Access all levels is an integrated artwork created for the Flinders University Tonsley Building by CHEBart—a collaborative art and design practice founded in 2013 by Christine Cholewa and Deb Jones. Trained as glass artists, both Cholewa and Jones have developed expansive practices that incorporate stone, timber, metal and glass. Together, they have created numerous community-focused public artworks, each shaped by the specific context and character of its site.
This approach is apparent in Access All Levels, where the artists responded to Hassell’s architectural vision by engaging with themes of reflection and connection in a building defined by voids and expansive light wells. CHEBart’s use of angled mirrors within meeting stations on each level strengthens the architects’ intent to encourage cross-pollination between industry and the University. These mirrors make visible the ways people move, work and interact, reinforcing and enhancing the building’s ethos.
In concert with large-scale, custom-designed mirrors suspended in the entry forecourt, the meeting stations extend lines of sight, open portals to unexpected vistas and offer an uncanny experience of seeing through the building. These visual interventions amplify the artists’ intent for the work to be perceived as integral to the architectural fabric. In doing so, Access All Levels acts as a conduit through which occupants, clients and visitors connect more deeply with the building—and with each other. The work exemplifies how subtle artistic intervention can enrich spatial perception and foster meaningful connection.
