Evelyn Reynolds

Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower by 3XN and BVN has been named the World Building of the Year in this 15th annual World Architecture Festival (WAF), held in Lisbon.
Program director Paul Finch said the project was an excellent example of adaptive reuse, retaining a huge portion of an existing 50-year-old commercial tower.
“It has an excellent carbon story, and it is an example of anticipatory workspace design produced pre-COVID which nevertheless has provided healthy and attractive space for post-pandemic users,” said Finch.
Philip Oldfield, who reviewed Quay Quarter Tower for Architecture Australia, argued that the building is one of the most important of the 21st century, as a demonstration of how office towers of more than 100 metres could be adapted instead of demolished and replaced.
WAF/Inside World Festival of Interiors is the largest global annual event of architecture and interiors, bringing together members of the international design community in one city to celebrate the most prestigious achievements in architecture and design with the festival and awards ceremony.
The awards culminated in the announcement of World Building of the Year, World Interior of the Year, Future Project of the Year and Landscape of the Year.
Live for the first time in three years, the 2022 WAF/Inside iwas held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 November to 2 December.
Day one winners
Five Australian projects are among the 20 recipients across categories including completed buildings, future projects, interiors and masterplans. The day one Australian winners are as follows:
WAF Completed Buildings: School
Meadowbank Schools – Woods Bagot

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Meadowbank Schools by Woods Bagot. Image:

Trevor Mein

WAF Completed Buildings: Office
Quay Quarter Tower – 3XN and BVN
WAF Future Project: Infrastructure
North East Link – Warren and Mahoney, BKK Architects and Taylor Cullity, Lethlean Greenaway Architects and Greenshoot Consulting
Inside: Workplace (Large)
Yirranma Place – SJB
Inside: Workplace (Small)
Sculptform Design Studio – Woods Bagot
Day Two Winners
The day two winners comprised a diverse array of completed, future and interior projects over 20 categories.
Inside: Public Buildings
Te Ao Marama South Atrium – FJMT Studio, Jasmax and Design Tribe
WAF Completed Buildings: Mixed Use
80 Collins –Woods Bagot
See the full list of winners on the WAF website. More

A nine-storey mixed-use development has been proposed to rise above the future Town Hall metro station in Melbourne’s CBD.
Designed by Hassell, the building will envelop the historic Young and Jackson Hotel, established 1861, and will introduce new commercial office space, retail offerings and eateries to the precinct.
The site is located at a popular inner-city intersection at the convergence of Swanston and Flinders streets, with views of the adjacent Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral.

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The Swanston Street shopfront incorporates a canopy made from anodized bronze aluminium. Image: Hassell

In its planning submission to the City of Melbourne, Hassell said, “The intersection of Swanston Street and Flinders Street is an iconic and loved place in Melbourne… The proposal for 25 Swanston completes this intersection by providing a building that is contextually appropriate. The new building creates a beautifully proportioned, disciplined backdrop which will establish an enduring civic counterpoint to the inherently ‘expressive’ characteristics of the surrounding buildings.”
The design proposes a highly contextual response to site and precinct that celebrates the history of the location, while breathing new life into the surrounding area. The proposed “gridded facade [will provide] a holistic and consistent expression to a complex series of building volumes.”

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An internal public courtyard for alfresco use, featuring The Yard Stair as a public meeting space. Image: Hassell

The ground level will feature defined zones with purposeful shifts in material and expression. The Swanston Street building and station entrance will boast a confident and formal frontage that draws inspiration from the street context.
The Arcade will be a contemporary take on the classical Victorian arcade, while Cocker Alley will feature a two-storey glass pavilion inserted into the base of the commercial tower.
Scott Alley will draw on the identity of existing iconic Melbourne laneways, while internal public courtyard called The Yard will provide an alfresco meeting opportunities with kiosks and meeting stairs.
Hassell said the kiosk and meeting stairs will allow for pedestrian movement, while linking to key sight lines and providing moments of “activation and pause”.
The City of Melbourne will consider the proposal for at a meeting of its Future Melbourne Committee on Tuesday 6 December. The planning officers’ report recommends that the proposal be supported for ministerial referral. More

