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The auditorium as yarning circle.

The auditorium as yarning circle.

A reflective pool greets visitors who arrive at the eastern entrance.

A reflective pool greets visitors who arrive at the eastern entrance.

Gadigal Centre of Excellence

The first threshold visitors must pass on their way to the GCE is a veil of casuarinas that trace the perimeter of the site. These trees are known to some Indigenous groups as ‘babysitter trees’ for their distinct appearance and the soft bed of needles their foliage creates. Indigenous poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal has written of them: “The she-oak will shift its branches in the breeze and sing and that’s when you know you’re being watched.” This idea then sets the tone for the building’s premise: that it may function as both a landmark and meeting place; a design that demonstrates the possibility of an architecture of care.

Georgina Cooke

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Gadigal Centre of Excellence

The first threshold visitors must pass on their way to the GCE is a veil of casuarinas that trace the perimeter of the site. These trees are known to some Indigenous groups as ‘babysitter trees’ for their distinct appearance and the soft bed of needles their foliage creates. Indigenous poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal has written of them: “The she-oak will shift its branches in the breeze and sing and that’s when you know you’re being watched.” This idea then sets the tone for the building’s premise: that it may function as both a landmark and meeting place; a design that demonstrates the possibility of an architecture of care.

Georgina Cooke

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We recognise and pay respect to the Elders and communities - past, present, and emerging - of the lands that the University of Sydney's campuses stand on. For thousands of years they have shared and exchanged knowledges across innumerable generations for the benefit of all.

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