This project redefines the relationship of the University to the City, creating a generous new public domain and entrance that opens the campus to both Victoria Park and City beyond, with the study of law balanced at this edge.
Rather than forming a barrier the building is lifted above the groundplane with its northern section splayed providing an “open door” orientation towards the city, reinforcing the connection of law with the Cbd’s legal precinct and wider society.
The building consists of seven levels and accommodates the academic and administrative staff, together with a range of research centres and institutes. It incorporates collaborative spaces, meeting and conference rooms.
There are a total of 23 teaching spaces within the building ranging from 300 and 100 seat lecture theatres, through to 60, 56, and 24 seat seminar facilities to suit a wide range of teaching requirements. It also accommodates a Moot Court facility, the Law Library and a spacious Forecourt.
Significant new teaching and library spaces are lit from above within a podium structure to create a series of new public open-spaces for the campus. New built form defines these spaces and urban gateways with layered surfaces of suspended glass and timber louvers, sculptural profiles of stainless steel and point fixed glass.
These are kinetic, responsive and intelligent new buildings that respond equally to environmental conditions, the movement of the sun and the preference of each of the occupants.
It is a project of significant architectural and environmental innovation that includes a fully ventilated double skin façade system with automated twisted timber louvers to control heat, light and sun; a sculptural stainless steel light tower that ventilates stale hot air and draws in natural light.
A series of ‘social-hub’ bridges that suspend teachers and students above the campus and park in informal spaces of collaboration as important as the high-technology formal lecture theatres, case rooms and moot court.
The design is uncompromisingly modern, providing state-of-the-art workplace, study and learning environments, general teaching spaces, lecture theatres, library, retail, basement car parking and integrated public domain.
It incorporates significant sustainable innovation including a double-skin ventilated façade with occupant controlled timber louvres, to control solar gain and glare, mixed-mode, chilled-beam and displacement airconditioning, precinct stormwater collection and an iconic light tower which fills below-grade spaces with an abundance of filtered, natural light.
Location: Sydney, Australia Architects: FJMT Contractor: Baulderstone Area: 32,000 sqm Year: 2009 Client: University of Sydney Photographs: Andrew Chung, John Gollings, Courtesy of Fjmt