Arcadia Australia

By Patrick Franklyn, Associate Director, Internships

Arcadia Sydney students recently explored hidden art galleries in Chippendale, terrific new architecture, and the urban wonders of new theatre and private homes (that seat 70 for lunch!) in the first of a series of Sydney Exposed walking tours.

You Know We Were Matched on a Very Special Day was an exhibition where artist Emma Thomson used the dating site Tinder to invite lads to have their bare-chested portraits taken – intriguing! International 'starchitect', Frank Gehry’s new University of Technology Sydney (UTS) building was visited along with other new award winner buildings at the amazing UTS – breathtaking. We got to know the slick new UTS campus courtyard in depth by visiting the office of the designers Aspect Landscape Architects. As Aspect are the city's best pubic-space designers, the visit was REALLY interesting and gave everyone the backstory on the creative processes involved with designing the city's new public foreshore at Barangaroo, Darling Harbour – complex stuff. Next, we sped backstage to Belvoir Theatre and walked along the ridgeline of Prince Alfred Park, offering unique panoramic views of the city skyline.

Stuffed with Bourke Street Bakery delights, we ended our walk with doodling quietly for an hour at the beautiful and tucked-away, Brett Whitley Studio with our special guest art-instructor, wonderful Liz Gervay.

It was a terrific day that could only be topped off with ice cream at Messina – YUM! YUM! YUM!

Patrick Franklyn is the Associate Director, Internships for the Sydney Internship Program and Sydney Internship Program Summer.