The ANU Birch Building Refurbishment sensitively integrates a complex and service-demanding new teaching curriculum into an existing building, the merit of which is significantly enhanced by the thoughtful alterations and additions.

This is a rare project, where restraint and clarity prevail; the hand of the architect is evident but not dominant. New decisions and moments are always guided by the existing architecture, respectfully integrated without the appearance of constraint.

The atmospheric outcome is a sequence of shared spaces embodying a sense of inventive nostalgia. This is not a yearning for the past; instead, spaces optimistically capture qualities that we have mostly experienced in film and printed material, and transform them into quiet and dignified experiences. The mastery in this transformation must be celebrated; it speaks of an elegance and dignity appropriate to a national capital.

What makes the outcome even more remarkable is that it was accomplished without the benefit of established user groups or a fully defined curriculum. Hassell responded to the brief strategically, with diverse and flexible teaching spaces and experiences that will allow for future change and ensure the longevity of a building that was once undervalued.