the best looking of the colleges but by far the greatest:) (pic by andrew allen)


http://www.andrewallan.net/images/oxfordscenery/wadhambackqmorningsmall.jpg
http://www.andrewallan.net/images/oxfordscenery/wadhamfrontqmorningsmall.jpg

Some important points

First.- No doubt that Oxford is a great city with impressive historical constructions and amazing architecture, but:

I think moderators should explain clearly WHAT EXACTLY do we have to rate in this thread.

I understand height is one of the principal factors to rate, and clusters of buildings, that can create a set of highrises built in a city.

I don't agree with people giving U.S. cities a 10/10 just because it has 100,000 inhabitants and it has 2 or 3 60 feet-high buildings.

I think in that case, other factors should be considered, such as:
history, quality of architecture, legal restrictions in some cities, country's economy, geological features, etc. but if we rate that, every city in the world should receive a 10, because those factors, alltogheter make every city what it actually is.

For a city famous for it's spires it doesn't have as many as I thought. But it is still a handsome skyline 8/10

4/10

7.5/10 ! :)

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=tbn:Rp5GOCKgjAUC:hermes.physics.ox.ac.uk/users/BruceBassett/ox2.jpg

I rate this skyline very highly, even on a world scale I give it 8/10. A city doesn't need skyscrapers to have a good skyline. Skyscrapers in a city like this would ruin it. This is a prime example of why height isn't everything.
I don't like the city though but because we're only rating the skyline not the city I won't comment further.

http://www.anglocatholicsocialism.org/chapel.gif

7.5/10
This one is great:
http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/oxford/images/skyline.jpg

Great historic skyline, It doesn't need skyscrapers to be impressive :D
7/10

WOW Verry nice skyline. A city does not always need high towers for a good skyline.

http://www.spc.ox.ac.uk/oxford.jpg

http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/oxford/images/skyline.jpg

I give this great historical skyline a 8.5/10

5/10

one of the most amazing gothic skylines in the world!!!! 10/10!!!

5/10

6.5/10

very impressive! but I'm rating skyscraper skyline's soooo 3.5/10

Good architecture but no skyscrapers so 2/10

5/10

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/Oxfordskylinedawn.jpg


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/wjfox2005/OxfordSkyline.jpg


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b387/wjfox2005/spires.jpg


http://www.willfox.com/images/skylines/oxford/1.jpg

^ Damn that last picture is amazing!
9/10

6/10 nice archi but too special

WTf , some people are just fucking ignorant idiots...screw this thread ^^

I don't like comparing these historic gothic skylines with modern skyscraper-full skylines. I rated New York & Hong Kong 9.5, and although Oxford has a beautiful skyline, it hasn't got that 'wow factor'. Beautiful spires, but not to my taste as much as modern skylines, so an 8.5 from me :)

7/10- nice skyline of churches :D no high rises though :(

5/10

6/10 nice archi but too special
5/10
Good architecture but no skyscrapers so 2/10
very impressive! but I'm rating skyscraper skyline's soooo 3.5/10
Jesus you people are such idiots.

very impressive! but I'm rating skyscraper skyline's soooo 3.5/10
You think skyscrapers are the only thing which define a skyline?

What an utterly absurd and narrow-minded viewpoint you have.

Skyline is determined by the different types of buildings and structures, not just by skyscrapers. some ppl lead very boring lives

meh, 8

7/10

The Dreaming spires of Oxford is among the most evocative and resonant skylines on Earth. Wjfox's pix are wonderful. Simply wonderful.

It is not massive of supertall. Of course it isn't but it is beautiful, warm, evocative and superclassy.

It is a 9 at least and probably a 9.5. I have been there and Cambridge is prettier overall but Oxford wins hands down on skyline.

Cute 6/10

7/10

7/10

6/10

The likes of Oxford goes to show that you do not need massive skyscrapers to give you a skyline, the same can be said for the likes of St Petersburg and Rome etc.

9/10

4.5/10

City of Dreaming Spires for a reason. It's glorious.

I live in Oxford and yeah the spires make a real nice Skyline but try gettin around a nightmare

8/10

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/3058691654_28ca0feb00_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2915898097_c552857640_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3651/3339810304_532f0d9736_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3256137077_bc5990015c_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3246131174_2dc2635900_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/3204742106_21120f3e15_b.jpg

6/10

5.5/10

10/10

8.5/10

8/10

5/10

Exquisite architecture and stunning city!!! Skylines like this are far more beautiful than ones that consist primarily of glass boxes. 10/10

8/10

5/10

6/10

beautiful town indeed, it really makes you feel the scent of culture and education - 9 / 10

This is shocking! People would give the likes of Birmingham Alabama a higher rating than Oxford just because Oxford isn't full of 400ft concrete boxes! No wonder city planners get away with erecting enormous piles of shite when people automatically believe that big is beautiful.

Look at Liverpool's Pier Head. Then look at Liverpool's taller Old Hall Street. Which is the better skyline??

What do people think of when they think of London's skyline- St Pauls. Paris? Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe.


It is quite shocking to read some of the stuff people write.

Oxford in one of the 4 great skylines in the UK along with Liverpool, London and Edinburgh. Indeed it is arguably the best. The warm colour, the gracious symmetry, the poetic resonance, the mists on the mornings.....it is superb.

People are entitled to rate it lowly but what does that say about their aesthetic life?

8/10

less than 3

8. Good. Regards.

7/10- nice skyline of churches :D no high rises though :(
and we hope we never see highrises... :ohno:

10/10

http://www.willfox.com/images/skylines/oxford/1.jpg

Best skyline I've ever seen :)

10!

Oxford is in a league of its own. :)

6/10

Nice skyline :)
7/10

Best skyline I've ever seen :)

10!

Forgive me bumping this but WOW. Wow!

This is one of the most stunning urban pictures I have ever seen.

10 obviously.

10/10

This place does not need any skyscrapers.

It is a 10 already. One of the most beautiful skylines of the world.

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1331/5155037548_6ddb7a2c54_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerardvong/5155037548/)
A New View of Oxford (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gerardvong/5155037548/) by Gerard Vong (http://www.flickr.com/people/gerardvong/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6257050806_1325ce1c86_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmitchell/6257050806/)
Oxford skyline from University Church tower (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmitchell/6257050806/) by James Mitchell (http://www.flickr.com/people/jamesmitchell/), on Flickr

You think skyscrapers are the only thing which define a skyline?

What an utterly absurd and narrow-minded viewpoint you have.

I TOTALLY AGREE!!!! Where is your sense of taste people? THIS IS MILLENARY ARCHITECTURE passed down from generation to generation and in constant evolution look at how much SKILL, imagination, creativity, and BEAUTY it takes to create these works of art which are far SUPERIOR to any other regular "skyscraper" you might like... w/e... :ohno:

PEOPLE LIKE CITIES BECAUSE OF ARCHITECTURE LIKE THIS!!! Few tourists go around looking for a modernist haven... they go to ROME, PARIS, VIENNA, JERUSALEM, and I wish some day I could go to Oxford myself!

7.5/10

7 out 10 ....ok