Evelyn Reynolds

The Victorian government will deliver Australia’s largest hospital project in history through the creation of a medical mecca containing the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s hospitals.
Designed by Hassell and McBride Charles Ryan, the masterplan will see the redevelopment and expansion of the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s hospitals in Parkville alongside the creation of a new biomedical precinct in nearby Arden.
The premier revealed that the medical precinct will be built next to the new Arden train station, with the Parkville and Arden precincts linked by the Metro Tunnel. Once complete, Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop will connect the sites to other important health complexes, such as the Box Hill Hospital and the Austin Hospital.
The $6 billion expansion and complete overhaul of the existing hospitals will take place over 12 years, providing an additional 1,800 beds and treatment spaces. Works on the Arden precinct are now underway.

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Designs for Australia’s largest health infrastructure project, including the overhaul of existing hospitals and the construction of a new medical precinct. Image:

Hassell and McBride Charles Ryan

Hassell principal and health sector leader Leanne Guy said the redevelopment will ensure the ongoing viability of the existing facilities into the future, while creating a new precinct to support the needs of the growing state.
“Together, our team understands how to take the Parkville precinct from where it is to where it wants to be, linking key elements of the existing precinct infrastructure so these two great institutions can fulfil their promising future – a future with endless potential.”
Minister for transport infrastructure Jacinta Allan added that the government would support the improved health system via better transport connections.
“We’re also investing in the transport infrastructure we need to make it easier for healthcare workers and patients alike to get where they need to go,” Allan said.
Planned treatments, like births and elected surgeries, will move to the new campus once it is completed. By the beginning of next decade, an additional 10,500 elective surgeries and 2,500 births could be accommodated every year.
Construction will start in 2025, once the Arden station is complete, and will take six years. Stage one of the hospital will be completed in 2031. More

The Intercontinental Sydney has unveiled a $120-million makeover of its home inside the 171-year-old heritage-listed Treasury building.
The revamp by Woods Bagot took several years to realise, with works including the redesign of its 509 guest suites, heritage restorations, and upgrades to the public and wellness areas.
In September, the hotel debuted two new hospitality venues: the rooftop Aster Bar and the new ground floor hotel bar in the former lobby, The Treasury. Thirty-two levels up, the Aster Bar is an elevated sky bar and dining space with spectacular views over the harbour. The arched balconies of the former Treasury building now form
The arched balconies of the former Treasury Building now form the Treasury bar, wrapping the space in the 170-year-old heritage sandstone alcoves and earthy brick archways. The new chevron tiled floor anchors the historic space in a contemporary context surrounded with flourishes of rich greenery.

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The bar sits in the former lobby in a light-filled atrium and gathering space where the two buildings meet. Image:

Trevor Mein

Woods Bagot interior design lead Tracey Wiles said the aim was to integrate and enhance old and new elements of the hotel to blend the 1851 Treasury building with the 32-level tower completed in 1985. In response, the team took a “heritage meets modern” approach to the design language. “The heritage architecture gave us a beautiful palette of colours, textures and classic geometries, crafted in sandstone, brickwork, timber,” said Wiles.
“It was so important for us to understand the historical lineage and the scale of the role we play in that,” she continued. “The spaces retain a long memory of what once was and this is complemented by contemporary insertions that announce themselves proudly, introducing a fresh hierarchy of graphic and biophilic elements.”
The hotel draws from the grandeur of the past and introducing new materials, details and furnishings. Works included the creation of a new entrance and a redesigned reception area, using the same marble used to form the Treasury Bar, acting as a “continuous thread of materiality” as guests move through the hotel.

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The conservatory restaurant on level one is a light=filled breakfast space with open cooking stations and a walk-in pantry. Image:

Trevor Mein

“We designed a plisse stone wall to invite guests from the porte-cochere through to the Treasury Bar,” said project leader Tim Davies. “The feature wall is highly dynamic – a mix of honed limestone with book-matched Verde Oceania marble that forms a unified image at a certain point within the reception.”
Complementing the pleated stone feature wall, Woods Bagot used bespoke spotted gum reception desks to reference the naturalistic forms of Sydney’s coastal edge. The organic shape was achieved using a mix of computer-controlled milling and hand finishing to achieve the unique, textured outcome.
In the rooms, Woods Bagot flooded the space with greens and blues, harnessing the palette of the subtropical Sydney landscape.
“In the guest rooms, embracing the tonal layering of a blue and green palette was a bold approach that works incredibly well in connecting with the amazing views,” said Wiles. “It’s a strong departure from the standard beige on beige you so often see in modern properties.”
Wiles said her favourite aspect of the transformation is the light-filled atrium and gathering space – the former Cortile – where the two buildings met in the heart of the hotel. “There’s something about sitting in history but being in a contemporary environment that is super, super special.” More

Rothelowman has been selected from a design competition as the architect to deliver a built-to-rent project in Parramatta for Novus Group. On a corner site at the intersection of Hassell and Harris streets, “Novus on Harris” will provide future residents with views over the CBD and Parramatta Park, maximising use of local amenity and transport […] More

The Australian Institute of Architects has partnered with appliance manufacturer Smeg in a competition to win a trip to the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. The Smeg Tour Competition provides an opportunity for four winners to attend the Biennale and to participate in a tour Smeg’s headquarters in Guastalla and exploring the architecture of the Emilia […] More

Western Australian hospitality operator and developer Nokturnl has signed a 30-year lease with the state government to make over the Yagan Square market hall precinct, with concept designs by MJA Studio for a proposed new hospitality venue now released.
Originally designed by Lyons in collaboration with Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects and Aspect Studios and opened in 2018, Yagan Square was part of a Barnett government-era project to sync the city’s rail line and connect the CBD and Northbridge. The market hall was designed in collaboration with Maddison Architects.
The proposed concept is a bid to “breathe new life” into the site by joining the new additions and refurbishments into the existing location as well as improving the adjoining playground and grassed areas that have previously attracted antisocial behaviour.
The $8.4-million redevelopment will turn the square into a five-level hospitality hub, more than doubling the size of the existing site and adding an additional two levels to the building. To be known as “Stories,” the new development will feature a “family-friendly” pub on the ground floor, as well as two restaurants, alfresco areas and a rooftop tavern.

