Pridham Hall | Adelaide, Australia | JPE Design Studio & Snøhetta

Pridham Hall
The north side of the building folds to the street, creating public seating terraces and green wing gardens, expanding and contributing to the urban realm. Photography | Mark Syke

More than just a building, Pridham Hall represents a transformative strategic project for the University of South Australia. As the new social heart of the City West campus, the Hall is a vibrant space where recreation, celebration and urban transformation is central to the design.

Pridham Hall
The northern green wings and amphitheatre present a new iconic form in the west end of Adelaide. Photography | Mark Syke

The hall and landscape welcome the public, providing an accessible external public realm including an amphitheatre and green terraced areas for students, visitors and community alike. The inclusive nature of the public interface invites participation and engenders a genuine sense of community ownership and engagement, making visible the vibrant cultural life of the University.

Pridham Hall
The western amphitheatre connects with the ground plane, expanding the public realm and inviting public interaction with the built form. Photography | Mark Syke

Building and landscape are one – the North-Western facade peels back to give priority to pedestrians and deliver an extension to the urban realm, while the adjacent roof folds to meet the street, creating two externally accessible terraces at the northern and western interfaces flanked with green wing gardens.

Pridham Hall
The northern green wings give a stunning foreground from the upper level of the Hall to the streetscape below. Photography | Kate Dekok

The four iconic green wings ground and connect the building to the public realm and landscape context.

Pridham Hall
The northern facade of the Hall is softened by the dramatic planted wings.
Photography | Kate Dekok

The project team designed an innovative wing structure in liaison with civil and structural engineers to support a functioning, living system with integrated irrigation, drainage, waterproofing and maintenance. The unique application of bank stabilization and soil technology allowed planting on unprecedented grades of up to 43 degrees in a shallow soil depth.

Pridham Hall
The northern green wings give a stunning foreground from the upper level of the Hall to the streetscape below. Photography | Kate Dekok

The landscape planting is designed to produce an exceptional year-round display of ever changing textures and colours that showcase species from Southern Australia, with emphasis on those from the Adelaide region. Seasonal flowering attracts native bird and butterfly species, enhancing local biodiversity and educating users through a dynamic experience.

Pridham Hall
The Hindley Streetscape takes on a new dimension with the addition of a strong planted element. Photography | Kate Dekok
Pridham Hall
Carefully selected plant species have flourished in the challenging conditions on site. Photography | Kate Dekok
Pridham Hall
Carefully selected plant species have flourished in the challenging conditions on site. Photography | Kate Dekok
Pridham Hall
The planting palette has been curated to interact with the dynamic building form, softening and complementing the angular facade. Photography | Kate Dekok

An intentional gathering space, the western amphitheatre is integrated with the adjacent Høj Plaza and Jeffrey Smart Building, creating opportunities for outdoor cinema and events.

Pridham Hall
The northern green wings and public terrace occupy the entire street frontage and create the building address. Photography | Mark Syke

Opened in April 2018, the building and landscape have welcomed students and the public as a democratic place of celebration and renewal; a new public realm for Hindley Street and a benchmark for socially focussed development in the city. By transforming the on-campus student experience, Pridham Hall has become a civic landmark for the University, as well as the city.

Pridham Hall
The northern green wings and public terrace at early evening. Photography | Mark Syke

Pridham Hall | Adelaide, Australia | JPE Design Studio & Snøhetta

Design Team: JPE Design Studio & Snøhetta
Client: University of South Australia
Planting System Input: Graeme Hopkins & Fytogreen
Engineer: Aurecon

Shortlisted for the 2019 WLA Awards – Built Small category

About Damian Holmes 3401 Articles
Damian Holmes is the Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture (WLA). He is a registered landscape architect (AILA) working in international design practice in Australia. Damian founded WLA in 2007 to provide a website for landscape architects written by landscape architects. Connect on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianholmes/