Adelaide University - Developments & News

[skyliner]

Top find Pikey - light always makes bldgs. so much more impressive.

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[jk1237]

ooh Im liking the glass used on this from the southern side. The facade around the glass is the colour of the dark red to match the older surrounding buildings. Looks good. I might try and get a pic tomorrow to show what I mean

[peas_and_corn]

I went to see the building the other week, and I really don't like that maroon glass that's going up there. What's with that 'bubble' pattern that's on it? Just not a very good colour IMO.

[AG]

I went to see the building the other week, and I really don't like that maroon glass that's going up there. What's with that 'bubble' pattern that's on it? Just not a very good colour IMO.

The bubble pattern on the glass actually plays an important part in keeping the interior cool. They reflect certain types of UV and will prevent the interior from becoming a hot house. By doing this, the costs of cooling the building by conventional air conditioning can be reduced. This is becoming more common on a lot of buildings covered by glass now.

[peas_and_corn]

I can see why they are doing that, however my main issue is with the colour chosen- why did they have to choose maroon?

[Pikey]

Webcam shot, you can see the cladding.

Crane is coming down today.

[UrbanSG]

Another new Adelaide Uni building (7 levels) is on the way just north of this one. It will be located on the Union Hall site, wasn't sure if this one needed a new thread?

From the Uni's website:

Building a world-leading science precinct

Monday, 28 September 2009

The University of Adelaide will create a world-leading science precinct on the lower level of its North Terrace Campus.

The new precinct will incorporate the University's new Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), a state-of-the-art 420-seat lecture theatre and additional research and teaching facilities.

The $77 million development will provide 8,200 square metres of new facilities over seven levels to cater for the University's rapidly expanding student numbers and research activity. The IPAS facilities will bring together world-class expertise from multiple disciplines to undertake ground-breaking research activities in photonics, surface chemistry, luminescence and biotechnology.

"This is the next step in the University of Adelaide's four-year $400 million building program to provide first-class research and teaching facilities for staff and students," said the University's Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha. "The new facilities will be adjacent to the Molecular Life Sciences building and the Benham and Mawson laboratories, creating an exciting science hub on the North Terrace Campus.

"This will accommodate urgent demands for increased space, enhance the educational experience for our students and staff, and reinforce the University's strategic aim to be recognised as one of the world's great research universities."

The Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing will develop new technologies focusing on some of the big problems in health, the environment, industrial processes and defence. With the specialised laboratories under construction as part of this development, the Institute's facilities will be unrivalled in the world.

"These developments will help us attract the very best researchers and teachers from all over the world to South Australia," said Professor McWha.

The new development takes place on the site currently occupied by Union Hall, with work proposed to commence in early 2010. The University is investing $1.5 million to upgrade Scott Theatre which will be available as an alternative venue for the 2010 academic year.

The University's building program has already seen the development of several major new facilities including the Wine Innovation Cluster and the Plant Accelerator buildings at Waite Campus, the new Veterinary Sciences School at the Roseworthy Campus, the environmentally sustainable Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences building on the North Terrace Campus, the Bio Skills laboratory at the Medical School and the redevelopment of 10 Pulteney Street into a modern hub for business, education and commerce studies.

[dj_fishy]

I'm no NIMBY but Union Hall is one building that has enormous sentimental attachment for many students for the university. I think they have really stirred up a hornets nest in choosing that site. There are plenty of other better locations, Union Hall should not be condemned to confines of our memories.

(Hardly surprised the university would choose to ram this through during the end of semester when many students are too busy with study to protest.)

[AG]

The Uni does have some good reasons for choosing Union Hall over other sites, but it is sure to stir up a lot of a noise within the Uni community. The Uni sent an email about this development to all students earlier this afternoon. There's also some concern about the plans to upgrade the existing Scott Theatre into use as a lecture theatre and that it may end up following the same road as Union Hall has up to now.

[Mants]

lower napier would be the place to have it in my opinion...it's relatively low (2/3 levels i think) and is looking pretty shabby.

[peas_and_corn]

lower napier would be the place to have it in my opinion...it's relatively low (2/3 levels i think) and is looking pretty shabby.

I'd say that they won't want to do this because lower napier was recently refurbished.


Here's an email that was forwarded to me-

University of Adelaide Building Program Update: Invitation to staff and
students



Staff and students are invited to a meeting on Friday 2 October to hear
about the next steps in the University's four-year $400 million building
program to provide first-class research and teaching facilities across its
campuses.



The building program has already seen the development of several major new
facilities including the Wine Innovation Cluster and the Plant Accelerator
buildings at Waite Campus, the new Vet School at Roseworthy, the
Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences building on the North
Terrace Campus, and the redevelopment of 10 Pulteney Street.



In January 2010 we will begin developing a new science precinct on the lower
level of the North Terrace Campus.



A new building incorporating our new Institute for Photonics and Advanced
Sensing (IPAS), a 420-seat lecture theatre and additional teaching and
research facilities will be developed on the site currently occupied by
Union Hall. This will help accommodate our urgent demands for increased
space as well as housing a world-leading centre for science.



While this is an exciting long-term project that will have many benefits for
staff and students, the University acknowledges that the construction phase
will cause some disruption to normal academic life and that the loss of
Union Hall may have significance for some people in the community.



Please come to the meeting to hear the University's plans for the building
development and process management.



Location: G03, Napier Building

Date: 2 October, 2009

Time: 1pm-2pm



If you can't attend the briefing and would like more information about this
project, the Frequently Asked Questions on the University's Building Life
<http://www.adelaide.edu.au/space> Impact web page have more details about
the development.







Paul Duldig

Vice-President

Division of Services and Resources

[AtD]

Wow, when I first read Union Hall would be demolished I thought it was a mistake.

Maybe it could be built in front of Napier, that space is never used, and it'd hide Napier from North Terrace.

Or on the south side of North Tce on corner of Pulteney.

[cruel_world00]

What's this so called sentimental value of Union Hall?

I would prefer a different ugly building (read: napier) be demolished, but Union Hall isn't all that and a bag of potato chips.

[AG]

Curtains close on Union Hall
Article from: The Advertiser
SAMELA HARRIS
September 29, 2009 12:01am

UNION Hall at Adelaide University is to be demolished, leaving the arts community lamenting the city's declining number of theatres.

"It is the end of an era," said Adelaide Festival Corporation chief executive, Kate Gould.

Union Hall, which opened in 1958 and was converted into a lecture facility in 2007, has played a significant part in the arts history of South Australia.

Patrick White's Ham Funeral was given its world premiere there, and famous names such as Dame Sybil Thorndyke, Roy Dotrice and Peter O'Shaunessy are associated with it. Union Hall also staged University Footlights and Law Revues.

Adelaide University's vice president of services and resources, Paul Duldig said the university "regrets that we have to redevelop the site which has played a significant role in the community".

"It has served well for 50 years," he said.

A 420-seat lecture theatre will take its place.

Mr Duldig said the Scott Theatre, which is being converted to a lecture theatre, would be available to community groups, albeit with its hours limited to outside the student day.

[gumbi]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html


What are people's thoughts on the demolition of Union Hall? Most of the people I've spoken to don't think it's a great loss, but I think the building is quite interesting in a way and worth preserving.