Evelyn Reynolds

The Premier of Tasmania is inviting “bold, transformational ideas” for the repurposing of the Treasury Building Complex in Hobart, for which a Registration of Interest (ROI) process has been recently launched.
Treasurer Guy Barnett said the repurposing of the Treasury Complex presents a unique opportunity in the heart of Hobart.
“We have seen the amazing development at Parliament Square and the Tasman, which has not only preserved the heritage characteristics of the buildings but is now home to […] hospitality offerings, accessible to Tasmanians and visitors to enjoy.
“It is time that the [Treasury Complex] buildings were brought back to life, creating a new space for us all to discover,” Barnett said.
The Treasury Complex, which was constructed between 1824 and 1957, comprises eight interconnected and adjoining civic buildings that are registered on the Tasmanian Heritage Register. The complex has a floor area of more than 8,200 square metres and a net lettable area of just under 5,100 square metres. It is currently under the custodianship of the Department of Treasury and Finance.
A release from the Treasurer’s office notes that the complex “is ripe for a suitable development which can stimulate investment, growth and confidence in the state right throughout the design, construction and operational stages as well as create more jobs and economic activity within Southern Tasmania.”
An Expressions of Interest (EOI) process for the complex was first initiated in 2018, however the attempt was abandoned due to the shifting government priorities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The newly launched ROI process is the first stage of three stages of work to be undertaken. For this stage, interested proponents as well as community members are invited to share their vision for the complex.
According to the Treasury Complex website, “proponents are encouraged to suggest innovative delivery models and imaginative future uses. […] This could include, but is not limited to, leasing, selling, refurbishing or repurposing the complex.”
The Tasmanian government notes that visions to repurpose the complex should:

“Deliver a long-term sustainable outcome that conserves and protects the history and heritage of place.
Ensure that the site continues to connect with and complement its surroundings.
Consider innovative and adaptive future uses.
Consider opportunities for enhanced accessibility for the Tasmanian community.”

The premier’s office anticipates that the ROI will be followed by an EOI phase and then an invitation to tender towards the end of 2025.
The Treasury Complex website notes that the Department of Treasury and Finance “will review proponents’ proposals for their capabilities to deliver a project such as this, how closely the proposals meet the vision and objectives for the site; and to what extent the future uses proposed are commercially sustainable.”
More information on the project and the steps to undertake the ROI process can be found online. More

Australia’s exhibition at the nineteenth International Architecture Exhibition has opened today in the Venice Giardini as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale Vernissage. Titled Home, the exhibition design is authored by an all-First Nations team and focuses on finding commonalities between cultures through shared meanings of “home.”
The installation features a curved rammed earth wall and bench seat that wrap a circular, sand-filled ceremonial space at the centre of the pavilion. Lining the perimeter of the space, a plaster-cast “living cloak” bears the textural imprints of its fabrication.

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A release from the Australian Institute of Architects, which commissioned the project, notes that the design encapsulates “a serene and highly sensory domain […] inspired by the vast, beautifully storied natural terrains of the Australian continent.” The release adds that “the exhibition explores the relationship of Country with the oldest continuous living culture in the world.”
For the design and construction of the exhibition, the three appointed creative directors – Dr Michael Mossman, Emily McDaniel and Jack Gillmer-Lilley – collaborated with an extended creative sphere of First Nations practitioners, including Kaylie Salvatori, Clarence Slockee, Elle Davidson and Bradley Kerr.
Through the process of creating Home in Venice, the directors aimed to demonstrate the power of a collaborative design approach to Australian architecture rooted in First Nations yarning. They noted that their vision of Home “presents a design approach that has been gathering momentum that Indigenises the built environment through moments and locations between cultures.”
“For Home, guests will share their stories to cultivate a deeper sense of agency, custodianship and reciprocity,” the directors said. “This will contribute to the evolution of living environments that continually regenerate ways of being, knowing and doing through the activation of inclusive dialogue and relationships.”

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Australia’s exhibition at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale is the first since the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum. With their installation, the directors have aimed to pursue further opportunities for dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
According to the Institute’s release, the yarning process at the heart of the creative directors’ approach to Home highlights a culturally inclusive practice that breaks down hierarchies to allow all voices to be heard.
The installation brought together 125 architecture and design students from 11 universities to participate in making the exhibit. The students were united under a learning program led by hosted by the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning, and led by Mossman and Davidson, in what the Institute has called “the largest school of architecture collaboration in Australia.”
Students were tasked with designing “living belongings” – objects that articulated their deep reflections of home – that visitors are invited to interact with.

