’arc’ at the University of Wollongong

A design team inject some aesthetic inspiration into an academic institution.

December 3rd, 2009

As the focal point of the University of Wollongong’s interactive space, GPR Design were briefed to create a brand new look for the student food court.

The complete reconfiguration and refurbishment of the centre set out to create a spacious setting to accommodate the free-flowing circulation of students.

Elemental Graphic Design rejuvenated the canteen space with fresh, vibrant colours and bold graphics, whilst contemporary chair designs added an edge uncommonly associated with the monotony of institutional design.

By increasing the amount of natural light entering the building with the introduction of skylights, the designers achieved a fresher feel for the eating area.

Bi-fold glazing along the length of the building opens out onto an external forecourt, allowing a flowing access between the interior and exterior spaces.

Seating arrangements vary from low-down coffee tables and elevated bar top areas for eating, to long communal tables, which bring to mind a banqueting table rather than a canteen.

‘arc’ by GPR Design

gprdesign.com.au

INDESIGN is on instagram

Follow @indesignlive

The Indesign Collection

A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers

Ridge and Furrow

GH Commercial

DPI – Desk Control Panel

LINAK®

Handcrafted Wallpaper

Materialised

Woodgrain Laminates

Laminex

Indesign Our Partners

Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!

Alex Bain on finding his anchor in Herman Miller’s Aeron Chair

Alex Bain on finding his anchor in Herman Miller’s Aeron Chair

In the last instalment of our three-part performance seating series, Alex Bain from Architectus explains why sitting well shouldn’t feel like sitting at all and explores an unexpected success metric of the hybrid workplace: the grounding power of emotional support.

Dale O’Brien on sitting easy with Herman Miller’s Verus Chair

Dale O’Brien on sitting easy with Herman Miller’s Verus Chair

In the first instalment of our three-part series exploring what it means to sit your best, we pose the question to Gray Puksand’s Dale O’Brien, who discusses the importance of ease and majority rule when it comes to sitting and reveals why specifying a task chair is not unlike choosing a Volvo.

A Smarter, More Intuitive Kitchen with the Bosch AccentLine

A Smarter, More Intuitive Kitchen with the Bosch AccentLine

Blending versatile cooking with smart performance, Bosch AccentLine appliances bring a quieter sense of order and simplicity to the modern kitchen.

Material integrity at SJB’s Billyard Avenue

Material integrity at SJB’s Billyard Avenue

Natural stone shapes the interiors of Billyard Avenue, a luxury apartment development in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay designed by architecture and design practice SJB. Here, a curated selection of stone from Anterior XL sets the backdrop for the project’s material language.

Related Stories

Hong Kong welcomes a new ONE BEDFORD PLACE

Hong Kong welcomes a new ONE BEDFORD PLACE

ONE BEDFORD PLACE is the latest project from via. that combines beautiful design and ultimate function with outstanding results.

Linoleum flooring: Pros and cons

Home

Linoleum flooring: Pros and cons

Baroque architecture is an extravagant design movement which swept through Europe across the 17th century.

Home

UBER ANNOUNCED AS SYDNEY INDESIGN TRANSPORT PARTNER

In 2013 Uber will be teaming up with Sydney Indesign as official transport partner for the three day event in August.

Engineer for humanity: In conversation with Tristram Carfrae

Engineer for humanity: In conversation with Tristram Carfrae

If you’ve heard Tristram Carfrae speak, then you know he is a pretty inspiring individual. He is a natural leader of people and monumental projects that represent change for good. In this interview he speaks about Arup’s “secret sauce” and the challenge of channelling Gaudi.

While you were sleeping

The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed

“I’m not trying to design a shape, I’m trying to shape a feeling”: Eugeni Quitllet & Pedrali in Milan

“I’m not trying to design a shape, I’m trying to shape a feeling”: Eugeni Quitllet & Pedrali in Milan

At Salone del Mobile 2026, Catalan designer Eugeni Quitllet launched Libre, a new seating collection with Pedrali that focuses on form, function and ergonomics.

Comment: The design story behind storytelling spaces

Ideas

Comment: The design story behind storytelling spaces

What exactly does a theatre consultant do, and why are they an important part of designing the spaces in which we tell the most dramatic stories? Charcoalblue’s Erin Shepherd tells us more.

AJC Architects’ Southern Lookout opens Hornsby quarry to the public

News

AJC Architects’ Southern Lookout opens Hornsby quarry to the public

At Hornsby Park, AJC Architects’ Southern Lookout marks the first architectural intervention in the transformation of a former quarry into a major public landscape.

“Density can be done well”: JPW project increases social housing offering by 300%

News

“Density can be done well”: JPW project increases social housing offering by 300%

As a significant renewal of an established social housing project, JPW’s recently completed Cowper Street Housing in Glebe, Sydney aims to bring sustainable and community-focused density to an inner city suburb.