A Sydney theatre is set for major redevelopment after receiving a multi-million-dollar donation. To be designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, the redevelopment of SBW Stables Theatre in Sydney’s Kings Cross, home to the Griffin Theatre Company, will see a 44 percent increase in audience capacity, as well as upgrades to dressing rooms, rehearsal spaces […] More
A 135-year-old warehouse in Melbourne’s Southbank will be partially demolished in $100 million proposal to transform it into a mixed use precinct.
Norwegian architecture practice Snøhetta has designed the revamp of the site at 28 Clarendon Street, home to historic former Fergus and Mitchell Robur Tea House.
The Robur Tea House was built in 1887 and is today a persisting example of 19th century architecture and one of the few remaining traces of the industrial establishments that dominated Southbank until the late 20th century.
According to the application, the heritage building will be partially demolished to accommodate the construction of two new buildings on the site – the north building will be between three to six storeys while the south building will be 25 storeys. The $100 million will create a mixed-use precinct comprising a residential hotel, office and retail spaces, and a basement carpark.
Most of the ground floor would be occupied by retail, food and beverage tenancies and a lobby for the hotel. Revamped walkways will provide better connection for pedestrians from Clarendon Street with the addition of an adjacent garden forecourt.
The architects said the facade of the original building would be preserved and maintained, and new materials would be designed to match the existing architecture.
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Plans have been submitted to partially demolish the Robur Tea House to create a new mixed-use building in Southbank. Image: Snøhetta
The heritage-listed red brick warehouse has been recognised as a hallmark of innovation as one of the oldest examples of steel beam floors in Victoria.
In the 1880s, the Robur Tea House was erected on a “swampy site”, according to Heritage Victoria, and original engineer John Grainger devised a system of 450 ironbark piles and concrete rafts to support the six-storey structure. For many years, the Tea House was one of the tallest buildings outside the CBD.
A previous permit application for a 24-storey development on the site, submitted in 2017 by developer RJ International, was rejected by Heritage Victoria on the grounds that the new development would have “substantial detrimental impact” on the Tea House.
A City of Melbourne planners report recommended that a planning permit be granted for the proposal. Councillors will consider the proposal at a meeting on 16 August. A separate permit application is required by Heritage Victoria. More
The Think Brick Awards for architecture and landscape design were held on 11 August, with winners selected from 150 nominated projects around the country.
This year’s awards followed the theme “A time to build, a time to grow”, with selected works celebrating sustainable design, clean lines, and craftsmanship in brick, blocks, pavers and tiles. Think Brick chief executive Elizabeth McIntyre said this year’s theme “reflects the inherent resilience of our pre-eminent building materials and references the ability of the dedicated project teams who nurture endless creative solution.”
The Horbury Hunt Residential Award went to B. E. Architecture’s Anderson Road house, which the jury described as a “great example of simple form, minimal detail, beautifully curated texture”.
The Horbury Hunt Commercial Award was won by Kiara College by With Architecture Studio. “The building is complemented beautifully by white curved brick, which takes you on a journey to the beautiful landscaping of the grounds,” the jury said.
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House at Flat Rock by Billy Maynard received the Kevin Borland Masonry Award. Image:
Rory Gardiner
The Kevin Borland Masonry Award also went to a residential house in 2022, with House at Flat Rock by Billy Maynard a “unanimous winner”. The jury said this house demonstrated a “sophisticated use of materials and form, bringing the landscape into the centre of the space”.
The jury gave the Bruce Mackenzie Landscape Award Joyce Chapel Bridge Searle Waldron Architecture, RBA and Claire Martin for its “a high consideration for permeability and detailing.”
“Joyce Chapel Bridge is a wonderful expression of how masonry can co-exist with the landscape environment and embrace it,” the jury said.
Fulton Trotter Architects received the Robin Dods Roof Tile Excellence award for San Damaino College, which the jury described as “a powerful gesture, with the roof being the absolute hero of this project, celebrated on a grand scale.”
Finally, the New Entrant Award went to Stuart Holmes Architect for Wabi Sabi House – a reimagining of a Melbourne duplex channelling traditional and midcentury Japanese architecture. The jury said this home took “the most ordinary, everyday material and transforms it into something very special”. Grey concrete blocks were laid on their side or in stack bond to create screens, veils and walls resulting in a “robust and characterful” space.
Awards recipients of each category received a prize of $10,000.
