Virgin Australia Voyeur — May 2017

MAY 2017VIRGIN AUSTRALIA 125

IN SYDNEY’S SKYSCRAPER-LADEN CBD there’s one remarkable
building that never fails to elicit a comment from a city-weary
Uber driver. Created by legendary architect Frank Gehry, and
named for Australian-Chinese businessman Dr Chau Chak
Wing who made a $20 million donation to the University of
Technology Sydney for the project, the building’s seemingly
crumpled walls and undulating curves have been masterfully
crafted out of an estimated 320,000 custom-made bricks.
“In a passing conversation with the dean, designer Maureen
Thurston just happened to mention she knew Frank Gehry
and he was looking for an opportunity in Australia,” explains
Nigel Oliver, director of the UTS program management oice.
Grabbing the lead, UTS put the idea to Gehry, who
then flew to Australia with his design team.
“We asked if he liked the site and if it presented
the opportunities he was looking for,” says Oliver.
“And Frank replied, ‘I like the problem’. That’s
how he started — he saw it as a problem.”
For UTS, the building’s design was intended to
re-energise staf and students by facilitating cross-
discipline discussions, encouraging collaborations
and fostering creativity. The design also needed
to have an obvious international appeal.
Gehry and his design team took on the
challenge and applied the method of working
from the outside in. Eschewing line drawings, he
worked tirelessly with blocks and models to help
visualise the way the building could work.

“He created more than 100 models.

When we visited his oice in LA, there

were models of the UTS building crammed

onto every surface, nailed to the wall and

some hanging from the ceiling,” says the

executive project manager, Brian Moore.

Gehry’s imagination took hold — on top

of the lineal form he placed fabric soaked

in glue to create the draped efect over

the blocks. He then digitised the model

to create a 3D perspective using a unique

program normally reserved for aircraft

manufacturing. On-site engineers then

viewed the 3D project plans on computers

rather than referring to drawings.

“We were asked, ‘Why don’t you just

build a square box that’s cost-efective?’

But a solution like that is limited in the

long-term,” says Oliver. “This building

really frees up people’s minds.”

CLOCKWISE

FROM TOP The

interior of the UTS

building is designed to

re-energise visitors;

celebrated architect

Frank Gehry; the

building reflects the

Sydney skyscape.

THE DR CHAU CHAK WING BUILDING
Sydney, NSW