Macquarie University has officially welcomed staff, students and visitors through the doors of its award-winning Arts Precinct with the return of on-campus learning and the launch of its History Museum to the public.
Macquarie University has officially welcomed staff, students and visitors through the doors of its award-winning Arts Precinct with the return of on-campus learning and the launch of its History Museum to the public. The $125 million investment represents a strong commitment to the future of arts, humanities and social sciences at Macquarie University.
Complete with three buildings, a rooftop garden and a museum, the precinct has an open and transparent design to encourage creativity, collaboration and interconnectedness.
“The purpose-built Arts Precinct showcases the Faculty’s identity through the display of student and staff achievements, and is a hub for interaction between staff, students, partners and the community,” says Professor Martina Möllering, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
The precinct has a completely open design, facilitating new flexible working modes and a focus on in-person collaboration. It was awarded the Association for Learning Environments Australasia's 2020 NSW Award for best New Construction/New Individual Facility-Over $8 Million and praised for its design as a response to current and future educational needs.
The precinct balances independent work and study, spaces for collaboration and opportunities to display cutting-edge research and student work. For example, four eight-metre banners hang in the heart of the precinct and display a commissioned artwork created by Dylan Barnes, an Aboriginal artist and Bachelor of Arts student. Dylan’s artwork is inspired by the interaction of knowledge and learning with community. Additionally, the Intercultural Foyer, bridging two of the buildings, features a 14-metre digital screen to display student work and research.
For students, innovative and specialised spaces were designed to encourage collaboration and mixture of theory and practice in learning: a language centre, Adobe Digi-Lab, spaces to produce professional video and audio recordings, and the Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies, housing over 5,000 coins and a dedicated numismatic library. The Macquarie University History Museum is a key cultural hub of the precinct, home to more than 18,000 objects. Students, staff and visitors can browse exhibits, examine the largest papyrus collection in the Southern Hemisphere, or interact with touch screens featuring 3D images of objects.
“We hope to shape the academic lives of our staff and students by providing a precinct where they can feel inspired, energised and excited to be part of the future of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences research and learning,” continues Martina.
The precinct has been home to Macquarie University’s Faculty of Arts community of scholars since 2020, but will now welcome visitors as well as undergraduate, postgraduate and research students with the return of on-campus learning.