The University of New South Wales has long cherished the UNSW Bookshop as a cornerstone of academic life on the Randwick Campus. After years of serving the university community, the decision was made to rejuvenate this cherished institution. As quoted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs, "I think that this bookshop symbolises so many of those things. It brings them together to what I believe will be a truly important new focus for our campus." Being a prominent fixture of the campus, the responsibility for the design and fabrication documentation of the entrance canopy fell to AR-MA.
The conceptualisation of the canopy underwent a rigorous process of design iterations and variations. Throughout this phase, a comprehensive parametric 3D model served as the primary source of information. This model was then carried into the fabrication stage, updated with the requisite elements and data necessary for producing the component parts and assemblies. Additionally, the model functioned as a reference point for installation sequencing and on-site work, acting as a single source of truth throughout the entire process.
The canopy design comprises a steel structure that cantilevers 3.6m and is suspended from the pre-existing concrete slab. Spanning 18m across the bookshop's main facade, the structure is formed by a series of preassembled steel units linked by a fabricated double-curved continuous steel beam around the canopy's edge. 57 Rimex preassembled cladding panels are suspended from this steel structure, lending the canopy its distinctive golden finish.
