Alumni may now need a map when returning to their alma mater—the formerly windswept and barren Quad has been transformed into a vibrant new central building.
Known as the Hub, the three-level building is the cornerstone of recent improvements to the Kelburn Campus, which include the refurbishment of the Library and a revamped Student Union Building.
The Hub features a grand two-storey reading room connected to the Library, informal learning spaces, cafés, food outlets and a pharmacy. It also includes the largest sliding glass doors in the Southern Hemisphere (each weighing 10 tonnes and measuring six metres tall) that connect indoor spaces to the Tim Beaglehole Courtyard, named after Victoria’s former Chancellor.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh says the space has quickly become a bustling meeting point for students.
“It’s excellent to see that feedback provided by alumni when they were students has informed a building which is being used so wholeheartedly by current students. From beginning to end, students have been involved in all aspects of the redevelopment project through the University’s partnership with the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association Trust. Through this partnership the Hub has truly created a central heart to our Kelburn Campus.”
A new way of delivering services for students was also introduced as part of the redevelopment project. Vic Info Ihonui, an information service, was set up in the Hub for students to visit between lectures to find information about the Library, academic, IT and other university services.