A giant five-metre diameter LED sphere suspended over two floors is at the heart of a new $94.4 million education precinct building at the Queensland University of Technology.
The sphere is sure to turn students’ heads at the six-level building, which has been hailed a “transformative development” for QUT.
Designed by Wilson Architects and Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects, the 10,500 sqm building at Brisbane’s Kelvin Grove campus is now home to the Faculty of Education and QUT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Oodgeroo Unit.
The precinct is at the heart of QUT’s strategy to enhance the Kelvin Grove Campus and position the university at the forefront of tertiary academia through interactive and flexible facilities.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil says the building is a “significant investment” that will enhance the “student learning experience”.
“These facilities have been purpose-designed and reflect QUT’s commitment to applying technology and immersive digital environments in teaching, research and engagement.”
Turner & Townsend, part of the project team, has managed more than $4 billion of major education precinct projects over the past 15 years for universities throughout Australia and New Zealand.
“The inclusion of a five-metre diameter LED sphere suspended over two floors is a focal point in the atrium and showcases the very best of visualisation technology,” says Turner & Townsend’s national head of education, Robin Sweasey.
“The sphere facilitates interactions with teaching content in a unique format.”
John Thong, director at Wilson Architects, says the design’s spaces are “dynamically flexible”. Students can choose from a variety of settings that encourage “interdisciplinary collaboration” and “stimulate informal interactions”.
The space between the existing campus library and the new education precinct has been transformed into a new internal garden, incorporating lush vegetation that responds to Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate. The escarpment, formed between the upper campus and the newly pedestrianised Ring Road, is funnelled into the atrium where the plants cascade through a series of terraced platforms.
The project was constructed by Hansen Yuncken. Construction manager Michael Vincenzino says his company prides itself on “delivering the most challenging architecturally-designed buildings to a high standard”.
“Our project team worked tirelessly to ensure QUT would be left with a high-class tertiary education facility. We know the university and its students will enjoy this international-standard facility for many years to come.”