The multi-storey, brown brick building on the QUT Gardens Point bend of the river, dubbed by some as "Brisbane's ugliest building", has had a rapid makeover.
Visible from the freeway, Goodwill Bridge and South Bank, L Block on Queensland University of Technology's (QUT) city campus is now swathed in Queensland's first building "wrap".
It carries an elegant artist's impression of the university's $230 million Science Technology Precinct and Community Hub now under construction on land behind the building.
The wrap spans five floors of L Block, measures 1313.50sqm and is made of lightweight fabric weighing only 355g/sqm
QUT associate director redevelopment Anthony Perrau said the 45,000sqm precinct will provide world-class work spaces for high-impact research in science, technology, engineering and maths, as well as modern, technology rich social learning spaces.
"It will also become a social hub for the university and the wider community as it will be equipped with a modern gym, vibrant restaurants and cafes and a 50m pool," Mr Perrau said.
"L Block has served the Gardens Point campus well for more than three decades, however, it has become unsustainable to run. The spaces are also not suitable for modern teaching, learning and research activities. Most of the materials from the demolished block will be recycled."
L Block has been home to thousands of engineering students over its 30-plus year history and is now temporarily hosting relocated campus services such as the refectory and bookshop as well as being used as a site office for the current construction.
Leighton Contractors, appointed as the designer and constructor of the new precinct, installed the building wrap.
Leighton Contractors northern region general manager Darren Weir said this unique form of artwork would represent QUT's vision of a world-leading, purpose-built research centre.
"With the new Science and Technology Precinct and Community Hub to place QUT at the forefront of the science and technology fields, it is only fitting that construction of the project include unique attributes such as this building wrap, which is a first for Queensland," Mr Weir said.
"As always with any Leighton Contractors project, safety remains our top priority in this high risk activity of installing the wrap. We have applied engineering solutions to ensure the wrap is safely erected and adheres to Brisbane City Council regulations."
The L Block wrap also carries the logos of the Science and Technology Precinct funders:
- Commonwealth Government
- Queensland Government
- The Atlantic Philanthropies
- QUT.
