0
0
What do the Central Library at the University of Queensland (UQ), Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queen Street Mall, and the Mt Coot-tha War Memorial all have in common? They’re all designed by one of Queensland’s most influential artists, Robin Gibson.
Throughout this article, I will focus on his role in the UQ Central Library, the Biological Sciences Library and Mayne Hall, which is the UQ Art Gallery. A defining feature of all these works is their contrast to Forgan Smith. All three of the aforementioned buildings were constructed with concrete as opposed to the traditional sandstone architecture of Forgan Smith.
On campus, his buildings are either loved or loathed. Some praise his work for its bold design on campus, calling them “gracefully sleeping giants,” while others think of them as a “grey eyesore.” I hope that by the end of this article, regardless of whether you like or dislike the aesthetic of his buildings, you will have found a newfound appreciation for the history and influence of Robin Gibson’s architectural philosophy at the UQ St Lucia campus.
Design Philosophy
Gibson himself was born and studied in Brisbane at UQ, graduating in the 1950s. His works emphasised clarity, openness, and simplicity in their design. Another key element of how the buildings were designed was the assistance of the personnel who were to use the building.
This was surprisingly a departure from what came before this modernist revolution. Looking at the older historic buildings of UQ, such as the Great Court, there was little recognition of the departments that were to fill the buildings, and therefore the departments would fit their office spaces and lecture halls to the building, as opposed to the building being modelled off the specifications and desires of the people who would use it.
A key example of when Gibson reached out to staff was during the design of the UQ Central Library. This was called having an “informed client.” This meant that when the library was handed over from the builders to the UQ staff, they had already prepared for what they wanted to put where, and they were comfortable operating with a space designed with their use of the building in mind.
Many question Gibson’s reliance on concrete as a building medium. However, concrete is, in fact, a perfect building material for the subtropical climate of South-East Queensland. Look around Brisbane today; the skyline is filled with glass monoliths. While these buildings may look impressive, they are energy-guzzling machines, and glass is almost impossible to insulate. There is no room to put insulation; otherwise, the structure will be ruined. Therefore, without extensive air-conditioning, glass skyscrapers get uncomfortably hot in the humid Queensland summers and become frigid in the Queensland winters due to their inability to retain heat.
Concrete, however, is excellent at retaining heat and can be packed full of insulation. Concrete can also do a significantly better job of retaining the temperature set by air-conditioners, as the temperature of the building internally doesn’t leak out nearly as quickly as with glass. Another significant downside of glass buildings is their
inability to shield workers from the harsh Queensland sun. In a glass building, the sun—especially on an afternoon in Queensland—is nearly unbearable to even slightly look towards. Therefore, for office workers who need to look at screens throughout most of the day, having a space where the sun is shining in through an open glass pane is unbearable. Gibson had an innovative solution to this problem: it was to have shade built into the structure of the building from day one—concrete barriers to block out the harsh afternoon sun rays and a wide, open frame towards the top of the window to allow the morning sun in. This is in stark contrast to the glass skyscrapers that place the responsibility on the management of the building to install curtains or barriers external to the structure to protect their employees.
Gibson’s architectural prowess at UQ started in the 1970s, when the population of the university was steadily growing, and more space was needed for the student population. However, at the time, the main Forgan Smith sandstone building had not had another building placed in front of it. As such, it was seen as the heart of the campus, and many viewed adding buildings to the front of the site as “sacrosanct,” meeting the concept with hostility. Knowing he would be on the chopping block, he envisioned the building to pay tribute to the sandstone used in Forgan Smith and drew inspiration from the pattern of the building’s windows for the design of the exterior of the library. He specifically insisted that the new library would not be any taller than the towers of the Forgan Smith, and that the top of the library slope inward so as not to overpower the original building.
Looking at the library today, a roof with an overhang has been added, which quite dramatically changes the shape of the library in a way I doubt Gibson would have approved of.
Central Library
Gibson’s design philosophy for the Central Library was that “the paramount objective of all good architectural design was and is the creation of the correct environment to house people who have tasks to perform.” Once Gibson was assigned to the project, he took a tour of 24 university libraries in the USA and Canada. He had a great curiosity about the automation system of how a library functions and what modern advancements were being made in the layout of library spaces. Historically, a library was constructed in a way that was rather inflexible; built-in wooden shelves would hold the books, and expansion often meant building a whole new space.
