Evelyn Reynolds

The NSW government has revealed plans for a new 24-hectare public precinct above Sydney’s biggest and busiest railway station.
According to a masterplan developed with Architectus and Tyrell Studio, the reimagined square over the rail corridor will feature three new parklands, 15 high-rise towers, 850 new dwellings (15 percent of which will be allocated to affordable housing), new dining and retail destinations, and a social services hub to support rough sleepers.
The 10- to 15-year urban renewal program embraces “design, sustainability and connectivity”, intended to transform underutilised government-owned land into a thriving metropolitan hub.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine this iconic part of our CBD and transform it into a world-class precinct of shops, restaurants, office spaces, parkland and additional housing,” NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

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Plans for Central Green reveal major new green outdoor spaces by Architectus and Tyrrell Studio. Image:

Courtesy of Transport NSW

Benefits of the project are expected to include improved connectivity, a revived transport interchange, and high-quality office spaces as part of Sydney’s Tech Central development. While no figure has been expressly attached to the project as of yet, estimates have forecast in the billions.
New buildings within the precinct will range from four to 34 storeys, and 60,000 square metres of public domain will be created between the three new parks – Central Green, Central Square and Mortuary Station Garden – and various proposed squares and plazas.
The masterplan is said to “celebrate” the heritage of the precinct, according to infrastructure minister Rob Stokes, while providing new community and social services hubs addressing the needs of all sections of the community.
Sydney Central Precinct is also expected to “anchor” the Tech Central precinct, slated to open in 2027.
The Department of Planning and Environment is now inviting community and stakeholder feedback. The rezoning proposal is on exhibition for public comment until Monday 19 September 2022. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has called on the government to introduce a national supply chain strategy to address materials shortages and skyrocketing costs. National president Shannon Battisson says the soaring costs and material shortfalls can be attributed to to supply chain issues, which are having knock-on effects beyond the collapse of construction businesses through […] More

Artedomus has launched a new collection – the second iteration in Artedomus’s New Volumes Collection series – bringing together talent from a diverse group of Australian designers and creators. Collection 02 is an eight-piece collection that challenges our preconceptions of a product we’re readily familiar with: terracotta. The inaugural volume in the series, launched in […] More

The Australian Institute of Architects has revealed the shortlisted proposals for Australia’s exhibition at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale.
Themed “Laboratory of the Future,” the Biennale, curated by Lesley Lokko, challenges participating countries to focus on the dual imperatives of decolonization and decarbonization.
From 17 expressions of interest, the Institute’s Venice Biennale committee has chosen three that will progress to the next stage of the selection process:
Extreme Ex – Kathi Holt, Tim Hill, James Murray, Lindy Johnson, Jay Younger, Peter Jacobsen and Leah Lang
This scheme proposes to highlight the innovative work of architects, scientists and design practitioners in response to Australia’s “extreme” conditions.
“Extreme Ex will showcase Australian design responses to extreme events, land practices, socio-environmental challenges from both contemporary practice and an Indigenous perspective simultaneously,” the creative team said.
Palimpsest – Jessica Spresser, Peter Besley, Georgia Birks and Rory Gardiner
Palimpsest explores the idea that the “laboratory of the future is to build on/with/in what is already there.”
“Australian cities urgently need a compelling language of reuse,” the creative team said. “The idea of palimpsest inherently refutes the blank page, Tabula Rasa, Terra Nullis. It recognizes the pre-existence and equal status of others. It reminds current authors: ‘you too will one day be over-written’. As a mode of practice it represents a shift: build now understanding others will build over, in, with and around you.”
Unsettling Queenstown – Anthony Coupe, Julian Worrall, Ali Gumillya Baker, Emily Paech and Sarah Rhodes
This exhibition proposal explores ideas of decolonization and decarbonization, coupled with regeneration and revitalization.
Taking the example of Queenstown in Tasmania, emblematic of a settler town “built on resource extraction and labour exploitation” with similar examples found all over the world, the exhibition ponders the post-colonial future of these towns.
The creative team explained, “How these possible futures may be shaped in decolonizing ways mobilising collective memory, environmental sustainability and historical justice is the crux of the exhibition.”
The three shortlisted teams will now progress to the interview stage. The winner will be announced in October. More

Two proposed pedestrian and cycle bridges will provide a new gateway into the Perth CBD, spanning across the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) from the eastern banks of Point Fraser, over Heirisson Island to Victoria Park foreshore.
The six-metre-wide, cable-stayed bridges will provide new, safer access for many commuters, with an estimated 1,400 cyclists and 1,900 pedestrians expected to use the bridges daily. The bridges will also feature dedicated rest points, enabling moments of pause for path users.
WSP were appointed to undertake architectural and engineering design while Hassell were appointed for the urban design and landscape architecture of the project. “These are WSP’s first cable-stayed bridges in WA, and these society-shaping projects play a key role in helping us benefit communities both today and for years to come,” said Shereen Mikhail, WSP’s Project Director.
Hassell principal Anthony Brookfield said the urban design and landscape architecture is intended to make the commuter journey an “immersive and engaging experience”, telling the stories that acknowledge the significance of the Derbal Yerrigan to the Whadjuk Nyoongar community.

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Renders of the proposed Causeway Pedestrian and Cyclist bridges in Perth. Image:

Causeway Link Alliance

“As a major gateway into and out of the city, this is a great opportunity to transform the journey across the Derbal Yerrigan into one of cultural learning where we acknowledge the history and First Nation’s people who played a significant role as providers and carers for Country,” said Brookfield. “The creation of a revitalized landscape within the context of the new bridges will incorporate these stories.”
The design has been developed with key stakeholders including local governments, Traditional Owners and specialist groups, taking into consideration path user requirements, local developments on either side of the bridges, future maritime height allowances and the needs of existing river users.
The causeway bridges are a Mainroads Western Australia initiative, first announced in 2020 as part of the state’s Building for Tomorrow economic recovery program.
The project is funded under the Perth City Deal, jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments ($50 million each) and the City of Perth.
Construction of the bridges will begin later in 2022 with an estimated completion date in 2024. More

Hobart Airport is set to double in size according to designs by Cox Architecture in a draft masterplan released on 11 August. Hobart Airport chief executive Norris Carter said the masterplan outlines the airport’s vision and strategy objectives for the next 20 years as the major gateway and key economic hub for the state. Woods […] More

FJMT Studio has been appointed project architect on for a new fit-out of Barangaroo Cutaway – part of the NSW government’s redevelopment for the Sydney Harbour foreshore. Located below the eastern end of Barangaroo Reserve, the Cutaway is a cultural venue with a 6,500-square-metre footprint on the harbour waterfront. Carved out beneath an artificial hill, […] More

The Australian Institute of Architects is taking expressions of interest for the role of creative director for the 2023 National Architecture Conference. Held since 2005, the national conference is a professional development event hosted annually for around 1,000 delegates. The 2023 conference will be held on the Gold Coast and will follow the theme “Precedent”, […] More