Gehry in Sydney: The Dr Chau Chak Wing Building, UTS

2015 | Architecture & Design

Frank O Gehry, one of the most influential architects of his generation, is famous for many iconic buildings. The distinctive nature of Gehry s design for his first building in Australia, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology Sydney, is showcased in this richly illustrated monograph. Frank O Gehry, one of the most influential architects of his generation, is famous for many iconic buildings. Works to date include the Dancing Building, Prague, Czech Republic (1996); the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain (1997) and, in the United States, the Weatherhead School of Management, Ohio (2002), the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles (2003), and the Peter B. Lewis Library at Princeton University (2008). The distinctive nature of Gehry's design for his first building in Australia, the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology Sydney, is showcased in this richly illustrated monograph. The design is unlike anything Gehry has previously constructed.

In creating the building skin Gehry designed an undulating and corbelled brick veneer for the eastern facade facing the city, which was laid entirely by hand, while for the western facade he created a chevron pattern in large sheets of glass. The book provides a fresh analysis of Gehry's working process and offers insightful perspectives on the context, negotiation, commission, design and construction of the building. It is illuminated by many of the Gehry Partners models for the building and rich photographic essays, as well as the architect's unique sketches. AUTHOR: Liisa Naar is a UTS Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow. She has previously produced the monograph Glenn Murcutt, Architect and is a partner in a design practice. Her research bridges design and organisation studies. Stewart Clegg is Professor of Management at UTS, the author of many books and papers, with a particular interest in space and the built environment.

SELLING POINTS: - Contains a fresh perspective and informative analysis of the context, negotiation, commission, concept and construction of the project, and includes full-colour models and photographic essays and sketches - This will be Gehry's first building in Australia and will be a unique design, unlike anything Gehry has yet constructed. In creating the building skin, Gehry has designed a chevron pattern for the large sheets of glass of the western facade that faces the street, and an undulating brick veneer for the eastern facade facing the city. Some of his works to date include the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain (1997), the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, United States (2003), the Dancing Building, Prague, Czech Republic (1996) and the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany (1989).

Gehry has also designed campus buildings in the United States - Features conversations with Frank O Gehry and Craig Webb (from the Gehry Partners studio in Los Angeles), with interviews accompanied by detailed information about the Gehry process, including change, building and value engineering - Will appeal to all architects, designers, business schools and universities, and all who are keen to see personal insight into the iconic and influential work of Frank O Gehry 400 col.

Liisa Naar (Author)

Stewart Clegg (Author)