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Emily McPherson re-opens
The iconic Emily McPherson building, on the corner of Russell and Victoria streets
in Melbourne, re-opens tomorrow as RMIT University’s new home for its Graduate
School of Business and Law.
When the late Queen Mother, then Duchess of York, opened the building in 1927,
it was known as the Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy. In 1979, the
Emily McPherson College amalgamated with RMIT and programs taught expanded
to include fashion, textiles and food science.
Over the past three years the building, with its simplified neo-Greek external
treatment, has received a $40 million refurbishment to create a state-of-the-art
learning and teaching facility.
The generous, high-volumed spaces of the original classrooms have been
reinterpreted as “next generation” collaborative learning environments that make
the most of the access to natural light and outlook for today’s high-flying
postgraduate students.
The new facilities include a premium student lounge, Wi Fi access and customised
study spaces – business class airport-style lounge facilities, a dedicated café,
tailored executive meeting spaces, and a roof terrace.
Vice-Chancellor and President, RMIT University, Professor Margaret Gardner AO,
said that students would enjoy occupying the new spaces.
“A fundamental part of the brief to the architects for this project, Lovell Chen, was
the need for spaces in this building to be interactive and flexible to encourage
postgraduate students to linger, chat and engage with their peers.
“This has been wonderfully realised in the newly refurbished Emily McPherson
Building,” Professor Gardner said.
Senator Christopher Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and
Workplace Relations, will open the new facility, which is part of the first stage of a
$600 million capital works program over the next five years – the largest
expenditure on capital works in RMIT’s 123-year history. RMIT received $16.7
million from the Australian Government.
What: Emily McPherson Building Opening by Senator Christopher Evans
When: Friday, 22 October, 9.30am-11.30am
Where: Emily McPherson Building, RMIT University, corner Russell and
Victoria streets, Melbourne
For further information or comment: Deborah Sippitts, RMIT University
Communications, (03) 9925 3116 or 0429 588 869.
21 October, 2010
NEWS 
