Evelyn Reynolds

The New South Wales chapters of the Australian Institute of Architects and the Institute of Landscape Australia have voiced their disappointment in the NSW government’s decision to revoke planning reform intended to deliver sustainable development.
Minister for Planning and Homes Anthony Roberts announced that he would be “discontinuiting” the Minister’s Planning Principles in order to prioritize the delivery of new homes and housing affordability.
Released in December 2021, the Minister’s Planning Principles comprised a state-wide plan for sustainable development in New South Wales. The nine principles outlined in the plan included initiatives aimed at improving planning systems, developing greater resilience, strengthening biodiversity and conservation efforts, and designing for better quality of life.
Roberts justified the backflip by stating that the government had to retain its focus on delivering a pipeline of housing supply and affordability.
“The premier has given me a very clear priority – delivering more homes and our principles must help me deliver on that priority,” Roberts said. “I want to work with our stakeholders on ways to boost the supply and affordability so as we do that I have discontinued the Minister’s Planning Principles.”
President of the Australian Institute of Architects NSW chapter Laura Cockburn has deemed the decision unwise, as a move that will effectively sideline sensible principles protecting land use and risk management.
“In the midst of our current flood and housing crises, why would a government choose to remove planning principles aimed at disaster resilience, and delivering affordable housing?” said Cockburn. “This is a short-sighted decision that could have enduring negative impacts.”
Cockburn said she had been hopeful the change in planning regulation would not impact the efforts to design places to meet the needs of the community under the State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPP).
She added that constant change from government would only undermine its mission by unsettling the investor confidence in affordable housing that the backflip is intending to secure.
The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects has also expressed its concern with the decision, with NSW chapter president Tanya Wood stating it “defied logic” to remove the nine planning principles.
“These principles were aimed at creating healthy, green, liveable places across NSW,” said Wood. “To remove these ideals lacks common sense and indicates a concerning approach to future state planning.” More

Australia’s only Pritzker Prize laureate Glenn Murcutt and two-time recipient of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Sulman Medal for Public Architecture Angelo Candalepas have been appointed to design a mixed-use project for Sydney developer Central Element. Located at 271 Elizabeth Street, the project will deliver 53 residences along with ground-floor retail. The site is currently […] More

Architect, educator and social activist Diébédo Francis Kéré has been awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize for 2022.
The Pritzker Prize is awarded to a living architect or architects whose built work combines the qualities of talent, vision and commitment to the built environment. The prize is awarded each year and is referred to as the profession’s highest honour.
Kéré is the 51st laureate and the first African to win the prestigious award since its inception in 1979.
The Burkina Faso-born architect currently resides in Berlin and has a repertoire of built works spanning schools, housing, health facilities, civic buildings and public squares across eight countries in Africa.
His work has expanded to include structures in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The 2022 jury describes his body of work as demonstrating the “power of materiality rooted in place,” making use of locally sourced materials that respond to the natural climate.

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Gando Primary School. Image:

Erik-Jan Owerkerk

Kéré first garnered international respect for his work on a primary school in his home village of Gando, completed in 2001. Kéré used indigenous clay fortified with cement to form bricks with bioclimatic thermal mass, retaining cool air inside while allowing heat to escape through the brick ceiling.
Kéré was the first in his community to attend school. tThe overcrowded, dark and poorly ventilated classroom of Tenkodogo lead then seven-year-old to vow to one day make schools better for his community.
Today, Kéré said he strives to change the paradigm, making quality facilities available to all – not only the wealthy.

