Starchitect’s building approved for UTS

The state government has approved the highly anticipated redevelopment of University of Technology, Sydney’s (UTS) Business School.

The Dr Chau Chak Wing will be the first Australian building to be designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.

UTS Deputy Vice Chancellor, Patrick Woods, said the site will enliven the area.

“[It] will attract both local, domestic and international people that visit the area,” he said.

The 11-storey structure, to be built on the corner of Ultimo Rd and Omnibus Lane, will resemble a ‘tree house’ of branches for group work and private spaces.

The building includes two contrasting facades: one of wavelike brick and the other of large panels of glass to fracture the surrounding buildings.

The building, named after Australian-Chinese entrepreneur Dr Chau Chak Wing donated $20 million to UTS and has been the subject of much debate surrounding the choice of an international architect for a major public project.

According to an assessment report by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, the project will be “an iconic building in the Ultimo-Pyrmont area.”

In a review for ArchitectureAU, Professor of Architecture at University of Sydney, Dr Sandra Kaji- O’Grady, said the controversy was not based on a lack of local architects to deliver distinctive design, but rather “from the perceived value a “starchitect” brings to the client’s reputation.”

However, director of UTS’s Program Management Office, Nigel Oliver, said that including an internationally acclaimed architect would establish UTS as a world-leading university in Australia.

“The architectural resolution that UTS was seeking was an architect who works in the global community,” he said.

Construction of the unexpected angles has also been questioned ever since images of the site surfaced in 2010.

“[We have had continuous] workshops to resolve the complex technical issues to do with the facade since August,” Mr Oliver said.

The Dr Chau Chak Wing building is part of the 10-year $1 billion UTS City Campus Master Plan.

Construction of the building will commence this year and will accommodate nearly 2000 students and an estimated 400 academic staff once completed in 2014.

By Susan Moozar