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Co-creative director Emily McDaniel commented, “Home is a generous and timely offering to the Venice Architecture Biennale that will welcome visitors as active contributors and participants.”
The Australia Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale is open to the public from Saturday 10 May to Sunday 23 November 2025. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has announced the appointment of Adam Haddow as national president and current Victorian chapter president David Wagner to the position of national president-elect.
Haddow’s tenure commenced at the conclusion of the 2025 Annual General Meeting on 3 May. He assumed the role from Jane Cassidy, who has served as national president the past year.
Haddow reflected, “I am both honoured and excited to be stepping into the role of national president of the Australian Institute of Architects. This is a crucial time for our country and industry. Sustainability is the greatest challenge of our lives, housing affordability the greatest of our generation.”
Likening the role of national president to one of a relay runner “without a first or last runner,” Haddow noted that his “role is to pick up where the last president finished and ensure that we run a good race for the next.
“I must congratulate our outgoing National President Jane Cassidy on her phenomenal work,” Haddow said. “Of particular note I want to point out Jane’s advocacy that led to all state and territory housing ministers agreeing on mandatory and aligned carbon reporting, her leadership in collaboration with the CEO to structurally realign the business of the Institute to ensure we are equipped for the next 50 years, and her leadership in appointing the first all First Nations curators to represent Australia at this year’s Architectural Venice Biennale.”

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Haddow promised to continue to champion Cassidy’s initiatives while “weaving three new objectives” into the discussion:
“First, an absolute focus on our profession being in the driving seat to help solve the national housing crisis,” he said.
“Second, that as an organisation we work out how to better listen, engage and mobilise our regional, rural and international members.
“Finally, a big ambition – a seismic shift in thinking from Architects to Architecture for the Institute and its advocacy agenda. Working together with National Council, the Board and many factions of influence – we will work to uncover a more outward facing organisation that can continue to advocate for the role of architecture in our communities. We need the academics, design managers, project managers, landscape architects, urban designers and interior designers who all trained in architecture to be part of us – so that together, and with numbers, we can advocate more broadly for what we believe in – that through good design Australia is a better place.” More

The National Capital Authority is inviting feedback on the first stage of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra City Masterplan.
The overarching masterplan, prepared by MGS Architects, Snøhetta and Turf Design Studio, proposes the staged development of a new UNSW campus in Canberra’s CBD – in what will be the tertiary institution’s second campus in the territory. The Australian Capital Territory government approved the masterplan for the campus in April 2023. Once complete, the UNSW Canberra City campus is anticipated to accommodate up to 5,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
The National Capital Authority (NCA) has now received a works approval application for the first of four project stages. Designed by Hassell, the first phase proposes the establishment of two six-storey buildings that will accommodate teaching, event and retail spaces on the lower floors, as well as workspaces and research areas for research partners on the upper levels. The first stage also includes basement car parking and associated landscaping.

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The proposed buildings will be located at the corner of Constitution Avenue and Coranderrk Street in Parkes. The site is currently occupied by the Canberra Institute of Technology, which will transfer its students to a new purpose-built campus in Woden.
According to Hassell’s design report, the stage one buildings are connected yet embrace a distinct character and massing. The report noted that Building One features a curved facade with solid infils and vertical fins that respond to the building’s orientation. In contrast, Building Two’s facade is characterised by a series of deep fins and vertical modules, incorporating both glazed and solid infills.
The two buildings are physically linked by a series of elevated bridges on the upper levels – a move intended to encourage interaction and collaboration between students, staff and research partners.
The report highlighted that sustainability has been a key focus in the project’s design. Consequently, the floor plans are intended to be flexible, allowing for the inclusion of various research partners and adapting to changes in building usage as the campus continues to develop and evolve.
Djinjama and Ngurra Advisory provided consultation on honouring and Connecting with Country in the design.
Feedback can be provided on the works approval application until 23 May. If approved, stage one of the Canberra City campus development is expected to be completed in 2026. The remainder of the site will be remain a car park until future stages of the development are progressed. More

An engaging conversation between architectural photographer John Gollings and Tania Davidge, the executive director and chief curator of Open House Melbourne, offers a reflective glimpse into Gollings’ evolutionary photography career from architecture to advertising and back again. Scheduled for 24 May in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat, this discussion will be complemented by visuals of projects that Gollings has captured, both in Ballarat and across the globe.

The 2025 national conference, set to take place in Sydney from 2 to 3 May, invites design practitioners from Australia and abroad to respond to the theme “Architecture and Action” and share stories that illustrate the capacity of design to instigate positive change. Featured speakers at this year’s conference include Mel Bright of Studio Bright (Australia), Vinu Daniel of Wallmakers (India), Dieter Leyssen of 51N4E (Belgium) and Jing Liu of SO-IL (United States), among others. Complementing the conference is a line-up of fringe events to be held across various locations in Sydney from 29 April to 4 May 2025.

