Griffith University Student Guild Uni Bar & Link Eatery
Griffith University Student Guild Uni Bar & Link Eatery //
Gold Coast & Northern Rivers Building of the Year, Qld State Medal: Beatrice Hutton Award for Commercial Architecture
Gold Coast Urban Design Awards Commendation
This project involved the re-planning and re-birthing of an ‘ugly duckling’ conglomerate structure that housed the Student Guild Uni Bar, function room and some hospitality tenancies at the Griffith University, Southport Campus .
The major architectural manoeuvres involved relocating the Bar to create a new pedestrian entry to the University that links the new light rail station through an alfresco dining area and into the campus. Architecturally the building’s many disparate parts are united in a clean palette of durable materials and rational planning to effectively renew the whole.
The original building fabric has been carved out to create the Link laneway connection complete with sky blue roof light. This links the food tenancies and Uni Bar between the University entry and the campus. The Bar is moved from the Campus front door back into a larger area within the complex that has clear access to an outdoor terrace, under an extended sculptural roof as part of the works.
The new Uni Bar is strategically positioned on the Link Laneway pedestrian spine, which is a major campus thoroughfare. The new design incorporates 3 connected bars serving the main bar, outdoor terrace and the refurbished Function Room.
The prominent positioning of the Link Eatery aligning with the skylit covered pedestrian Link laneway ensures the maximum exposure for new tenancies. The robust and textured materiality of stack bonded, patterned brickwork, natural hardwood, white weather boards and black industrial steel creates a unique character for the Link Eatery as a destination on the campus.
