The upcycled Michael Kirby Building brings a new, revitalised energy to the heart of Macquarie University’s Wallumattagal Campus and creates an enduring legacy with flexibility to cater to future changes.
As the new home of Macquarie University Law School, the Department of Philosophy and a resource for the wider campus, the Michael Kirby Building — named after the Australian jurist and the institution’s first Emeritus Chancellor — has brought the University’s vision for a new learning destination to life.
The adaptive reuse of an existing ground and first-floor concrete structure has transformed the 1985-built administration centre into a more expansive and flexible four-storey building featuring a lighter, timber-framed structural system and glazed façade.
Formerly an under-utilised external courtyard, the building’s new naturally ventilated top-lit atrium creates a sense of openness and interconnectivity, promotes a sense of wellbeing and houses various indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that encourage interaction and the exchange of ideas.
The building features state-of-the-art independent and interdisciplinary educational, workplace and research spaces and a suspended moot court (a mock court for the practice and training of law students) over the main entry. The court ─ and the greater building ─ reaffirms Macquarie University Law School’s reputation as a respected international contender in the legal space.
Our expansive, transparent design fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation among staff, students, alums, researchers, and industry partners. Internal spaces are designed at various scales for adaptable use over time, addressing the University’s evolving needs.
A vibrant new focal point for the Wallumattagal Campus, the Michael Kirby Building optimises its prominent site on the major thoroughfare of Wally’s Walk via a new translucent glazed façade, which directly connects the interior of the building to a well-established external tree canopy and surrounding public spaces.