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An exhibition of restored historical furniture from Cultivated and recycled timber pieces from Mark Tuckey showcased in a zero-waste, pop-up showroom designed by Foolscap Studio. Ren Tapley from Foolscap Studio, Joshua Ellis of Cultivated and David Schofield of Mark Tuckey will attend this Perth-based event on 8 May, each sharing their unique design stories.

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Melbourne Design Week will return from 15–25 May with more than 350 events, exhibitions, talks and installations highlighting emerging and established designers. One of the standout features of this year’s festival is 100 Lights, an immersive exhibition held at North Melbourne’s Meat Market Stables. Staged by Friends and Associates, this stunning display will feature lighting designs from over 100 artists, designers and makers. Another exhibition featured is Trent Jansen: Two Decades of Design Anthropology, a retrospective display reflecting on Jansen’s evolving body of work, from repurposing road signs to furniture and collaborating with First Nations makers.

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The winning design in a 2020 national design competition for a new permanent, civic pavilion at Waterman’s Cove, Barangaroo, has finally opened to the public. Commissioned by Infrastructure NSW (INSW) and designed by Sydney-based practice Besley and Spresser, the new structure functions as an event space and, according to the designers, “a place of public repose to take in harbour views and enjoy the public realm.”
The site forms part of a wider harbourside regeneration effort along the western edge of Sydney’s city centre – an area that has been a topic of great controversy over the past few years.
Director of Besley and Spresser Peter Besley said it was important that the new Pier Pavilion establish a public presence within Barangaroo. “We gave the pavilion a distinctly civic feel; all are welcome here,” he commented.
Coinciding with the building’s opening, INSW’s media release noted that the pavilion was “funded through developer contributions” and “underscores Barangaroo’s commitment to accessibility, design excellence and extensive public domain – with more than half of the precinct available for community use.”
Standing over seven metres high, the triangular pavilion possesses what INSW describe as a “lantern-like design [that] radiates light at night, creating a striking landmark on Sydney Harbour.”
According to a design statement from the architects, the pavilion references land, sea and sky through its form and material. Director Jessica Spresser noted, “We began the design process by focusing on the natural elements that compose the site. Sydney Harbour is a unique and beautiful landscape, and the building is uniquely positioned to respond to it.”

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In plan, the pavilion mimics the geometry of the harbour’s coves and peninsulas. A perimeter of 85 freestanding columns supports the pavilion’s landscaped roof, which is populated with nearly 2500 native plants, sandstone and hollow logs typical of surrounding headlands so as to attract native insects and birds and create microhabitats.
The project description from the architect noted that within the ceiling plane, “a circle of light from a large roof oculus roams across the ground […] balancing internal and external daylighting” and allowing the weather to enter. Underneath this canopy, a second, freestanding building known as the ‘cella’ accommodates a servery with bar, store and technical area to support events.

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The entirety of the pavilion is clad in a pioneering “oyster terrazzo,” combining whole Sydney rock oyster shells sourced from Sydney’s coastline with a variety of recycled aggregates. The material was developed by Besley and Spresser over a year of experimentation in order to express the connection between the pavilion and its site, where Sydney Rock oysters have flourished for millenia.
For Spresser, the use of the recycled shells was intended to reference communal gatherings by the sea. “We wanted to pay respect to the long history of oyster feasting in the area and to celebrate the use of a recycled material in the public realm,” she said.
According to INSW, nearly half a million oyster shells were recycled and used in the construction, which would have been otherwise committed to landfill. INSW noted that 92 percent of the building’s construction waste was also recycled. The project was delivered over a period of 13 months and with women in trades comprising seven percent of total work hours during construction, surpassing three times the industry average.
“The pavilion is intended to remain for a long time, and to figure in people’s memories of Sydney,” Besley reflected. “We think the shells will be particularly memorable for children.”
INSW commended Besley and Spresser for their creativity, expertise and collaborative approach.
“Besley and Spresser’s design for the Pier Pavilion at Barangaroo delivers a high-quality architectural solution that thoughtfully responds to its surroundings. Selected through a design competition, their approach celebrates the defining elements of the site – land, sky, and sea – while meeting Infrastructure NSW’s brief to create a prominent visual landmark. The result is a stunning public space where people can shelter, meet, gather and relax by the water.
“We are confident this versatile public space will leave a lasting legacy for locals and visitors to Barangaroo, fostering connection in an inclusive and visually striking setting.”
Infrastructure NSW head of projects Bruno Zinghini observed, “The Pier Pavilion is more than a landmark – it’s a celebration of collaboration, innovation and sustainability. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail demonstrates the dedication of everyone involved in bringing this iconic vision to life.”
The Pier Pavilion is open to visitors from 30 April. More