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Concept designs for the redeveloped Yagan Square market hall precinct featuring a five-level hospitality hub.

The 2018 project has not had the anticipated outcome – a result, some believe, of poor design choices. Visitor numbers have diminished over the past four years, with the COVID-19 pandemic becoming the proverbial nail in the coffin. Minister for lands John Carey said that the previous model for Yagan Square has “simply not worked.”
“People just walk by,” said Carey. “Our government wants Yagan Square to be a vibrant, safe, family-friendly space, constantly buzzing with offerings and activities that attract residents and tourists alike, day and night.”
Action is required now as the new inner-city Edith Cowan University (ECU) campus, on the opposite site, is due to open in the next couple of years. Yagan Square vendors are hopeful that the completion of the ECU project will transform the commercially unsuccessful precinct, bringing more people to the market hall site.
The proposal responds to nearly 2,000 submissions received from the public during a community consultation period in the planning stages. The redevelopment plans have been lodged with Development WA and works are expected to commence in the coming months. More

Manufacturer Bowral Bricks has marked 100 years of helping to shape Australia’s urban landscape and homes.
Founded in 1922 in the New South Wales Southern Highlands, Bowral Bricks has contributed to some of Australia’s most admired and historic buildings with the finest product from dry-pressed clays and shells.
Today, through time-honed techniques and modern technological innovations, Bowral Bricks is still renowned for its premium product, compacted at high pressure to produce its signature clean, dimensionally accurate bricks.
The history is reflected in Bowral Bricks’ traditional craftsmanship and techniques made from locally sourced clay, reflecting the colours and textures of the Australian landscape. The bricks’ natural and unique colour variations create an authentic appeal.

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University of Technology (Sydney) Tower. Image: Supplied

Designed to last, these bricks have helped make some of Australia’s most enduring landmarks, from the distinctive curves of Koichi Takada’s Arc by Crown to Smart Design Studio’s Stokes 14.
Bowral Bricks are available in standard shapes as well as sculptured custom shapes. Irregular and custom shapes were used to create the iconic “paper bag” facade for Frank Gehry’s iconic University of Technology Sydney (UTS) tower.
With Bowral Bricks, Australian architects have demonstrated the ability for brick to deliver unmistakable character, charm and longevity.
“[Bowral Bricks’] name is a constant reminder of our quest for beautifully crafted clay products used by homeowners and architects alike,” said Brickworks managing director Lindsay Partridge. “All of us rightly know that the longevity of any business depends on so many factors. On the cusp of its second century, Bowral Bricks as an iconic brand will continue to typify elegance, style, beauty – and quality products.”
To mark its 100-year anniversary, Brickworks has released a publication of 100 Years of Bowral Bricks, featuring some of its most iconic projects and the leading architects that played a part in the transformation of bricks into some of Australia’s most significant landmarks. More

The Robin Boyd Foundation has launched a design competition, The Walls Around Us, inviting students to imagine a new way of living, inspired by the ideas of Robin Boyd. The winner will receive a trip to Venice for the 2023 Architecture Biennale, courtesy of sponsor Brickworks Building Products. The competition takes its name from Robin […] More

Brisbane City Council has released a new draft masterplan for a 64-hectare former golf course that will be tranformed into an inner-city green space in Brisbane’s Barrambin/Victoria Park.
The masterplan is designed by a consortium of landscape architects, architects, urban planners, transport planners, environmental consultants and engineers, led by Urbis. Landscape architects and architects in the consortium included Wild Studio, Form Landscape Architecture, Cox Architecture, and Vokes and Peters.
The draft masterplan builds on community feedback from a previous masterplan to create what the council is calling a “uniquely Brisbane” destination, featuring a new visitors centre, and a pathway loop, boardwalks connecting to restored wetlands and waterholes and a viewing tower to provide a lookout over the city skyline and nearby mountain ranges.

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Re-established waterways, wetlands and waterholes will restore natural cooling, cleansing and drainage, as well as habitat for wildlife. Image:

Courtesy of Brisbane City Council

Design principles and strategies have been based on the tenets of recognition, restoration and reconnection. “Recognition” applies to creating a place that celebrates connections between Country, culture and history across generations, wile “restoration” refers to reweaving the park into Brisbane’s city fabric, and “reconnection” to healing the landscape through the reinstatement of natural ecosystems.
Rewilding will increase canopy cover from 10 to 60 percent, and create new habitat for local wildlife, while new bridges and transport connections will be established to help make the parkland an activated public space.
Plans are also in the pipeline for a temporary equestrian cross-country course and BMX freestyle course ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Community consultation for the draft masterplan is open until 30 October, after which a final master plan will be released in 2023. More