UTS Central
UTS Central
A campus on the city fringe
The campus of UTS (University of Technology, Sydney) is unique due to its location on the fringe of Sydney’s CBD. With significant space limitations, there is little opportunity for horizontal expansion and consequently the University has embraced the vertical growth.
Understanding the needs of the University within the physical constrains of both the site and immediate context we developed a concept for UTS Central which establishes a new ‘vertical campus’ that connects the city with the campus.
A vertical campus
By generating a vertical campus that bringing the two grids of the city and campus together, the students and the public, are able to visually and physically connect the campus, Alumni Green and Broadway for the first time. This creates highly activated and connected internal spaces within the building that relate to both the campus and the city, embracing the location and urban density, creating a true city campus.
The organisation of the building particularly within the podium positions the stairs and escalators on the perimeter making these highly visible both internally and externally. This reinforces activation and use of the building while creating large open floors for informal learning and collaborative spaces. Lifts are discretely positioned to further encourage active circulation via the stairs and escalators.
The podium
The podium is divided into a number of spaces both secured within the Library and unsecured, with formal spaces distributed throughout the building on all podium levels. Part of the podium facing onto Alumni Green is a new dramatic three-storey Reading Room that forms part of the Library. This space references a traditional Reading Room typology enhanced by highly transparent and contemporary space, filled with natural light. The main elevation facing Alumni Green is controlled by a sophisticated triple skin facade and operable sun control system. Students on the Green are able to look up into the library volume while those inside have expansive views of the campus and green from a serene and contemplative space.
The brief called for a connected campus that is integrated within the fabric of city in a legible and permeable fashion to create a ‘sticky’ campus that “fosters a strong sense of an academic community, with an emphasis on spaces that enable collaboration and communication”.
Collaborative teaching spaces
In the podium there are two 350 person collaborative teaching spaces and a single 200 person collaborative teaching space. The configuration of both the larger and smaller collaborative teaching spaces is unique and part of UTS’s vision to introduce new teaching methods that depart from traditional ways of delivering classes. This new method explores ways of teaching through collaboration and discussion. The spaces strive to create very large venues that can facilitate large student numbers yet provide a sense of intimacy across only two levels maintaining connectivity between students and lecturers/tutors.
Explore the architecture and landscape of UTS Central.
Awards
| 2021 | World Architecture Festival | Completed Buildings: Higher Education and Research, shortlist | |
| 2021 | World Architecture Festival (INSIDE) | Education, shortlist | |
| 2018 | World Architecture Festival | Future Projects: Education, shortlist | |
Press
| 8 Sep 2020 | ArchitectureAU | Recoding campus architecture: UTS Central | |
| 21 Aug 2019 | ArchDaily | FJMT’s UTS Central Academic Hub Opens to the Public in Sydney | |
| 16 Aug 2019 | UTS News | Reading Room with a viewpoint | |
| 27 Feb 2019 | designboom | FJMT designs the new UTS central building at the university of technology in sydney | |