The University of Western Australia’s new $45 million business school is a striking departure from the traditional architecture commonly found on university campuses.
Designed by Woods Bagot’s Ross Donaldson, the building embraces the new and evolving approach to learning environments, moving away from offices and rigid teaching spaces and towards ‘knowledge vessels’ that incorporate the latest technology.
The image (right) is the first of the new school, which is expected to be complete by 2008, released to the press.
The wings of the school are all planned around a central atrium area, and references to the Western Australian landscape have been incorporated throughout, according to Mr Donaldson.
Image segments from photos of Western Australia have been taken and abstracted into elements of the building in symbolic acknowle-dgment that the economy and business of WA have been built on the landscape through primary industry, Mr Donaldson said.
“There was a desire on the university’s part to be heralding a new era in the business school, and it has a very prominent location book-marking the southern end of the campus,” Mr Donaldson told WA Business News.
“With Winthrop Hall at the northern end, the new building needed to have a distinctive quality, and although similar colour palettes have been used with cream, terracotta and copper, there is an obvious modern slant on that.”
Dean of UWA’s business school, Tracey Horton, said the new building would bring together all parts of the business school in one place, and would incorporate the latest elements of educational design.
The design of the building deliberately turned away from the traditional architecture that frames UWA, and Ms Horton said the school had matured enough to have its own cultural references.
“There are linkages throughout the building to the WA economy and we wanted a building that means something to people. I think it will be incredible when it is finished, and I’m really looking forward to it,” she said.