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Gando Primary School Image:

Erik-Jan Owerkerk

“Everyone deserves quality, everyone deserves luxury, and everyone deserves comfort. We are interlinked and concerns in climate, democracy and scarcity are concerns for us all,” he said.
His work in primary and secondary schools has been heralded for its sensitivity to environment and locality-specific sustainability considerations.
“Francis Kéré, he has served as a singular beacon in architecture,” the jurors said in their citation. “He has shown us how architecture today can reflect and serve needs, including the aesthetic needs, of peoples throughout the world.”
For more information visit the Pritzker Architecture Prize website. More

Australia’s leading and largest design event is back and bigger than ever, with an 11-day program running from 17 to 27 of March featuring over 300 events across the spectrum of design disciplines.
The 2022 schedule has been informed by the pillars of “civic good” and “making good,” under the umbrella theme of “design the world you want.” The concept of civic good implores participants to consider their responsibilities beyond personal interest and encourages them to strive for collective betterment. Making good explores impact of design beyond function and aesthetic and considers the social and environmental consequences of the built world.
Responding to these themes, the line-up includes a rich and diverse selection of zero footprint repurposing, interplanetary housing solutions, biophilic design principles, and First Nations knowledge and thinking.
A network of hubs will be activated around the city, including Collingwood Yards, MPavillion, Scienceworks and the NGV. As well, Castlemaine and Ballarat have been added to the list of regional destinations hosting design events and exhibitions.
Find ArchitectureAU’s selection of 10 of the festival’s architectural highlights below.
AA Prize for Unbuilt Work 2022
17 March to 26 March, RMIT Design Hub
Presented by Architecture Australia and ArchitectureAU.com, the 2022 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work showcases 40 shortlisted entries for compelling works in their conceptual stage. The exhibition rewards provocative ideas, inventive thinking and conceptual rigour in a selection of works that have not yet been realised. This award aspires to promote debate, generate ideas and address the challenges faced by the world today.

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3D Printed Mars Habitat by Hassell Studio. Image:

Hassell Studio

Design Beyond Earth: Opening Night
25 March, Scienceworks
Presented by Scienceworks in collaboration with Hassell, this exhibition ponders how humans might live beyond earth, and how architects and designers can research and develop future habitat in space. It will consider interplanetary solutions to sustainable housing and to tackle rapid population growth. Opening night of the Scienceworks Hub includes a presentation by Hassell’s head of design Xavier De Kestelier and computational design lead Jonathan Irawan, sharing their current projects and collaborations with NASA and the European Space Agency envisioning new forms of human habitation in space.
Festival of Publicness at University of Melbourne
26 March, University Plaza, University of Melbourne
This day-long program of talks, workshop and music is hosted by the Melbourne School of Design in collaboration with the university’s museums and collections. It will explore the theme of publicness in architecture as both a statement of being in a public space and as a useful thread bringing together various disciplines connected with the public realm: art, architecture, landscape, urbanism, Country, and place.
Good Design – is Excellent for Local Government
25 March, MPavillion
The Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) will lead a discussion with participants from three city councils – City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong and City of Casey – which are some of the fastest growing and most diverse urban areas with some of Victoria’s most well-preserved heritage. Victorian government architect Jill Garner will guide a conversation with key local government design leaders to identify how they are supporting good design, design thinking and creative city strategies.

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Buhrich HouseII, Castlecrag. Image:

John Gollings

The 50th anniversary of the Hugh Buhrich House in Castlecrag
17 March to 23 March, Brickworks Design Studio
This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Hugh Buhrich House II in Castlecrag, which has been described as the “finest modern house in Australia.” Brickworks Design Studio will recreate a 1991 exhibition and catalogue to showcase the innovation and spectacle of this house, presented in conversation with architect Stephen Varady, co-creator of the original exhibition Neil Durbach, and photographer John Gollings.
Victorian Architecture Awards – Exhibition of Entries
17 March to 26 March, Melbourne School of Design
The Australian Institute of Architects’ Awards program showcases recent work by Victorian architects from residential through to education, that respond to the urban and public realm. The exhibition will feature a series of photographs extracted from the entries in the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards, giving the public an opportunity to view the works as judging takes place.
Circularity in the Built Environment
22 March, Great Hall, NGV International
Presented in partnership with the NGV and Sustainability Victoria and moderated by Caroline Pidcock, this panel will consider what the circular economy can bring to the built environment. From regenerative practice to design for dismantling, this session will explore how integrating circular design principles into construction and demolition projects can lead to a better world.

