10
Vision Magazine
Project architect James Wilson, principal at Lyons,
discusses the Sylvia Walton Building with Vision.
How do you know a good university building when
you see one?
That’s a good question. I look for something that’s
engaging and stimulating – which is what universities
strive to be as they openly compete for students.
They need to stand out as open, connected to
student activities and learning, with real life and
colour.
The design bristles with serious quality but also
appears quite playful. Given what we know today
about the role of play in learning and problemsolving, did this inform or change your design
approach?
Our university buildings try to invite and reflect
curiosity, as well as reflect the projects ambitions
and the University’s culture. We take the theoretical
view of learning pedagogies very seriously, but
balance this with a more playful design quality
that demonstrates an interactive environment – a
place that students enjoy being in. In Sylvia Walton,
we wanted to generate a building that created
anticipation and excitement as a backdrop to better
learning.
Its use of colour and play of light is quite exuberant.
Highlighting key views and social spaces through
uses of formed expanses of glass and highlights of
colour help to portray the ambitions and ideas of
the building. Hopefully that’s how most people will
experience it.
It rises from this authentically Australian landscape
established at La Trobe over the past almost 50
years. How important is this environment to your
design?
The whole building responds to the indigenous
qualities of place. Most of the key views are about
connecting with the bush setting and the building
envelope reflects a connection with the trees,
bark and water. The bronze tones of the landscape,
gold of wattle and colour of eucalypt bark have
all been absorbed into the building’s anodised
aluminium skin.
Bridge Builder
THE BRONZE TONES
OF THE LANDSCAPE,
GOLD OF WATTLE AND
COLOUR OF EUCALYPT
BARK HAVE ALL BEEN
ABSORBED INTO THE
BUILDING’S ANODISED
ALUMINIUM SKIN.
James Wilson
principal, Lyons