THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY HAS EMBRACED THE

portfolioindesign 163
words Paul McGillick
photography Richard Glover
& tyrone branigan
architect Suters & Geyer
location Sydney | AUS
PROJECT Sydney University
SPACE
FOR
LEARNING
The University of Sydney has embraced the future with a series of new, interconnected learning spaces
This page Study area in
the stack, Fisher Library,
University of Sydney
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THIS PAGE Refurbished
entry lobby to Fisher Library
OPPOSITE Information
desk, Fisher Library
he current debate as to whether universities
should go entirely online and abandon
lectures and seminars is really part of a bigger
debate about how students learn. As far as
the ‘sandstone’ universities were concerned, it was
for a long time not an issue at all, modelled as they
were on the Oxbridge tradition which – shall we say –
preferenced content over process.
From my days teaching at the University of Sydney,
I well remember students attempting to ‘learn’ amidst
the chaos of a refectory because there was simply
nowhere else to go.
Well, times have changed and even the sandstone
universities have to sing for their supper in this
utilitarian era. The University of Sydney seemed once
almost to take pride in never changing at all, reflected
in its increasingly shabby and dysfunctional buildings.
But a new spirit has emerged with Eastern Avenue,
for example, transformed into the grand boulevard of
the University with outstanding new buildings (such
as the Law buildings) and the handsome renewal of
the streetscape which extends over City Road with its
new pedestrian bridge to the wonderfully revitalised
Wentworth precinct and its accessways to the gradually
gentrifying suburbs of Chippendale and Redfern.
It is along this pedestrian circulation route that
Suters Architects and Geyer have engineered a
major make-over of some of the University’s signature
buildings and in the process enabled the University
to engage decisively with a learner-centred culture.
The project begins with the Peter Nicol Russel (PNR)
Building behind the Wentworth Building (the main
student hub of the University), then continues along
Eastern Avenue with the Carslaw Building and the
Wallace Theatre, culminating with Fisher Library.
The overall strategy was to develop a series of
linked learning spaces for individual learning,
collaboration and enhanced communication between
students, and between students and their instructors.
This reflects the growing recognition in tertiary
institutions that education is essentially a learnercentred process which takes place in both formal and
informal environments.
T
What were previously rather forbidding spaces which seemed to
go nowhere, are now brighter, more active and connected…
Paul McGillick
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portfolioindesign 167
The refurbishments of the Carslaw and PNR
buildings involved creating greater porosity, opening
the buildings up to generate new and covered
pedestrian thoroughfares to supplement Eastern
Avenue. Essentially, these are internal streets which
feed into the various formal and informal learning
spaces, along with cafes and breakout areas.
What were previously rather forbidding spaces
which seemed to go nowhere, are now brighter, more
active and connected, not just to each other, but to the
outside landscape. The undercroft space in Carslaw,
for example, no longer resembles a prison exercise yard
as it did in the past, but has become a lively interactive
space. At the same time, the eastern façade of the
building has been opened up to views of Victoria Park
and the city beyond.
The culmination of this interconnected series of
indoor and outdoor spaces is, quite properly, Fisher
Library, the University’s main library and physically a
focal point standing at the junction of Manning Road
and Eastern Avenue and diagonally across from the
Great Hall and the Quadrangle.
Built in 1963 when the University had 14,000
students, the library now serves about 50,000
students with more than 1.3 million visits a year. Over
the course of 50 years, libraries have changed
enormously as they respond to changing technology
and to new ways of learning. The refurbishment of
Fisher aimed to acknowledge the expectations of
today’s students and to bring the building up to date
while respecting its heritage value.
Accordingly, Suters and Geyer worked closely
with one of Fisher’s original architects, Ken Woolley,
and Ian Stapleton, author of the Conservation
Management Plan.
The aim was to make the library a learning hub
and not just a repository of books. In addition, the
architects aimed to make the building more legible
and welcoming. Hence, the circulation desk has
been moved from the entry vestibule to the northern
side of the ground floor as part of an enlarged and
computerised general learning space – reflecting the
hugely enhanced computer and multi-media facilities
“…this previously dark, pokey and spatially obscure
facility had been transformed into a much brighter
and welcoming environment of spaces…”
opposite ABOVE
Undergraduate Wing
study zone
opposite Below Historic
Rare Books area converted
to meeting space, exhibition
and display areas
ABOVE Second floor
heritage link area
Paul McGillick
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portfolioindesign 169
in the library, including a 24-hour ‘knowledge access
centre’. Moving the circulation desk has enabled a
genuine celebration of the beautiful entry atrium space
and opened up previously obstructed views to the
parkland on the eastern side.
To create space for enhanced learning and
collaborative zones, along with quiet areas for private
study, half the library’s holdings has been removed to
off-site storage. This has also enabled the designers to
lower the height of the stacks and increase the space
betweenthem,thusremovingtheclaustrophobicfeeling
familiar to previous users of Fisher.
Lighting, toilets and air-conditioning have all been
upgraded to meet current needs and sustainability
targets. And while much of the heritage cabinetry and
finishes have been retained, other heritage features –
notably the rare books section with its displays – have
made more accessible visually and physically.
Going back to Fisher after a gap of many years,
the feeling I had was that this previously dark, pokey
and spatially obscure facility had been transformed
into a much brighter and welcoming environment
characterised by a fluently interconnected family of
spaces working both vertically and horizontally. I
could almost go so far as to say that learning has ceased
being a chore in Fisher and become a pleasure.
