War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Animals are Expendable - wait, what?

Those of you who used to read my old blog may remember that I've previously mentioned the new animal research facility that is currently being built in Oxford. If you didn't know anything about it, then suffice it to say that it's a big building that will bring together all the current animal research in the university so that it can be properly overseen in one place, therefore leading to considerably better conditions for the animals and much easier auditing of procedures by outside organisations.

It's also quite possibly the biggest target in the whole of the UK right now, maybe with the exception of Huntingdon Life Sciences, for the extreme end of the animal rights movement. (And by "extreme end" I do not mean the people who are a bit concerned about the necessity of these experiments, I mean the people who either implicitly condone or actively carry out violence in the name of their movement. Just so you know where we stand.)

Anyway, I had a lecture today in a seminar room that overlooks the main building site. The building's coming along very nicely - most of the cladding's finished, and the builders seem to be working on smaller structures just outside, and probably the interior workings. And no, I am not going to post a photo of it up here, that's more than my degree's worth.

The only thing that struck me as odd was a particular feature of the architecture. For the most part, you see, it's your average multi-storey lab - fairly dull, blocky, beige building. Except for one thing - as far as I can see it does not have a single window anywhere. On the ground floor, yes, I can understand that - there will be more than a few stones thrown at this building by idiots. For the same reason, not including anything more than slit windows until maybe the third floor makes sense. But having none at all...well...the whole place looks rather like the Ministry of Love.

Security is obviously a big issue here, but I think I'd argue that public relations is too. Making your controversial laboratory look as intimidating and fortress-like as possible doesn't reassure anyone that what is going on inside is legal, controlled and useful, it makes it look as though you've got something to hide. I really hope this isn't a foretaste of the attitude Oxford's going to hold towards the public once the lab actually opens.