UTS Tower

UTS Building 1, also known as the UTS Tower, is prominent landmark on Broadway at the southern gateway to Sydney's central business district. Many of the administrative units of the University of Technology, Sydney are located across the building's 27 occupied floors. Completed in 1979 in the brutalist architectural style from a 1968 plan by Michael Dysart of the NSW Government Architect's Office, the Tower was officially opened by NSW Premier Neville Wran.

UTS Building 1
Alternative namesUTS Central, UTS Tower
General information
TypeUniversity administration
Architectural styleLate Twentieth Century Brutalist
Address15 Broadway, Sydney, New South Wales
CountryAustralia
Coordinates33°53′01″S 151°12′03″E
Construction started1969 (1969)
Opened1979 (1979)
CostA$32 million
ClientNew South Wales Institute of Technology
OwnerUniversity of Technology Sydney
Height120 metres (390 ft)
Design and construction
ArchitectMichael Dysart
Architecture firmNSW Government Architect's Office
Renovating team
Renovating firmTonkin Zulaikha Greer (2014)
Burtenshaw Scoufis (2011–)

Location
The building as seen from Victoria Park, Sydney

The UTS Tower is located at 15 Broadway, Sydney, south of the city's central business district, near to Central Railway station and opposite One Central Park.

It sits between the UTS Bon Marche Building and Terraces (home to radio station 2SER) and the newly constructed UTS Central (Building 2).

History

The original 1964 plan envisaged three towers of varying heights plus a podium.[1] By the mid-1970s, with cutbacks in commonwealth funding, the original plan was reduced to the main Tower and smaller 11-level Building 2 next door.[2]

Construction of the building commenced in 1969 and lower floors were occupied from 1975. At its official opening in 1979 the Tower was declared the tallest educational facility in Australia.[3] The adjoining Building 2 opened in 1980.

Originally occupied by the NSW Institute of Technology, the Tower became part of the newly created University of Technology Sydney in January 1988.

Criticism of architectural style

The Tower has been described very colourfully and identified numerous times as Sydney's ugliest building, notably in The Sydney Morning Herald, and by architect Frank Gehry.[4][5][6] Journalist and author Mike Carlton described it as "a menacing concrete monolith in an architectural genre that the old East German Stasi brought to perfection".[7]

The Tower's visibility in the central business district skyline has also been described positively, as marking Sydney as a University town.[5]

Proposed redesign

One scheme for renovation suggested by Chris Bosse from Laboratory for Visionary Architecture involved covering the building with a lightweight composite mesh textile, which would be able to store rainwater, generate electricity and cool down the building.[8][9] However, such plans were not taken up by the university beyond a simple refurbishment, with one observer noting: "It may be that, for better or for worse, the Tower is finally valued as an essential part of the University’s identity."[10][11]

Redevelopment of Building 2

As part of the UTS Campus Master Plan, Building 2 next to the Tower was demolished in 2016/2017 to make way for a vibrant new student hub and faculty space for the university.[12] UTS Central (Building 2) opened in August 2019 and features direct pedestrian connections with the UTS Tower across four levels.[13]

References
  1. "The Dreaming Towers- UTS Towers". Inside the Collection. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  2. Stories from the tower : UTS 1988-2013. Adelaide, Debra., Ashton, Paul., Salt, Annette., University of Technology, Sydney. Sydney: Xoum. 2013. ISBN 9781922057518. OCLC 852794242.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Stories from the tower : UTS 1988-2013. Adelaide, Debra., Ashton, Paul., Salt, Annette., University of Technology, Sydney. Sydney: Xoum. 2013. ISBN 9781922057518. OCLC 852794242.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. Cubby, Ben (1 November 2006). "Ugly talk strikes a chord in city's heart". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  5. Johnston, Rosemary (31 March 2008). "Deep, rich replenishment through the eye of a needle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  6. "Architect Gehry to transform Ultimo site". ABC News. Australia. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  7. Carlton, Mike (24 March 2012). "Opinion". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  8. "Sydney's Ugliest Building to Become an Eco-friendly Tower". Infoniac.com. Retrieved 12 February 2010.
  9. Loussikian, Kylar (9 September 2015). "UTS tower: brutalist Sydney eyesore set for $200m makeover". The Australian. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  10. Pickett, Charles. "The Dreaming Towers- UTS Towers". Inside the Collection. Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  11. Schwartzkoff, Louise (30 March 2010). "Glowing cocoon is a winning idea that will never emerge". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  12. "Building 2 to go out with a bang as heavy demolition begins | University of Technology Sydney". www.uts.edu.au. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  13. "UTS Central | University of Technology Sydney". www.uts.edu.au. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
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