Statement
Despite the rapid evolution of global society since the early 1990’s, the culture of St Paul’s College has been unchanged for the last 150 years. As a “scandal- plagued" college, the institution has undertaken a series of fundamental changes in order to rediscover its place within the community today. The meeting place will be located within the geographical centre of the College, the Quad.
The concept aims to be a seating area that prompts interpersonal connection, and internal reflection. The design addresses the lack of proper environmental design shown throughout the college, while also responding to the cultural disregard of the institution deep-rooted in colonialism. Parallels are intended to be drawn between the concealment of the coffee cup footings, and the covering up of the college’s objectively problematic foundations. The way in which the trashed cups attempt to homogenise with the natural environment is suggestive of the way in which the foundations of both the structure and the college impose themselves upon and within the land.
While responding to the historical issues of the site’s context, the concept also looks forward to the future of the college. The meeting place as an experience will grow and develop overtime to represent a reconciled future. The scheme itself has been developed by the addition of Australian Grass Trees (Xanthorrhoea) amongst the meeting place and around the quad’s perimeter to juxtapose colonial imposition with Aboriginal lifestyles, and how this can work in the future. A future where what we see is an understanding and appreciation of everything that came before, is there now, and will be there in the future.