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Zero Footprint Repurposing warehouse in Collingwood. Image:

Stephanie Neville

Zero Footprint Repurposing
25 March, Revival Projects, Collingwood
Revival Projects has invited the design and construction industry to use a 100-year-old warehouse to store demolished materials as one of the world’s first free repurposing hubs. For one day, the warehouse will be open to tours where visitors can assess the facility and discover how we can revolutionize the industry’s approach to repurposing. Tours will be followed by a talk hosted by Grimshaw Architects and Revival Projects.
MMeets: Blackitecture: The Manifesto
21 March to 23 March, MPavillion
This program features a series of six lectures over three days on subjects relating to how the industry can learn from listening to Traditional Custodians and knowledge holders. From “Answers to the questions you were too afraid to ask,” to “Indigenzing construction,” this series explores how the industry can embed Country, community and culture into its built projects for better outcomes.

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‘Magical Imperfection’ directed by Scott Calbeck. Image:

Scott Calbeck

MDW Film Festival
19 March to 27 March, various locations
Curated by Richard Sowada, the Melbourne Design Week Film Festival includes a suite of films exploring environments, cities, building and infrastructure, and the people who design and inhabit them. Screening at various locations around the city, there are seven films to choose from exploring the role of architecture in a swathe of different cultures and contexts. From Earth to Sky follows seven diverse Indigenous architects from North America who find common ground in their Indigenous identity. Magical Imperfection provides an account of the life of Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama.
For more information visit the Melbourne Design Week website.
ArchitectureAU is a media partner of Melbourne Design Week. More

Benalla Rural City Council has announced it is accepting tenders from experienced architects to design the Benalla Art Gallery Redevelopment. The Benalla Art Gallery is a public gallery located within the Benalla Botanical Gardens in regional Victoria. Established in 1968, the Benalla Art Gallery was originally designed by Philip Sargeant and Colin Munro and is […] More

In collaboration with the Melbourne School of Design, NH Architecture delivers an exhibition that aspires to provoke discussion around the “publicness” of public buildings.
“There is no/only public architecture” questions the definition of public space. It invites the viewer to consider if there is still such thing as public architecture, given its various non-public funding arrangements, or, just as likely, if there is only public architecture.
“Almost all our public architecture gets delivered through private sector funding, through public-private partnerships – that includes our schools, hospitals, our roads, etc,” said NH Architecture director Hamish Lyon. While on the flip side, a commercial retail centre, could in fact be considered a village given the diversity of tenancies it accommodates and its frequent use by the public.

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Lyon has explored the notion of permanence and disposability, with legacy projects interspersed with IKEA-style build-it-yourself models of fictional public buildings. Image:

Peter Bennetts

“Publicness is defined not the architect but by the public. If they start to enjoy and engage with the it, it builds its own collective publicness through the community using it,” he said.
Thus, the question around what is public, and who is ‘the public’, have become more pertinent than ever before. “We are postulating and probing the conversation that buildings are now built for public purpose, and good luck if you’re going to try and predict what they are,” said Lyon.
“Over the last two years Melburnians have witnessed the opening night of the ballet on Margaret Court tennis arena, drive-in movies inside the exhibition hall at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and the world heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton […] become a major medical hub for vaccine and COVID-19 testing,” said Lyon.
The exhibition draws from a portfolio of NH Architecture projects spanning 18 years of practice, from public to commercial buildings and everything else in between.

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NH Architects Director Hamish Lyon (left) and Chair of Architectural Design at Melbourne School of Design Donald Bates. Image:

Peter Bennetts

The buildings exhibited are situated in contexts where the relationship between public and private is particularly porous. Using techniques including photography, model and film, public buildings are dissected into their material and ephemeral parts.
Notions of mass production, occupation and scale are weighed against the intangible qualities of materiality, memory and ownership. Lyon has explored the notion of permanence and disposability, with legacy projects interspersed with IKEA-style build-it-yourself models of fictional public buildings as poignant commentary of the spate of high profile disposal of significant public buildings.
The exhibition is open until Friday 1 April, delivered as part of Melbourne Design Week. Designed for students, practitioners and the general public alike, the exhibition seeks to generate a deeper understanding of the current state of architecture, and to consider what this will mean for the future of architecture.
Lyon will deliver a keynote lecture on 15 March at 7 pm, in the basement theatre at the Melbourne School of Design, and host a public floor talk in the gallery on Saturday 26 March.
For more information on the gallery opening hours, visit the Melbourne School of Design website. More

