Making history visible-inside and out

The University of Melbourne has revolutionised the teaching of the Bachelor of Arts, by offering students new ways of learning and seeing. The stunning new Arts West building provides the University's Arts Precinct with a dedicated, high-quality teaching and learning environment. The innovative design of the new building will directly influence the way the Bachelor of Arts is taught with an emphasis on informal learning spaces and the use of space as a catalyst for the creation of learning communities. Starting with the exterior, the visual impact is immediate with representations of images from the University's rich Cultural Collections. These images are abstract, encouraging exploration and interpretation - like the process of enquiry and revelation which underpins learning and discovery. The feature image on the north façade of the building is by Indigenous artist Tommy McRae documenting the history of and settler culture in Victoria. This image, in combination with the other feature images, highlights that Indigenous knowledge systems and cultures are at the foundation of the Faculty of Arts? intellectual traditions.