Following pages : Top left – a ceremonial staircase runs from the Law building entry down to the underground podium ; lower left – looking out from the podium through the glass curtain wall ; top right – the moot court with recycled real court furniture ; lower right – the light-filled underground courtyard . central , shared under-grass part of the podium .
“ The Moot Court is a fully functional courtroom , with demountable fittings , enabling the majority of space to be used for other purposes when not set up as a courtroom ,” says Vermeulen . “ This is set further into the recesses of the underground podium where natural light was not required . And for a complete air of realism , the moot court features benches , seating and even a defender ’ s box recycled from the Manukau District Court .”
While the podium presents as a glass box supporting the Law building and then heads underground to accommodate the lecture rooms , moot court , courtyard and breakout spaces , it also has a glass facade facing to the east where ground and campus drop away . This is another way to bring in natural light and to capture distant mountain views .
Facing the Law building across the flat grassed area is the other component of the project . The Management Faculty that connects to the lecture rooms underground has been given a new glass entry building above ground . This provides the faculty with a fresh presence and is ideal for holding functions that can spill out onto the lawned area .
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