frank gehry: UTS building – dr chau chak wing image by gehry partners, LLP

 

 

canadian born los angeles-based architect frank gehry has designed the dr chau chak wing building, part of the university of technology, sydney masterplan. this is gehry’s first project in australia.

 

UTS has been working with gehry partners to design a world-class business school based on the idea of a tree-house structure. as frank gehry has put it, ‘a trunk and core of activity and… branches for people to connect and do their private work.’

 

the 150 million (AUD) building will have two distinct external facades, one composed of undulating brick, referencing the sandstone of sydney’s urban brick heritage, and the other of large, angled sheets of glass to fracture and mirror the image of surrounding buildings.

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 2 dr chau chak wing building by gehry partners 1 -100 oblique image by gehry partners, LLP

 

 

the project caught the attention of australian-chinese business leader dr. chau chak wing who will donate a total of 25 million (AUD) to UTS; 20 million to support the new building and an additional 5 million to create an endowment fund for australia-china student scholarships. it is the equal largest ever philanthropic gift by an individual for a university in australia.

 

the 11-storey dr. chau chak wing building will stand at the corner of ultimo road and omnibus lane on a site that once housed the dairy farmers cooperative and which is currently being used as a car park.

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 3 dr. chau chak wing building by gehry partners 1 -100 east elevation image by gehry partners, LLP

 

 

professor milbourne said some elements of the schematic design were still fluid and will be subject to some modification, pending community consultation and authority approval.

 

construction is due to start in early 2012 and be complete in time for the 2014 academic year. the dr. chau chak wing building is part of the ten-year 1 billion (AUD) UTS city campus masterplan, which is helping transform the southern CBD and will deliver a cutting-edge and connected campus for staff, students and the broader community.

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 4 dr. chau chak wing building by gehry partners 1 -100 west elevation image by gehry partners, LLP

 

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 5 dr. chau chak wing building by gehry partners 1 -100 west elevation image by gehry partners, LLP

 

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 6 dr. chau chak wing building by gehry partners ground floor plan image by gehry partners, LLP

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 7 dr chau chak wing building by gehry partners 1st floor plan image by gehry partners, LLP

frank gehry: UTS building - dr chau chak wing - 8 dr. chau chak wing building by gehry partners 3rd floor plan image by gehry partners, LLP