The jury for the 2022 Think Brick Awards comprised Think Brick chief executive Elizabeth McIntyre, director of Smart Design Studio William Smart, Kerstin Thompson Architects director Kerstin Thompson, Jon Clements of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, and Catherine Rush of Rush Wright Associates. More
New design details have been released for Central Place in Sydney’s “tech central”, cited as the city’s most significant development in over a decade.
Designed by Fender Katsalidis, American practice Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and Edition Office, the $3 billion development proposes to revitalize Sydney’s busiest transport interchange with a “vibrant new business district,” the project vision stated.
The final development application was submitted for the precinct in March this year. A design advisory panel has since issued recommendations for changes to the design.
Responses from the sub-committee included the request for additional public realm and changes to the Lee Street levels to create a “more seamless and active frontage”, while the bulk and scale of the podium elements needed to be reduced.
According to the revised plans, the height of the north and south towers remains unchanged, with each 35 and 37 storeys respectively, while changes requested by the City of Sydney relate to the reduction in bulk of the smaller structures.
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Amendments to the proposal include reductions to the Connector and Pavilion structures, and greater public activation. Image:
Fender Katsalidis and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
The Connector, designed by Edition Office, has been reduced from 10 storeys to eight, while the linking bridge previously connecting the building to the podium and central atrium have been removed to increase street activation and connectivity. The podium has also been reduced in height by two levels to correspond to the new height of the Connector.
The project team has also integrated an open laneway concept in the urban design to address concerns regarding the public realm. A “lighter, more minimal” approach has been applied to the pavilion and its wind mitigating canopy, with the design simplified while continuing to serve its function.
The Central Place site spans more than 9,600 square metres at 14-30 Lee Street, Haymarket, next to Atlassian’s approved $1.4-billion tower designed by Shop Architects and BVN. The precinct aspires to connect six neighbouring suburbs that are already home to tech startups and innovation institutions: Surry Hills, Haymarket, Camperdown, Ultimo, South Eveleigh and Darlington North Eveleigh.
The revised plans are now on public exhibition until 25 August. More
Architectus and UK firm Wilkinson Eyre have designed an office tower at 600 Collins Street, Melbourne, in the city’s commercial district. The proposed tower will stand at 180 metres tall and cover 70 metres of Collins Street frontage with a “striking curved facade”. The design statement said the contextual tower and podium form “draw the […] More
The Think Brick Awards for architecture and landscape design were held on 11 August, with winners selected from 150 nominated projects around the country. The 2022 awards followed the theme “A time to build, a time to grow”, with selected works celebrating sustainable design, clean lines, and craftsmanship in brick, blocks, pavers and tiles. Think […] More
A replica of an Ancient Greek temple that doubles as a canvas for street art and a performance venue has been selected as the National Gallery of Victoria’s architectural commission for 2022.
Temple of Boom, by Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang of Melbourne practice NWMN, is an “evocative reimagining of the Parthenon” on the Acropolis in Athens, a spokesperson for the gallery said.
The commission was selected from a shortlist of five submissions. Its reference to the Parthenon as the “apex symbol of Western civilisation, democracy and perfection” intends to transcend time, using the classical iconography of the 2,000-old structure in a new and surprising context, layered with contemporary significance.
The scale model of the Parthenon will be overlayed with artworks by Melbourne-based street artists.
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Designs for “Temple of Boom”, recipient of the 2022 NGV Architecture Commission. Image:
Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, NWMN
The purpose of the NGV’s architecture commission is to invite audiences to reflect on the impact of time on architecture, and consider the layers of geographical forces that shape and layer our cities.
Temple of Boom takes its name from vibrations generated from music and is envisioned to become a meeting place and outdoor venue for live performances, programs and music during the summer season.
Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos celebrated the design as a project “close to [his] heart”, as a platform offering a place to meet, connect, reflect and engage, while showcasing “Victorian design excellence”.
NGV director Tony Ellwood said Temple of Boom invites audiences “to consider how we create and imbue architecture with meaning, as well as how this meaning can shift across time periods and cultures.”
The 2022 NGV Architecture Commission will be on display from 16 November at the NGV International. Entry will be free. More
Powerhouse Museum has announced the program for Sydney Design Week 2022: a seven-day program of exhibitions, talks, films and workshops held across the city’s design hubs from 15 until 22 September. Curated by Stephen Todd, the 2022 program themed “Making Now” celebrates designers who are “defining the cultural moment in Sydney and around the world.” […] More
