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The Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology’s newest academic
precinct is a crystal cave of voids,
pooled daylight and study/meeting
spaces. Officially it’s ‘Academic Street’
and quite some arterial that courses
as lofty, multi-tiered arcade parallel
to Swanston Street.
Spanning some 32,000 sq.m. with seating for 4,600
students, the move towards civic and student better
engagement appears a winner. The new building works
see most of the $220 million budget aimed fairly and
squarely on interiors and the ‘back-of-house’ precinct.
Director of Lyons Architects, Carey Lyon, had the role
of overseeing five architecture practices each with
responsibility for specific areas. Delivered in three
phases over five years, work includes a new student hall
for Building 8, new study spaces in Building 10, extensive
balconies, retail spaces, student hall, media precinct,
rooftop and Bowen Street landscaping. The third and
final stage has resulted in a new library for Building 8,
retail, garden building and Swanston Street entry canopy.
If the old grey ‘60s office blocks at the top end of
Swanston Street left many occupants and passers-by
cold, this latest overhaul surely makes amends.
And as if to say ‘we speak your language’, the design
culture is of quality materials, uplifting volumes and
congregation spaces.
PROJECT
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
ARCHITECTS
Lyons in conjunction with MvS Architects,
NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White,
Maddison Architects and landscape architects
Taylor Cullity Leathlean
PRINCIPAL GLAZING
Viridian PerformaTech™, Double glazed unit
using Viridian SolTech™ and EnergyTech™ Clear
Laminated with ScalaSeraphic™
TEXT, IMAGES & FILM
Peter & Jenny Hyatt