Administration block and Great Hall from north-east car park
From the foyer the view of the hall has been purposely restricted. Only as one passes through the doors beneath the balcony and mezzanine is the grand scale of the hall revealed. Here parquet flooring, timber acoustic panelling, timber reflecting and white absorbent ceiling, and white painted rough textured plaster offset the rug- ged concrete structure which domin- ates the exterior. Indeed, the warm. pleasant atmosphere of the interior is emphasised by the boldness of the
structure.
Two spiralling staircase towers, set amid cascading chandeliers, lead to the balcony or mezzanine.
Between the Great Hall and the Administration Block is the court room, within whose quiet and pro- tective conical form the troubles and progress of the university will be de- bated.
Immediately adjacent to the Great Hall is the dominating fly tower of the Theatre. On completion this theatre will allow scope and oppor- tunity in drama which was hitherto lacking in Malaysia. It will trans- form from the traditional proscenium form of stage to Elizabethan, open stage, theatre-in-the-round, or any ex- perimental trend which may come forward in the future.
Materials
The complete structure is of in situ reinforced concrete, fair-faced intern- ally and externally, using boarded formwork. The fair-faced concrete provides the unifying element. Other materials used are "natural" or "earthy" and have been selected for their texture and colour. There is no applied colour.
The flooring of the external walk- ways and foyers is unpolished ter- razzo tiles laid to the 4 ft. module. Vinyl tiles are laid in the Administra- tion Block and parquet in the Great Hall and Theatre. The terracing is rough surfaced precast slabs.
Ceilings comprise suspended soft board and timber in the administra-
Entrance to Great Hall from car park
Far East Architect & Builder October, 1966
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