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International architecture studio Snøhetta has completed its first project in Australia, partnering with JPE Design Studio and Jam Factory to realize a new social hub for the University of South Australia's City West campus in Adelaide.
The state-of-the-art Pridham Hall introduces new recreational and sporting experiences to the school, which was founded in its current form in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and the South Australian College of Advances Education.
Pridham Hall encourages students' physical health and well being through multi-use internal programming, which includes a pool, sports facilities, function spaces, and green spaces. The public is allowed to access both the interior and exterior amenities, which Snøhetta says creates a sense of public ownership.
The building is integrated into the landscape, with a sloping roof extending down to street level on the northeastern and western elevations, facilitating two terraced recreation spaces which double as community amphitheatres. These "green wings" feature a colourful array of fauna native to Southern Australia, with particular emphasis on species from the Adelaide area. In contrast with these oblique edges, the northwestern corner of the building is lifted from the streetscape, highlighting the building's main entry.
At the building's heart is the Hall, a multifunctional space that hosts sport activities, events, and ceremonies. Equipped with its own climbing wall and a student lounge mezzanine, the 1,600-square-metre room features distinctive red elements juxtaposed against timber walls.
UniSA Sport packs a gymnasium, dance studio, and a 25-metre-long swimming pool into its basement space. The project adheres to UniSA's target of 15 percent reduction in campus-wide carbon emissions by 2021, instituting passive design strategies that reduce energy use. The glazed walls of the lobby open to allow natural ventilation, while other glass surfaces welcome natural light to reduce heating costs.
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