Moller centre

The Moller centre was created by A.P. Moller proposing the concept of a "Centre for Excellence" which would include meeting rooms, bedrooms and bring together commerce and education, and the finance for this project came from the A.P. Moller & Chastine Mc-Kinney Moller Foundation^[1]. Over the years this Foundation has continued to fund many projects in the name of Churchill.

History

In 1988 Churchill College in the University of Cambridge contacted A.P. Moller & Chastine Mc-Kinney Moller Foundation, a Danish instutution set up in 1953 by shipping magnate A.P. Moller, looking for funding for additional postgraduate student accommodation. The Foundation makes contributions to good causes, especially those involving national heritage, shipping, industry and science.

In 1992 The Moller Centre, the residential management training and conference centre in Cambridge (United Kingdom)^[2] was formally opened by Her Majesty Queen Ingrid of Denmark located on the grounds of Churchill College in Cambridge.

The Moller Centre

Mr Moller felt that Denmark's safety during the Second World War and prosperity afterwards, had depended on Churchill's personal involvement. When war broke out Maersk ships were turned over to the British authorities to assist in the War effort, and Churchill was swift to ensure the company was paid compensation at the end of the war. Maersk was keen to support a development at Churchill College in memory of Winston Churchill and because of the college's tradition of excellence in the fields of science and engineering.

Having looked at the need for funding, Mr Moller proposed the concept of a "Centre for Excellence" which would include meeting rooms, bedrooms and bring together commerce and education. He believed that with access to the full educational and research resources of Cambridge University, the Centre would be able to offer the highest standard of continuing education to international businesses wishing to develop their managerial, executive, research and development staff. The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Centre for Continuing Education^[3], was built with a gift of approximately £10 million to Churchill College, which is today known as The Moller Centre.

Buildings

The main building was designed by a Danish Architect - Henning Larsen, with features of the Centre in typical Scandinavian design. The main building is made of Portland Stone and has environmentally sourced teak floors throughout. The dominating element of the Centre is the octagonal tower - from the terrace on the top there is a panoramic view over the entire centre of Cambridge. In plan view, the building resembles a ship, with the tower activing as the propeller, and the lecture theatre as the bridge.

The Moller Centre expanded by building The Study Centre which was completed in 2007 and is designed as a collaborative learning environment^[4].

Moller Centre Study Centre

References

1. ^ A.P. Moller & Chastine Mc-Kinney Moller Foundation
2. ^ The Moller Centre
3. ^ Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Centre for Continuing Education
4. ^ Moller Centre Study Centre

External links

• College Website
• The Moller Centre

Coordinates: 52°12′51″N 0°05′57″E / 52.2142°N 0.0992°E / 52.2142; 0.0992