Growing Tree in the Geometric Ellipse
The Marcellin Flyover Gallery transforms a bridge connecting two buildings at Marcellin College into a space where everyday life, art, and nature coexist. To the east stands the school’s original senior learning building, completed in 1963; to the west is the junior learning building. Between them stands a eucalyptus tree, the symbolic heart of the campus courtyard. The project is organized around this tree. What began as a sketch of an ellipse embracing it evolved into the central spatial concept. The ellipse remains open, allowing students to approach, touch, and experience the tree.
The ellipse is experienced on two spatial planes. Looking down, it forms a garden surrounding the tree; looking up, it offers layered views of the garden and the tree canopy. The contrast between the geometric ellipse and the freely growing tree creates a tension between the organic qualities of nature and the order of architecture. As the mature tree had an extensive root system, a detailed root scan was conducted before construction. The positions of the four columns were then adjusted to avoid damaging the roots. The building’s outer form responds to the existing buildings, while the interior is organized around an elliptical void within a rectilinear envelope. The design also draws on the geometric language of minimalist artists Ellsworth Kelly, Ted Stamm, and Robert Mangold. Mangold’s ability to create tension through simple geometry became a key reference for the project.
On the opposite side, stepped seating provides a place to pause and look toward the tree. This contemplative space opens views to the courtyard, while a circular skylight at the junction of the wall and ceiling brings changing daylight into the interior throughout the day. Moving along the ramp, the ceiling gradually rises and the view expands. The compressed atmosphere at the lowest point gives way to a more open space framed by two large arched windows. Openings are deliberately limited to frame selected views while preserving the relationship with the tree. As a result, every view ultimately converges on a single focal point: the tree. The entrance facade reflects the school’s history and identity. Inspired by the arcade of the Hermitage in France, founded by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, it reinterprets asymmetrical arches, handcrafted textures, and a sloping ground line. Rather than a literal quotation, these elements serve as a visual link between the school’s origins and its present. Named Gallery for a Tree, the flyover now functions as a place for learning, exhibition, and rest. Centered on a single tree, it naturally expands the boundaries between architecture, nature, and education.
Project: Gallery for a Tree – [Flyover] – Marcellin College / Location: Level 01, Linkway between Junior School & Senior Learning Buildings Marcellin College, Bulleen, Victoria, Australia / Architect: Farrell Wray Architects / Project team: Ellie Farrell, Brad Wray / Builder: MDC Building Group / Formed concrete: Steelfox / Building surveyor: Michel Group Building Surveyors / Structural engineer: Ipsum Structures / Client: Marcellin College (Marco Di Cesare) / Use: gallery / Gross floor area: 91m2 / Materials: primary structure & volume_formed concrete; glass-re-enforced concrete vertical blades to facade_glass, aluminium, glass-face concrete render & GRC / Completion: 2026 / Photograph: ©Peter Clark (courtesy of the architect)
