Dr Chau Chak Wing Building declared open for business

 

Described by the Governor General of Australia, Sir Peter Cosgrove as “bold”, “inspiring”, and a symbol of “creativity, excellence and original thought”, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building was opened to great fanfare on 2 February, with a series of events providing many opportunities to celebrate Sydney’s newest landmark.

 

The events, which included a media conference and cocktail party, were made all the more special by the presence of Frank Gehry and his team from Gehry Partners, as well as Dr Chau Chak Wing and his family. Gehry’s contribution to UTS and Sydney was marked at a graduation ceremony on 3 February where he received an honorary doctorate. The events, attended by UTS senior executive, UTS Council, members of government, industry and UTS staff, also celebrated the generous contribution of Dr Chau Chak Wing to the project, including $5 million for Australia-China scholarships.


Architect Frank Gehry (second right) chats with (from left) Dr Chau Chak Wing, Sir Peter Cosgrove and UTS Chancellor Professor Vicki Sara.

 

During his opening address, Sir Peter Cosgrove said of UTS’s new Business School: “Every day, hundreds of students, academics and industry partners will have the opportunity here to share ideas and challenge themselves in an environment imagined and planned by Frank Gehry and his team, and the UTS leadership. And the result will be graduates with ideas that will inspire and transform, thus cementing Australia’s place as a leading edge of higher learning, innovation and creativity.”

 

Watch the official opening in full here.

 

As one of the world’s most celebrated architects, 86-year-old Gehry drew the attention of media outlets across the country, and the world. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, he said he was “pleased” with the building but was quick to point out that he hadn’t seen it in “operation yet”.

 

If only Gehry was able to stay in Sydney a little longer, with the first classes commencing in the building in Semester 1 (23 February)!

 

The building’s opening events, which concluded with a community open day last weekend (7-8 February) provided an opportunity for many to see its spectacular internal spaces for the first time while suitably celebrating this major milestone in UTS’s $1 billion City Campus Master Plan. The open day was certainly a 'social' occasion. Check out some of the photos taken by excited visitors on Instagram and hear what they had to say about the building here.

For those who missed out on the community open day, there isn’t much longer to wait until the doors of our new Business School open to students, and the public. From February 16, 2015, there will be open access to the building’s public spaces. From February 23, classes will commence and visitors are asked to be mindful of noise levels around teaching and study spaces. 

 

Entry to the building from Semester 1 (23 Feb) is via Mary Ann St and Ultimo Road from 8am–10pm on weekdays and 8am–6pm on weekends. Access at other times will require a staff or student card. The Goods Line entry will remain closed while the SHFA continues redevelopment works.

One of the main ways the UTS community will experience the new building is via its two cafes. The fit-out of the cafés on level 2 – which will be called Café80 – and level 3 will commence shortly.

 

Keep an eye out for information on the opening of the cafés during semester 1.

While finishing touches are made to the building, a rigorous staff training session is also underway to prepare academic and support staff to use the building’s technology-enabled spaces which are core to UTS’s collaborative and interactive approach to learning. Audio Visual Services (AVS) has run four two-hour training sessions, since late January. A further two training sessions are scheduled for February 19, which will cover spaces including the auditorium, collaborative theatre, oval classrooms and computer labs.

 

Business School staff who wish to attend can register here.

Explore the building without having to leave your desk by browsing the following:

 

Other videos, photos and resources can be found here.