Centre for National Unification design selected for Global Grad Show
In Summary
- Swinburne graduate work in Global Grad Show exhibition
- Centre for National Unification on show in Dubai
- Centre design boosts resilience and helps refugees to cope with migration
Bachelor of Design - Interior Architecture graduate Georgina Spooner’s capstone design project has been selected for the high profile Global Grad Show in Dubai. The Global Grad Show is an exhibition of works from leading international design and technology schools. Over 150 graduate projects are selected for the prestigious showcase each year and graduates attend the event in Dubai in November.
Ms Spooner, now working for architecture, planning and interior design firm, Hames Sharley in Western Australia, graduated with first class honours in 2018. Her Centre for National Unification design project aims to bring the importance of social cohesion and collective humanity to the public stage.
The Centre is designed to boost resilience in Australian – and specifically Melbourne – communities to cope with future migration. It sets a new benchmark for educational and community spaces globally.
Intercultural education spaces, Centre for National Unification, images by Georgina Spooner.
Located in the Melbourne CBD, MsSpooner’s Centre for National Unification references philosophical concepts and approaches to enhance the perception and experience of the space.
“When considering the form of the building, I wanted to ensure it had a sense of place – a threshold between interior and exterior. Through the inclusion of lower level reflection spaces and walkways with imperceptible end points, the design lets visitors explore, stop, reflect, connect and trust the journey of the Centre,” says Ms Spooner.
Reflection and connection space, Centre for National Unification, image by Georgina Spooner.
Her minimalist design focuses visitors’ attention on our existence and humanity, with reflection and connection spaces, intercultural education areas, a cultural cinema and support and information level.
“We are currently witnessing the highest levels of displacement, on record, since World War Two. Globally, over the last decade, we have seen the number of displaced people more than double to 71 million. Forced migration will be a defining issue of the 21st century,” explains Ms Spooner.
“This project looks at current global social issues of migration and the issues faced by refugees. It highlights the significant role that designed spaces play in defining and perpetuating individual identity, and providing a sense of belonging. It illustrates the importance of the built environment in constructing an individual’s understanding of who they are and where they belong,” says Dr Quoc Phuong Dinh, lecturer Swinburne Bachelor of Design, Interior Architecture.
The week long Global Grad Show showcases design solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges to the public, press and industry. The show is a not-for-profit initiative that explores ideas from social to environmental, technological and economic.
The Centre for National Unification design project will be exhibited in architectural poster and banner formats and a 1:100 scale sectional model.