Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, University building in Ultimo, Sydney, Australia
The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building is a university facility in Ultimo featuring an exterior of more than 300,000 custom-designed bricks arranged in undulating patterns across its twelve levels. Inside, it holds classrooms, research spaces, and collaborative work areas that serve thousands of students and teaching staff.
Construction began in late 2012 and the building opened to the public in February 2015 after completion in November 2014. This marked the first Australian project by renowned architect Frank Gehry and brought international attention to the university's campus.
The building is named after a major donor and serves as a gathering place where students naturally interact and collaborate. The flowing forms and open layout encourage people to move freely between spaces and work together.
The building is easy to spot on campus and can be viewed from outside, though interior spaces are reserved for enrolled students and staff. Visit during daylight hours to see the brick patterns and window details most clearly.
The wavy brick exterior was designed to resemble a sheet of folded paper. This playful shape came from Gehry's concept of a treehouse structure that would encourage people to work together and interact more naturally.
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