From The Cheesegrater to Chau, learning these building nicknames will make your navigation of the UTS campus a whole lot easier.
With more than 20 buildings making up the UTS campus, it can take some time to get to know your way around. And it’s even more of a challenge because lots of our iconic buildings are known by multiple names, because of their history, design or their …unique features!
So here’s a handy guide to our buildings’ ‘official’ titles and common nicknames. We’ll have you sounding like a UTS local in no time!
Building 1 aka The Tower
Some people say that UTS stands for Ugliest Tower in Sydney and that’s one of the names that’s been given to our 120m-tall campus centrepiece because of its brutalist architectural design. More creative titles include the Jenga Building and Sydney’s Middle Finger. Harsh, but fair.
Building 2 aka UTS Central
UTS Central is our newest campus building and home to our Library and food court. Its glass-encased futuristic design inspired nicknames like The Spaceship and The Giant Apple Store while it was being built. Now it’s just known as Central, The Building Next To The Tower or The Building with the Double Helix Staircase.
Building 3 aka Bon Marche
Keeping it simple, Bon Marche is often known as the FASS Building, as it’s mainly used by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Interesting fact: the building was originally home to a department store named after the famous Parisienne store 'Le Bon Marche', which is French for 'cheap'.
Building 4 aka Science
The Science faculty fills most of the floors of Building 4, so some people know it as Science (not to be confused with Building 7 – see below). But CB04 is also known for its sporty prowess – it’s home to the ActivateUTS Gym and the Ross Milbourne Sports Hall, so it’s often called The Gym Building or The Sports Building.
Building 5 aka Haymarket
Building 5 is across the road from Paddy’s Market and its old-style façade dates from its days as the site of Sydney’s original produce market. It’s often just called Haymarket but these days it’s also known as The Old Library Building or The Old Law Building (both have recently moved to Building 2). It’s also well known for The Green Space, one of the most unique student spaces on campus, down on level 1.
Building 6 official name: Peter Johnson Building
Named after architect Peter Johnson, the first Chancellor of UTS, Building 6 is usually known as The Design Building or DAB Building (no, not the infamous ‘dance’ move) as it’s home to the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building. Some people just call it The Pink One.
Building 7 official name: Vicki Sara Building
Without a doubt, this is one of the most colourful buildings on campus with one of the biggest collections of names. The Vicki Sara ‘Science’ Building (named after another former Chancellor, endocrinologist Vicki Sara) is known as The Wave Building, The Cornerstone Café Building, The Building With Colourful Doors and The Building With The Cool Windows. It’s also the building most people mean when they say The Science Building as it’s home to the Faculty of Science admin and the original UTS Superlab.
Building 8 official name: Dr Chau Chak Wing Building
This flagship building designed by acclaimed American architect Frank Gehry is a true Sydney icon. It’s known across Sydney as the Crumpled Paper Bag or Brown Paper Bag thanks to its unique façade. Architecture fans often use The Gehry Building while students who study there generally go with Business or Chau.
Building 10 aka The Fairfax Building
Long before UTS was UTS, the Fairfax media company was based in this building, where they pumped out printed copies of the Sydney Morning Herald. Because of that history, some people still call Building 10 The Fairfax Building. It’s also sometimes referenced by some of the faculties and schools that use it – Health and Education.
Building 11 aka Faculty of Engineering and IT Building
Another UTS landmark, Building 11 is known as the FEIT Building by some and Godzilla by others. Thanks to its distinctive façade made from aluminium sheets punctured with binary code ones and zeros, it’s also known as The Binary Screen Building and many of us just can’t go past The Cheesegrater. Mmmmm, cheese.