Architecture Media has launched a new and unique award aimed at highlighting the potential of design practice to make difference in the lives of people.
The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact is the only accolade of its kind in Australia and was established to reward practice that prioritizes empathy over aesthetics and empowers its end users.
Rory Hyde, jury convenor and associate professor at Melbourne School of Design, said, “Architecture has always been about social impact, about making change for people and society. And yet this aspect of architecture is too often overshadowed by the aesthetic and the visual. This award is long overdue as a way to recognize and celebrate the outstanding projects that make a difference to the public, to local communities, and underrepresented groups.”
Submission to this award may relate to issues such as social cohesion, racial justice, inclusive housing, accessibility, equity, and social sustainability. The judging criteria will focus on demonstrable social benefit.
“In this way, it is also about celebrating new ways of working and new forms of practice,” Hyde said. “Did the designer help to raise the funds? Did they shape the brief to raise the ambition? Did they work with the community to conceive and construct it? Are they advocating for those voices normally not invited to the table?
“It’s my hope that this award can change the conversation of the role and purpose of the design professions, and to recognize those clients and practitioners who are working hard to create change.”
The inaugural jury comprises Troy Casey (director of Blaklash Creative), Esther Charlesworth AM (co-founder and executive director of Architects Without Frontiers), Ben Gauntlett (disability discrimination commissioner, Australian Human Rights Council), Jeremy McLeod (founder of Breathe), and Katelin Butler (editorial director of Architecture Media).
Entry to the award is open to architects, interior designers, planners, landscape architects, urban designers and other built environment professionals. Only completed, not speculative, projects are elegible for entry.
Entries close 10 March 2023. The winner will be announced on ArchitectureAU.com on 27 June 2023. A cash prize of $5,000 is offered. To enter, click here.
The ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact is presented in partnership with the Melbourne School of Design and supported by Latitude, Peptolab, and NHO. More

Day one winners of 2022 World Architecture Festival/Inside Festival have now been announced. Five Australian projects are among the 20 recipients across categories including completed buildings, future projects, interiors and masterplans. WAF/Inside is the largest global annual event of architecture and interiors, bringing together members of the international design community in one city to celebrate […] More

The Sydney Terminal Building at Central Station will undergo a $350 million revamp to restore the heritage-listed sandstone building to its former glory, with improved pedestrian connections, heritage conservation, improved lighting and wayfinding.
Grimshaw and TKD Architects have produced the preliminary designs for the development, subject to change, as the project team prepares an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposal.
First opened in 1906, the Sydney Terminal Building has come to be recognised as an architectural landmark for its distinct sandstone facade and iconic clocktower.
NSW Minister for Cities Rob Stokes said the proejct will reinstate the 19th century features of the Terminal Building, including views of the heritage clocktower through new glass panels, “just as they were when Central Station first opened,” he said. The Booking Hall will be restored, with the original ceiling reinstated, with a design celebrating the hall’s existing stained-glass windows.

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Indicative designs by Grimshaw and TKD Architects for the Eddy Avenue Plaza at Central Station, subject to change. Image:

Courtesy of Transport NSW

A new market-style retail quarter will be established on the ground floor, while elswhere, multi-purpose spaces will be created for events such as exhibitions, film screenings, cultural experiences and concerts.
The project will include transforming the Eddy Avenue Plaza into a new community hub; a strengthened customer arrival experienced and improved wayfinding; and new retail, dining, and entertainment spaces.
The redevelopment will draw upon the Terminal Building’s heritage qualities to re-establish its “civil role” and provide an improved interchange to connect users to the city.
The government is inviting feedback on the proposed Sydney Terminal Building revitalisation project from customers, businesses and the local community, with feedback channels open until Monday 12 December. More

The Australian Urban Design Awards (AUDA) were announced on 30 November at an online ceremony, with five projects from across the country recognized.
The awards recipients were dominated by projects in Australia’s south-east states, with prizes awarded to two Victorian and two New South Wales projects, and to one project in the Australian Capital Territory.
The four awards categories celebrated in the program included: built projects of city and regional scale; built projects for local and neighbourhood scale; leadership, advocacy and research for city and regional scale; and leadership, advocacy and research for local and neighbourhood scale.
The Built Projects – City and Regional Scale award went to LXRA for the Level Crossing Removal Project, which commenced in 2015. The project has removed 66 level crossings in suburban Melbourne, rebuilt 34 train stations in “localized acts of urban repair” with a “metropolitan-wide impact”, the jury said.
“The Level Crossing Removal Project has been able to deliver a level of investment and design quality not seen in these suburbs since they were first laid out.”

