Jane Foss Russell Building
This vital building reconnects two halves of a previously divided university. It draws together both the historic Camperdown and Darlington campuses separated by busy City Road. A robust bridge provides equal access between the two campuses. Several stairways provide links across the steep site and a public plaza surrounded by cafes, student gallery, and library lounge draws together student activity.
Below the plaza, the expansive SciTech Library overlooks gardens to the south and creates an internal landscape of terraces and seating which frame a variety of learning settings to suit group and individual study, noisy and quiet acoustics, formal and informal teaching. Above the plaza, an office building consolidates student services in one location and is the first point of contact for new students to the university.
A highly patterned facade emulates the foliage of nearby heritage fig trees making a visual connection between campuses.
In the interiors of both library and office areas is a chilled beam ceiling system to minimise energy consumption.
- Traditional Custodians Gadigal people of the Eora Nation
- Collaborators Wardle in association with Wilson Architects and GHD
- Client University of Sydney
- Location New South Wales
- Project Duration 2003 - 2009
- Floor Levels 7
- Sustainability Rating 5 Star Green Star Rating and 5 stars ABGR
- Selected Awards
- National Commendation for Interior Architecture, AIA National Awards 2009
- Public Architecture Award, AIA NSW Awards 2009
Won as part of an open international competition, the project represents yet another fine education project in Wardle’s suite. And this one is exhilaratingly lively – not just its wild colour, pattern and materials palette, but with a whole array of ideas about the library as landscape, the impact of digital technology on learning, the storage of information and the pedagogical value of social interaction.
Naomi Stead, Artichoke 26