Plans are currently on exhibition on the Brisbane City Council website for a new hotel in South Brisbane designed by Bates Smart. The practice’s vision for the new Merivale Hotel project is to create a “relaxed urban retreat […] and authentic experience, derived from South Bank’s cultural identity.”
Located opposite the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre to the north and Musgrave Park to the south, the proposed luxury hotel contains 137 suites set within a lush, subtropical laneway setting. The site is only a few blocks away from Bates Smart and Richards and Spence’s proposal for a 216-suite hotel within a larger residential and commercial complex at 164 Melbourne Street.
According to Bates Smart’s design report, the firm’s approach to the Merivale Hotel has been underpinned by three pillars: assimilating the project into the neighbourhood character, realising the hotel as a mechanism for discovering the city through providing “excellent amenity,” and responding sympathetically to the specific project site.
The proposal for the new hotel is intended as a companion building to the existing Novotel hotel, and includes a cross-block public laneway connection between Merivale and Cordelia streets along the south-east boundary of the site. By sharing the existing basement access, loading dock and services infrastructure, Bates Smart argues that the proposal “will free up the Merivale site frontage and allow for opportunities to enhance and activate the streetscape.”

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On the ground floor, the hotel’s proposed café/bar and all-day dining spill out onto the public laneway. Subtropical planting is intended to further connect the laneway with the double-height lobby and dining spaces, which are located beneath a perimeter of suspended mezzanine planters.
Above the three-storey podium, the hotel rises a further 12 storeys. The thirteenth floor is dedicated to wellness facilities, including a city-facing pool, hot and cold plunge pools, steam room, sauna and treatment rooms. The floor above includes a bar and restaurant with indoor, outdoor and private dining.
According to Bates Smart director Mathieu le Sueur, “Together, these spaces create a dynamic rooftop atmosphere. Their design is relaxed but luxe, extending the feeling of context, climate and subtropical landscape from the ground floor to the top of the hotel.”
“The indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar – housed in an impressive steel and glass structure – backdrops spectacular views of the river and city,” he continued. “It is also visible on the skyline, marking the hotel as a new, exciting destination in South Brisbane.”

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Architecturally, the proposal’s facade is inspired by the monolithic, concrete-formed Queensland Art Gallery by Robin Gibson and the city’s “timber and tin” cottages. Articulated in two long, slender volumes, the proposed form is enveloped in an “open grid composed of angular, expressed concrete structure.” Within this framework, a series of lightweight, terracotta screens are designed to soften the concrete expression.
Le Sueur noted that “the hotel’s architecture draws directly from the precinct. Its materiality is inspired by Brisbane Tuff, a local volcanic rock found uniquely on Brisbane’s cliffs and in some of Brisbane’s oldest buildings.”
Taking cues from the postmodernist Art Gallery, “the rectilinear façade and articulated massing make for a striking expression,” Le Sueur said. “Landscape is also key; it anchors the ground floor and rooftop, and spills over the building’s planters and balconies.”
Bates Smart has designed the project according to Brisbane City Council’s Buildings That Breathe guidelines, with rooftop solar and rainwater harvesting.
The advertised application can be viewed online and is open for public comment until 7 May. More

The Hobart City Council has approved a development application that proposes the redevelopment of the disused University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music building on Sandy Bay Road into short-stay accommodation.
The Conservatorium of Music building, located at 5–7 Sandy Bay Road, has remained unoccupied for several years after being acquired by the Fragrance Group from the University of Tasmania in 2017. Before the university took over, the building served as studios for television and radio broadcaster, ABC.
The redevelopment application for 5–7 and 1–3 Sandy Bay Road and 2A Heathfield Avenue was approved at a Planning Authority Committee Meeting held on 23 April. According to a communique published by the council, the project will involve the demolition of parts of the former Conservatorium of Music building, a steel microwave transmission tower, a brick warehouse on Wilmot Street and a dwelling on Heathfield Avenue.
The project, designed by Scanlan Architects, consists of two “blocks” – one providing short-stay accommodation and the other supplying permanent residences. Block A, comprising a retained portion of the former Conservatorium of Music building and a new six-storey extension, will collectively accommodate 75 short-stay apartments and a ground-floor cafe. Block B will accommodate 12 residential townhouses. In total, 23 car parking spaces have been designated at the rear of the site for the use of short-term apartment users and cafe patrons, while 25 basement parking spaces have been allocated to townhouse occupants.
According to an architectural statement prepared by Scanlan Architects, the extension to the former Conservatorium of Music building has been designed to respect the scale and proportions of the original structure. “The new building design reflects a contemporary aesthetic while paying homage to the existing structure,” their statement reads. “By embracing the principles of adaptive reuse, our design sensitively merges old and new, creating a transition between the two architectural styles.”
A blue-green colour palette was selected for the vertical elements on the facade of Block A, paying homage to a heritage-listed mural created by George Davis in 1960 that faces Sandy Bay Road and will be retained.
The construction timeline for the project has not yet been announced. More