MDW returns 14–24 May for an 11-day program of talks, tours, exhibitions, launches, installations and workshops held across Melbourne. This year’s program sees Japanese industrial designer Shunji Yamanaka delivering a keynote at the National Communication Museum, presenting work that traverses prosthetics, robotics and product design. At Melbourne School of Design, a keynote and exhibition will mark 25 years of practice by Alison Page, foregrounding Blak design methodologies. US architect Tom Kundig, best known for projects across residential, commercial and cultural sectors, is also slated to speak, extending the program’s international reach.
Within the broader Vivid Sydney 2026 program, a curated series of talks and discussions brings together leading voices from architecture and design. Among the highlights is Dong-Ping Wong, an architect and founding director of Food in New York, whose work explores the intersection of food, social space and design. He will join a panel examining how creative industries can foster more equitable and ethical ways of working. Also set to present is Joshua Vermillion, associate professor of architecture at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, who will present his research into experimental architecture, immersive environments and digital fabrication – offering insight into how emerging technologies are reshaping the built environment. Vivid Sydney will run between 22 May and 13 June.
In a world of constant change, interiors that can flex and endure are more valuable than ever. In this talk on 20 May, John Ellway of John Ellway Architect, Will Rathgeber of Studio Plenty, and Iva Foschia of IF Architecture will explore how designing for change, comfort and reuse can extend the lifespan of interiors, reduce waste and create spaces that remain relevant as needs evolve.
Coordinated by the National Trust for more than 45 years, the Australian Heritage Festival celebrates the significance of the country’s natural, built, cultural and social heritage through events and activities in each state and territory. Among the highlights, the heritage-listed White Bay Power Station in Sydney – recently restored and reconstructed by heritage architecture firm Design 5 and FDC Construction and Fitout – will open for tours between 18 April and 16 May. A series of events will also highlight the work of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahoney Griffin in the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag, including an open day on 3 May with four of the houses they designed accessible to the public.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
