An atomic bomb has been dropped on a campus in Melbourne, but instead of statements of international outrage, all that can be heard about the event at La Trobe University are the appreciative “oohs” and “aahs” of boffins and architecture geeks alike.
Strictly speaking the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science looks more molecular than atomic, as the former of you will have noticed. Architecture outfit Lyons – which was awarded the commission after winning a competition held by the Australian Institute of Architects – have designed the Bundoora Campus’ science building with a façade clad in a lattice resembling a complex organic chemical structure. In terms of internal layout, the university’s pathway philosophy has been reflected by putting the first year undergraduates on the ground floor, with successive levels increasing in seniority up to the research floors at the top, all linked by a functional and symbolic central staircase.
Lyons has also included a “co-generational” hot water system in keeping with the Institute’s founding planning principles, gaining a 5-Star award from the Green Buildings Council of Australia. That’s what we call the appliance of science.
Photography © Dianna Snape,
courtesy LYONS Architects.