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Bendigo Kangan Institute of TAFE by SBLA, Six Degrees Architects and Architectus. Image:

Trevor Mein

The Built Projects – Local and Neighbourhood Scale prize was awarded to SBLA, Six Degrees Architects and Architectus for the Bendigo Kangan TAFE Redevelopment. Built on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, this redevelopment created two new buildings and refurbished three, creating a new outdoor space and a revitalised campus.
“New buildings, using simple and robust materials respond to their heritage context and frame ground floor activity to create an exceptionally welcoming, inclusive and conducive learning environment for students, visitors and staff,” the jury said.
The award for Leadership, Advocacy and Research – City and Regional Scale was jointly given to two winners. The first went to a consortium comprising the ACT government, Hodyl and Co, Andy Fergus, Adam’s Urban, Oculus and Creative Environment Enterprises for their project “Delivering Best Practice Urban Design Through Planning”.
“The design team have successfully delivered an exemplary research project; one that sets a new benchmark in design and delivery guidance; and reinstates Canberra as a leading voice in urban design policy,” the jury said.
The second winner in this category was Green Track for Parramatta Light Rail by Transport for NSW with Urban Planning and Management, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University. This project studied the application of grass and vegetation along and between light rail tracks in Western Sydney.
The final award for Leadership, Advocacy and Research – Local and Neighbourhood Scale went to Campsie Town Centre Masterplan, delivered by the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council in NSW. The judges commended this project for its use of well-defined principles that include local character and provide a finer grain of mixed-se development than is typically seen in neighbourhood planning approaches.
First launched in 1996, the AUDA program has highlighted the critical role of good design in shaping Australia’s urban environment for more than 25 years. For more information visit the AUDA website. More

The long-awaited expansion of the Art Gallery of New South Wales – Sydney Modern by SANAA and Architectus – will open to the public on Saturday 3 December.
“It has been a wonderful honour to design such an important public building in Sydney,” said SANAA directors Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. “Working closely with the Art Gallery of NSW team, we aimed to design an art museum building that is harmonious with its surrounds; one that breathes with the city, the park and the harbour. We hope it will be a special place where visitors feel connected to art wherever they are in this beautiful setting.”
The project is the most significant cultural development in Sydney since the completion of the Sydney Opera House almost half a century ago. The new art museum campus now comprises two buildings and a public art garden overlooking Sydney Harbour, and almost doubles the exhibition space of the original gallery.

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Sydney Modern designed by SANAA and Architectus comprises three interlocking pavilions that step down towards the harbour following the topography of the land. Image:

Iwan Baan

The design includes three interlocking limestone-clad pavilions that step down towards the harbour, following the topography of the land. The new building features 250 metres of rammed earth made from materials sourced from across NSW and creates a dramatic curve through the building. An 11-metre-high atrium at the centre also serves as a sculpture gallery.

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Interior of Sydney Modern by SANAA and Architectus. Image:

Iwan Baan

The building also includes spaces for art research, education, as well as multipurpose spaces, food and beverage facilities and visitor amenities. A gallery shop designed by Akin Atelier features a unique handcrafted bio-resin installation by Hayden Cox, made from the same material used to make surf boards.
An original World War II naval fuel bunker on the site has been transformed into a 2,000-square-metre art space with a seven-metre-high ceiling.

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A World War II naval fuel bunker has also been transformed into an art space. Image:

Iwan Baan

The project also features a series of open spaces, including 3,400 square metres of accessible roof terrace and courtyards, a public art garden and a civic plaza, as well as improved universal walkways. The landscape was designed by McGregor Coxall and US landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson, who also redesigned the forecourt of the original building that now features two black granite reflecting pools, as well as seating and shading opportunities. More than 8000 square metres of green roof has been planted with 50,000 Australian natives species and 70 percent more trees, which will increase the biodiversity of the site.
The Welcome Plaza canopy, which creates a sheltered space for visitors and community gatherings, is made with 108 pieces of curved, form-cast glass with ripple patterns that echo the glistening water in the nearby harbour.

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The Welcome Plaza canopy is made with 108 pieces of curved, form-cast glass with ripple patterns that echo the glistening water in the nearby harbour. Image:

Iwan Baan

“Our vision has been to transform the Art Gallery into an art museum campus with seamless connections between art, architecture and landscape,” said AGNSW director Michael Brand.
The project also creates a destination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art with a dedicated gallery space, Yiribana, which will be the first gallery visitors will encounter as they enter the new building.
The original 1896 gallery building, designed by Walter Liberty Vernon, has also been refurbished by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, and includes an upgraded members’ lounge and Australia’s first children’s art library, which has been added adjacent to a new Capon Research Library and the National Art Archive.
The Art Gallery of NSW is now the first public art museum to achieve a six-star Green Star rating. The gallery uses 100 percent renewable energy, with solar panels on the entrance pavilion roof generating 10 percent of the gallery’s energy needs.
The $344 million project is funded through a state government investment of $244 million while the gallery raised the remaining $100 million, making it the largest public and philanthropic partnership of its kind in Australia. More

A hybrid timber tower in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood has received a $70 million investment from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) as the first of many mass timber builds under the Timber Buildings Program. Designed by Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB), the sustainable commercial office tower will comprise 15 storeys: 10 levels of timber […] More