The University of Sydney’s Architecture Graduate Exhibition showcases the work of final year undergraduate and postgraduate students, who have been challenged to reimagine important city landmarks and spaces.
Created in response to hypothetical briefs, these bold designs by students form part of this year’s design showcase, which officially opened on Thursday 3 December.
According to the University of Sydney’s Associate Professor Lee Stickells, Head of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, their students have engaged in current issues facing the cities and the built environment in Australia and overseas, and tackled real-world problems with in-depth analysis, enormous imagination, and technical skill. He added that the students’ work in the annual graduation show never ceased to surprise and inspire him, even after several years teaching in the Faculty.
Some of the briefs given to the Bachelor of Design in Architecture students for this year’s showcase included the task of designing an offshoot gallery in Sydney’s CBD for temporary architectural exhibitions, following news that the Powerhouse Museum may move to Parramatta; and a test to assess students’ capacity to imagine links between Macquarie Street and the nearby Domain parkland with the Art Gallery of NSW based on a location behind The Mint on Hospital Road.
The Master of Architecture students were given three hypothetical tasks to re-envisage key buildings earmarked for development in the University of Sydney’s Campus Improvement Program (2014-2020). These included a building to accommodate a new Life Sciences Faculty; redevelopment of the historic Macleay Museum as a cultural precinct; and a new building to replace the Wilkinson Building, currently housing the student’s own Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning.
Two studios of Masters students created the library of the future and a 21st century inner city school for Sydney. A research library was reimagined for the Australian Institute of Architects at Tusculum in Potts Point while innovative designs for a new primary school in Ultimo, which would also act as a community hub with a library, gym, childcare facilities and performance spaces, were developed.
Additionally, a group of Masters students who took part in the Hezlet Bequest travelling studio in Japan during the latter part of this year, will also show their final projects.
The architectural models, drawings and digital designs of more than 220 graduating students are currently on display at the 2015 Architecture Graduate Exhibition at the University of Sydney until 15 January 2016.