Librarians across the world were calling for a modular and flexible library space that could be easily expanded into the 21st century. There is often a temptation to build for show in regard to libraries—examples from across the USA show that libraries have been a place for architects to flex their creative muscles; however, the views of the staff have too often got lost in the creative process. This was not a mistake that Gibson was going to follow. He also observed that “hedging against the future” always paid off. Therefore, UQ’s Central Library was built with an overestimated number of power outlets. In retrospect, this decision has benefited all users of the library, as the mass adoption of laptops has overwhelmingly increased the amount of power used by university buildings as students charge their personal devices.
Looking at the internal layout of the Central Library, there are a few columns on each floor as part of the structural integrity of theW building. This was put in place to ensure that there was a significant amount of space for staff to place shelves wherever they thought most
appropriate. The library was also built with floors unpopulated by shelves and greatly more expansive than expected. This was to future-proof the library and to ensure that, when new books were added, there was ample space to store them.
The lights, air-conditioning, and fire systems were highly flexible in the ceiling, as they could be easily reconfigured on either the x or y axis to suit the direction of the shelves if staff wished to reorient the library. There were very few elements within the overall construction that were not informed purely by a practical use case of the building.
As such, it has indeed stood the test of time and continues to be the most well-used library for all UQ students. Because of how open the floor space is, it can continue to be used for years to come by various librarians with different visions of how the space of a library should be.
Biological Sciences Library
The Biological Sciences Library was built with the same design philosophy as the Central Library. As such, it too is a highly modular space in which librarians can alter the furniture and shelves to create the space they envision, without the constraints of the location dictating how their library should be operated.
The two libraries were constructed at opposite ends of the Forgan Smith and indeed have a dominating effect over the front north side of the UQ campus. Not only do they have a distinct vision of their own, but their positioning also creates a frame in which to view Forgan Smith, which I believe does not subtract from the older building but instead creates it as a focal point.
Mayne Hall
The third and final building undertaken by Gibson at UQ was the former graduation hall, which is now the UQ Art Gallery. It was called Mayne Hall. Built once again to accommodate the growing number of students at UQ, the administration needed more space to hold official events. In comparison to Gibson’s other UQ builds, it uses a significant amount of glass on the southern side, which sits in stark contrast to the northern side, reminiscent of his work on QPAC, with large monolithic blocks of concrete. However, unfortunately, the north side is now no longer completely visible from the front of UQ, as the ModWest building sits directly in the way of the back of Mayne Hall.
The south side of the building features large glass panels that let in an ample amount of light. However, if you stand between Mayne Hall and the Forgan Smith building looking towards the Hall, you will see Forgan Smith directly reflected in the shiny glass panel—a reflection of the old in the new, a piece of symbolism that I’m certain Gibson intended.
The building of Mayne Hall additionally fixed a problem that architects had been complaining about since the opening of Forgan Smith—namely, that Forgan Smith was viewed to be awkwardly too long in proportion to the main tower. However, with the inclusion of Gibson’s three new buildings, especially Mayne Hall, it narrowed the direct view and made Forgan Smith even more wonderful. Mayne Hall has now been turned into an art gallery with rotating displays.
It remains one of the most beautiful and stunning buildings on campus and a joy to visit.
Longevity
Robson’s buildings at UQ have received positive reception from students since the buildings were first available for use. They have been praised for their timeless aesthetic and their ability to be morphed throughout the decades to meet the ever-changing needs of students. Gibson integrated location into the design of his buildings by considering the climate of South-East Queensland and ensuring that his buildings would be easy to heat and cool while retaining their internal temperature.
The maximisation of light throughout the buildings, with vertical windows and large open panes in Mayne Hall, creates a welcoming space for students to study. Other modernist buildings globally were criticised for being out of touch with their location – Gibson instead understood his location and clients’ needs.
The buildings have been able to keep up with the demands of modern technology. The adaptable ceilings within both libraries have facilitated internet cabling for fast Wi-Fi, and many routers are positioned throughout the libraries. This starkly contrasts the Law Library, which required a $35 million refurbishment to reconfigure the space.
Gibson’s designs are living monuments within the UQ campus and show a deep commitment to human-centric design, as well as consideration for the environmental needs of a South-East Queensland-based campus. They will continue to be used and adapted for decades to come, and their concrete design should mean that they last for a significant amount of time with minimal upkeep.
They are monuments to the students and staff of UQ, showcasing what it means to build a campus that focuses on the needs of those who use the facility. This is an element that Gibson replicated in all his designs across Queensland, but it stands that his buildings should be recognised for the institutions that they are. Gibson died in 2014, but I hope that his buildings will endure for the century to come and well after. So please, as you are walking along the north side of the UQ campus, take a moment to look at the architecture of Robin Gibson.
Written by Samuel Wong
Author
Views: 8