100 years of Sydney's School of Architecture, Design and Planning

In celebration of 100 years, the School of Architecture, Design and Planning will host a series of engaging activities and events. Central to these is the Sydney Centennial series which focuses on defining the roles of architecture, design and planning to ensure a sustainable future.

Internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind will be special guest at the first symposium in this series, Cathedral Thinking - Designing for the Next Century. A panel of local and international speakers, including the University’s Professor Nicole Gurran, writer and Associate Professor in Urbanism Elizabeth Farrelly and Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe Nick Law, will reflect on the past, discuss current challenges and explore the future of design.

Delivering a keynote speech at the Centenary Gala event, Daniel Libeskind will discuss his unique career path and high-profile projects including the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the masterplan for the reconstruction of Ground Zero in New York.

As Australia’s top-ranked school in the field of architecture and the built environment, and its inclusion in the top tier of the global rankings, the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning has been a continual source of innovative thinking and ground-breaking research.

The School’s history is punctuated with decades of academic and institutional achievement. Established in 1918 as the School of Architecture, it offered the first architecture degree under Leslie Wilkinson as Chair of Architecture.

The following year an undergraduate Bachelor of Architecture degree commenced, with the Faculty of Architecture forming in 1920. The First Bachelor of Architecture was balanced, with four women and four men.

The School has achieved many world firsts; in 1953 the world’s first chair in Architectural Sciences was established under Jack Cowan; and in 1964 the world’s first graduate program in Architectural Science, the Master of Building Science, was offered.

Professor John Redmond, Dean of the School of Architecture, Design and Planning says: ““It’s fitting that Australia’s first university also produced its first university faculty of architecture. Its history has always been characterised by a strong desire to be at the cutting edge of the built environment.

“The School of Architecture, Design and Planning continues to be blessed with outstanding leaders with high aspirations for their discipline and therefore is in a strong position to help shape humanity’s environment during the next 100 years.”

Event: Centenary Symposium
When: 2-3 August
Cost: Open to all with online registrations required.
View Symposium details