Built on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation

Like a hinge, the theatrical four-storey double-helix stairway linking the student floors establishes a rapport between the interior of UTS Central and the urban surrounds. Photograph: Andy Roberts

Wrapped in glass,

FJMT’s tower “tangos” with the brutalist 1979 tower by Michael Dysart, with a “cut” in the new tower appearing to reference the stacked floors of the old. Photograph: Andy Roberts

The podium – which includes a learning commons, library, reading room, collaborative classrooms, general teaching spaces and student services – overlooks Alumni Green. Photograph: Tyrone Branigan

The building is conceived as a container embracing diverse functions, with in-between areas operating as a hybrid of served and service spaces. Photograph: Rodrigo Vargas