The project brief required a replacement of the draconian notion of the ‘Grease Monkey’ with the respected and valued offer of professional skills training.

This project showcases the automotive industry through a world leading building that sets new benchmarks and environmental performance in a state of the art training facility. This automotive trade training facility is a powerful contribution to contemporary tertiary education and a showcase for the automotive industry.

The project brief required a replacement of the draconian notion of the ‘Grease Monkey’ with the respected and valued offer of professional skills training, technology and innovation. The facility provides an opportunity to bring collaborative learning to the heart of the Docklands, serving as a central and iconic statement within it’s urban context. This is a building set in the public realm offering an enhanced sense of ‘soul’ to the extended south west corner of the Melbourne CBD.

This facility demonstrates a robust and muscular aesthetic in juxtaposition with delicate surface treatment of a highly detailed facade. This detailed and complex layering of elements is a metaphor for the machine as object of desire. This is dramatically demonstrated in the hero shield, a facade that peels away to reveal the chassis, crafted moving parts, electronic elements and referencing of future technologies.

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