Lyons' award-winning design for the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University reflects this revolution in science's relationship with society. The purpose-designed building accommodates one of Australia's leading biomedical research institutes, as well as acting as the gateway to ANU's postgraduate scientific research precinct.

Combining specialist workshops, a large public foyer and exhibition space, a 200 seat auditorium, a café, research laboratories, meeting and social spaces and office accommodation for researchers and staff, the building fuses scientific research with its public face.

The entrance to the school, with its sweeping stairs and civic-scaled plaza, greets visitors as a public place, a place of interaction and activity. It establishes the school as a threshold space, where the quiet work of scientific research is joined by a sense of community and an openness to the public.

The building's façade, inscribed with scientific symbolism, stands as a monument to the work that takes place inside. Bands of aluminium trace the full circumference of the building.

At its front, they twist around an invisible centre, mimicking the iconic image of DNA strands. At the rear, they alternate with exposed aggregate banding that frames a series of precast concrete panels. The panels represent the work of the school at four different scales: the chemical bases of the DNA molecule, the DNA molecule itself, cells and the human body. The shifting scale connects the work of medical advances and the familiar images of scientific discovery to our lived world and our actual body. It visually draws the school's research into the ambit of everyday life, pointing to the increasing socialisation of science.

The tinted glass that dominates the façade creates a sense of transparency, a visual link between passers-by on the campus and researchers in their labs and offices. It banishes the myth of the scientist removed from the world, working in a dark lab under flickering lights. Instead, these scientists work in daylit labs, with views on the outside and real environmental benefits. The foyer even offers the public views into working laboratories, demystifying the often foreign world of science.

Inside, however, the key focus shifts from public display to personal interaction. Entering on the main level, visitors are welcomed by the building's public spaces, ranging from the auditorium and café to interactive displays in the foyer. This creates a focus point for circulation and social interaction that extends through the building by way of the central location of lifts, stairs and balconies.

The labs, too, are mindful of the importance of collaboration to scientific research. Specially designed for flexibility, they include movable benching and flexible services that allow the laboratories to be reconfigured to respond to the specific needs of research teams. Consequently, the labs can readily accommodate a range of researchers and projects, from small groups to large research teams.

Appropriately for a building that aims to present a public face for science, the John Curtin School for Medical Research is deeply aware of issues of sustainability, incorporating a number of green initiatives in keeping with the ANU's green building policy. Lyons have careful controlled internal temperatures through a north-south orientation combined with laminated glass and sunshading to north façade windows. A thermal mass labyrinth below the entry stairs pre-cools air to teaching spaces, while a thermal chimney encourages ventilation. Openable windows and mixed-mode air conditioning supplement these passive devices, allowing the occupants to control the temperature and limiting excessive energy consumption.

The John Curtin School of Medical Research is the new face of science, reflecting a world in which laboratories are a part of society and a social place. Functioning simultaneously as a built ambassador for the scientific community, and a place of interaction between researchers, staff and students, the building promotes new interfaces between science and its world. +

PREVIOUS The John Curtin School of Medical Research presents a striking façade that visually defines the school. 1 The broad steps invite the public to enter and socialise, transforming the entrance into a civic space. 2 At the rear, digitally-formed precast concrete panels depict the DNA molecule, the chemical basis which make up DNA, and cells. The aluminium banding alternates with exposed aggregate to create a striking modern look. 3 Corridors offer glimpses of the inner workings of the school, with interconnecting stairs to promote social interaction. A striking colour scheme of deep blue, black and gold sets a tone that combines professionalism with excitement. IMAGES by John Gollings.