Angelo Candalepas and Associates, and a team of 20 architecture, design and engineering firms, have won the national design competition for a new landmark contemporary art and design gallery for the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
The winning design for the building has a colossal 40-metre-high spherical hall at its centre, as well as dramatic arched entry ways facing onto a future public park.
“This dynamic and exciting design for NGV Contemporary creates a unifying civic space that all visitors will remember. With its uplifting and generous architecture, this design provides all Victorians will a timeless building for arts and culture that will be loved for generations,” said NGV director Tony Ellwood.

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The winning design for NGV Contemporary by Angelo Candalepas and Associates et al. Image:

Secchi Smith

Angelo Candalepas said, “Melbourne is the cultural capital of this nation and NGV Contemporary marks its next great offering to the world. Art and design matters to all Australians: it speaks to who we are as a community. This project signals Australia as a great contemporary nation with a significant creative force. This building will be a beacon of the culture of our time.
“I hope NGV Contemporary will personally and emotionally resonate with all members of our rich and diverse community and deepen their understanding of the possibilities of human creativity.”
The design of the large hall is based around the Ancient Greek concept of “omphalos,” which means “centre of the earth.” The hall will be surrounded by a spiralling pathway that will allow the visitors to ascend the various levels of the gallery. It will also be topped with a “lantern in the sky.”

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The winning design for NGV Contemporary by Angelo Candalepas and Associates et al. Image: Darcstudios

The proposed gallery will also have a public rooftop terrace, with views of the CBD, neighbouring parklands and even towards the distant Yarra Ranges. A sculpture garden will be accessible from the rooftop. The building will also have a restaurant and members’ lounge as well as education spaces, studios and laboratories for conservation work within its 30,000 square metre footprint.
Externally, the building’s facades feature large arched entries that will open onto a future public park designed by Hassell and So-il. The eastern facade will also include a multi-level verandah with external pathways between the building’s levels.
The building will have 13,000 square metres of large format, highly flexible spaces, which will allow international blockbuster exhibitions to be display simultaneously with gallery’s expanding permanent collection of contemporary art and design.
“This ambitious project offers an extraordinary opportunity to support our country’s local design and architecture sector,” Ellwood said.

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The winning design for NGV Contemporary by Angelo Candalepas and Associates et al. Image: Darcstudios

The NGV held a national design competition for the project in early 2021. Angelo Candalepas and Associates was one of four shortlisted teams who were invited to submit designs.
The Angelo Candalepas and Associates team includes Aspect Studios, Carr Interiors, Andy Fergus Design Strategy, BoardGrove Architects, Richard Stampton Architects, Steensen Varming, Mott MacDonald, TTW, Affinity Fire Engineering, Freeman Ryan Design, AX Interactive, and Art of Fact.
The competition was judged by an international jury that comprised Dutch architect Francine Houben of Mecanoo, Xu Tiantian from DnA Architecture in Beijing, Australian architect Gerard Reinmuth of Terroir, Indigenous artist Maree Clarke as well as NGV director Tony Ellwood, Victorian government architect Jill Garner and architect and NGV trustee Corbett Lyon.
“Australian architecture and design is of great interest around the world – Angelo Candalepas and Associates’ NGV Contemporary will be an intriguing new landmark showcasing how architecture can respond to and enhance the cultural history and life of our city,” said Jill Garner. “This concept embeds a vision to harness and nurture a spirit of creative communication, collaboration and engagement.” More

With Architecture Studio and OMA have been appointed as lead architects for the redevelopment of the iconic late-20th-century Perth Concert Hall. The $52.4 million project will aim to restore the heritage-listed concert hall’s architectural integrity and enhance its acoustics, already considered among the best in Australia, while the forecourts will be refurbished to suit festivals […] More