Student Recreation Pavilion (Monash University, Clayton Campus)

Located in the south-east corner of the Clayton Campus and serving student residences nearby, this pavilion was inspired by Laugier’s primitive hut (representing a simple, spare, open enclosure) and Manet’s painting Le Dejeuner Sur L’Herbe (representing sybaritic recreational activities in a garden setting).

The glassy, steel framed building with north and west verandahs faces north over a recreational lawn and overlooks a small lake to the west. Comprising a large multi-purpose flexible space and ancillary areas (kitchen, toilets, storage) the interior and verandah spaces are designed to support a variety of individual and group activities. Although a building designed purely for pleasure, the pavilion has a serious purpose – to encourage social interaction among Monash’s resident students and prevent isolation, particularly among international students.

Photography - John Gollings