Dr Paul McGillick is Editorial Director of Indesign
Publishing. He holds two degrees from the University of
Sydney and taught there for almost 20 years.
SYDNEY UNIVERSITY FISHER LIBRARY, Peter nicol russel & CARSLAW buildings
CLIENT University of Sydney
ARCHITECT Suters and Geyer
INTERIOR DESIGN LEADER
Simone Oliver
INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Nathan Humphries, Hayden Crawford
and Pablo Albani
INTERIOR DESIGN (PROJECT BRIEF)
Cathy Jameson
PROJECT TEAM Ed Clode, Shane Wood,
Chris Acevski, Alison Crook, Joshua
Rhodes, Joel Chamberlain, Andrew Cavill
and Alex Morigaki
LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
CONSULTANT Rubida Research,
Ana Sala Oviedo
MECHANICAL, HYDRAULIC, FIRE,
Electrical Medland Metropolis
STRUCTURAL & CIVIL
ENGINEERS TTW
BCA + PCA BCA Logic
ACESS / DDA CONSULTANT
Access Australia
QUANTITY SURVEYOR Davis Langdon
(AECOM Company)
BUILDER ISIS
THIS PAGE Study
Zone,Peter Nichol
Russel building
Opposite Study Pod,
Carslaw Building
SUPERINTENDENT Thomas Klobucar
(University of Sydney)
ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT
Renzo Tonin & Associates
HERITAGE CONSULTANT
Clive Lucas Stapleton & Partners
ARCHITECTS & HERITAGE
CONSULTANTS Ken Woolley
Av CONSULTANTS
WSP Lincolne Scott
TIME TO COMPLETE 2 years and
2 months
BUDGET $40 million
TOTAL FLOOR AREA 17,215m2
SUTERS
(61 2) 9918 9900 | suters.com.au
GEYER
(02) 9248 3222 | geyer.com.au
FURNITURE Task chairs from
Steelcase, Haworth and Zenith. ‘Lottus’
chair and stools and POD tables with
custom tops from Zenith. PNR Street
‘Banquette’ lounges from Steelcase,
‘Smart’ bar stools from Korban Flaubert,
outdoor ‘Olivia’ chairs and ‘Bora’ tables
from Café Culture. Outdoor benches,
‘Spin’ coffee tables, ‘Spinal’ high round
tables from Interstudio. ‘Echo panels’
from Woven Image. Custom furniture,
joinery and Corian work surfaces,
sinks and Tasmanian Blackwood wall
claddings designed by Pluim Interiors.
Swell stools from Korban Flaubert and
Derlot stump stool from Stylecraft. ‘Side
up’ laptop tables from Haworth. Eames
segmented bases, ‘UR’ study desks,
‘PNR’ Hex tables from Living Edge.
‘Collab PC bench’, ‘Carrel bench’,
‘120deq PC zone workstation’ each is a
custom collaboration between
Steelcase, Haworth and Zenith.
‘Tambour’ units from PLANEX. Precision
library shelving and ‘Compactus’
shelving from Dexion. In Carslaw
building, custom curved banquette from
Steelcase, Haworth and Zenith, collab
seating cylinder ottoman from
Interstudio. In Fisher building, corner
lounge suite ‘lotus’ modules from
Interstudio, café chair from Living Edge.
In rare books section, ‘Setu’ chairs
from Living Edge. Customised corner
setting ‘soft shelters’ around lounges
from Woven Image. On Level 3, Eames
plastic armchair from Living Edge.
Low stools from Zenith. On Level 4
in the living room, customised base
lounge from Zenith, ‘Heart’ with
backrest lounges, ‘3000 series’
stools, ‘Different Drum’ collab
tables and ‘Genese’ tables all
from Interstudio.
FINISHES ‘Living Edge’ carpet from
Ontera. Rubber flooring from Regupol.
FIXED & FITTED Bathroom sanitary
fixtures from Caroma. Boiled/chilled
water units from Zip Industries.
Museum Grade Display cases from
Tashco Systems.
LIGHTING Feature lighting from
Barrisol, JSB Lighting and Eagle Lighting.
Barrisol (61 2) 9660 6044 au.barrisol.com Café Culture (61 2) 9699 8577 cafeculture.com.au Caroma 1300 661 943 caroma.com.au Derlot (61 7) 3129 4379
derlot.com Dexion 1800 100 050 dexion.com.au Eagle Lighting (61 2) 9420 5799 eaglelighting.com.au Haworth (61 2) 8586 7777 haworth-asia.com Interstudio
1300 785 199 interstudio.com.au JSB Lighting (61 2) 9571 8800 jsblighting.com.au Korban Flaubert (61 2) 9557 6136 korbanflaubert.com.au KUBIS (61 2) 9700 9231
kubis.com.au Living Edge (61 2) 9640 5600 livingedge.com.au Ontera (61 2) 8838 2500 ontera.com.au PLANEX (61 3) 8795 1100 planex.com.au Pluim Interiors
(61 2) 4389 4944 pluiminteriors.com.au Regupol (61 2) 9820 1233 regupol.com.au Steelcase (61 2) 9660 5511 steelcase.com Stylecraft (61 2) 9355 0000
stylecraft.com.au Tashco Systems (61 3) 5274 1133 tashcosystems.com.au Woven Image (61 2) 9913 8668 wovenimage.com Zenith zenithinteriors.com.au
Zip Industries (61 2) 9796 3100 zipindustries.com
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