Evelyn Reynolds

Designs have been unveiled for the 21st Serpentine Pavilion in London by Chicago artist Theaster Gates with architectural support from Adjaye Associates.
Named Black Chapel, the pavilion alludes to the “performative and meditative” qualities of a small chapel, and a working bell salvaged from the demolished St Laurence Church on Chicago’s South Side will be placed next to the entrance of the pavilion and used to announce performances.
A large oculus at the top of the pavilion will bring in light, contributing to a “sanctuary-like” environment for reflection and communion.

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Theaster Gates. Image:

Sara Pooley

The design also draws inspiration from the great kilns of Stoke-on-Trent and will pay homage to British craft and manufacturing traditions.
“The name Black Chapel is important because it reflects the invisible parts of my artistic practice,” said Gates.
“It acknowledges the role that sacred music and the sacred arts have had on my practice, and the collective quality of these emotional and communal initiatives. Black Chapel also suggests that in these times there could be a space where one could rest from the pressures of the day and spend time in quietude. I have always wanted to build spaces that consider the power of sound and music as a healing mechanism and emotive force that allows people to enter a space of deep reflection and/or deep participation.”
Gates used the name Black Chapel for another work, commissioned in 2019, which sought to bring black spiritual life to Haus der Kunst, a modern and contemporary art musuem in Munich originally built for the Nazi regime.
The Serpentine Pavilion selection for this year was made by Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, director of construction and special projects Julie Burnell, director of curatorial affairs and public practice Yesomi Umolu, and project curator Natalia Grabowska, together with advisors David Adjaye and David Glover.

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Black Chapel by Chicago artist Theaster Gates with architectural support from Adjaye Associates.

In a joint statement, Bettina Korek and Hans Ulrich Obrist said, “We are honoured to undertake this remarkable project with leading visual artist Theaster Gates. One of the most significant voices working today, Gates’ praxis combines formalism, conceptualism and powerful impact felt throughout the communities in which he works and beyond. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Black Chapel as a platform for engagement, spirituality and togetherness.”
The pavilion will open in Kensington Gardens in June. More

Collins and Turner has finalized designs for the transformation of an industrial warehouse in Alexandria into a recreation centre with four indoor multipurpose courts. The updated design for the Huntley Street centre includes a sweeping canopy facade that will provide shade in front of the building. The project will also deliver a gymnasium and a […] More

Cumulus has designed another series of prefabricated timber-clad tourist pods, this time along the banks of the Murray River at Wellington Marina, an hour out of Adelaide. The firm said the pods will combine simple designs, robust natural materials and a subdued palette to connect the pitched roof forms to the surrounding natural landscape. “From […] More

Stewart Architecture has designed Canberra’s first cross-laminated timber (CLT) office building. To be built within the Parliamentary Triangle, at 23 National Circuit, the six-storey office will sit within a precinct of innovative new offices, across the road from the Realm Precinct and Hotel Realm, also designed by Stewart Architecture, and next to Little National Hotel […] More

Organizers of the Australian Interior Design Awards have announced the jury for the 2022 edition of the premier awards program for interior design in Australia.
“As always, this year’s judging panel is comprised of some of our country’s most innovative and creative design minds, with the stature of the panel reflecting the quality of the entries submitted across each category,” said Geraldine Maher, awards convenor and director of Maher Design.
The 2022 jury comprises Madeleine Blanchfield (direcotr of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, NSW); Caroline Diesner (principal of Hassell, Qld); Stuart Krelle (director of Luchetti Krelle, NSW); Albert Mo (director of Architects EAT, Vic), Rosie Morley (principal of Fender Katsalidis, Vic), Jade Nottage (director of Tom Mark Henry, NSW); Beatrix Rowe (principal of Beatrix Rowe Interior Design, Vic); and Peter Walker (director, Cumulus Studio, Tas). John Gertsakis will again act as sustainbility advisor.
The Australian Interior Design Awards is judged across seven primary categories of retail design, hospitality design, workplace design, public design, installation design, as well as residential design and residential decoration. Outside of the primary categories, there are also two optional categories of emerging interior design practice and sustainability advancement, as well as an invitation only category of interior design impact, which celebrates the transformative effect that design can have on a building’s occupants and the wider community.
Submissions for the 2022 awards are now open until 30 March. “Year after year, we find that the submissions continue to push the existing boundaries of design and inventiveness, and we expect 2022 to be no different. We can’t wait to view the work that presents itself from Australia’s best and brightest designers,” Maher said.
“Following the last two years, we are thrilled to return to the traditional awards format for this year’s program. However, if there’s anything we’ve observed over the course of the pandemic, it’s the tenacity and resilience of the Australian design community.”
“We have seen designers transform challenging circumstances into opportunities for creative growth, delivering innovation beyond what we previously imagined, and redefining the notion of ‘normal’ as our behaviours, habits, and interactions shift. We are eager to see this represented in the 2022 program.”
The Australian Interior Design Awards is delivered by Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and Architecture Media’s Artichoke magazine. The 2022 awards is supported by Dulux, Space, Subzero and Wolf, Laminex, and Interiors Australia.
To enter the awards, click here. More

The National Gallery of Victoria, in partnership with Melbourne Art Foundation will launch the inaugural Melbourne Design Fair, which will be a key event of the 2022 Melbourne Design Week program in March.
Melbourne Design Fair will be the first of its kind to bring together designers, design organizations, studios, galleries and collectors together in a commercial showcase of limited edition, rare, one-of-a-kind collectable pieces by Australia’s leading designer-makers.
The fair will be exhibited across two platforms: “Present” will feature galleries, design organizations, agencies, studios – dedicated displays by design creative they represent. Participating organizations, curated by NGV, include Gallery Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Sophie Gannon Gallery, Studio Roland Snooks, Sullivan and Strumpf, Broached Commissions, Agency Projects, Christopher Boots, C. Gallery, Craft Victoria, Jam Factory, Local Design, Modern Times and Design Tasmania.

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Adam Goodrum, Big Talk. Image:

Luke Evens

“Select” will be curated exhibition featuring works from 35 designers across Australia, hand picked by NGV curator of contemporary design and architecture Simone LeAmon. They include Dale Hardiman, Elliot Bastianon, Jordan Fleming, Adam Goodrum, Brodie Neill, Susan Cohn, Helen Kontouris, Jon Goulder, Damien Wright and many more.
“Collectible contemporary design is cultural production reflecting our time, offering alternative points of view, commentary or insights into the design, and making of objects anchored to function and the rituals of everyday life,” LeAmon said. “Audiences will find prototypes, limited edition, limited serial production and one-of-a-kind, works on offer. Collectible design invites us to explore and contemplate Australian material culture through the convergence of ideas, materials and making, which is what makes the Melbourne Design Fair an event not to be missed.”
All works exhibited will be available for purchase. Melbourne Design Fair will also include a series of talks and conversations with the designers, as well as a film series.
The fair will take place over five days at Warehouse 16, 28 Duke Street Abbotsford.
For more information about Melbourne Design Week, click here. More

Scott Carver has designed a 30-storey building for 37-41 Oxford Street in Epping, Sydney that would include a 211-unit shop-top housing tower atop a two-storey podium with retail, office space and a childcare centre. Planning documents describe an “elegant tryptic [sic] staggered tower,” with the apparent bulk and scale of the building reduced through the […] More

Two of Australia’s major zoos are evolving, with a new reptile centre at Taronga Zoo given the green light and a masterplan for Perth Zoo coming to life. The approved Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Centre at Taronga in Sydney, designed by DWP (Design Worldwide Partnership) with landscape architecture by Context Landscape Architecture, will replace Reptile […] More