The owners of Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s west have released a development plan for the transformation of the shopping centre and surrounding precinct over the next 30 years. Prepared by Urbis for the GPT Group, the Highpoint Urban Village plan seeks approval for a mixture of residential and commercial uses, community facilities, green open […] More
Woods Bagot has prepared a concept design for a 23-storey tower at 378-390 Pacific Highway in Sydney’s Crows Nest. The tower would neighbour the three-tower over-station development at Crows Nest Metro currently under construction, which is also designed by Woods Bagot as part of the Crows Nest Design Consortium. A planning proposal submitted to North […] More
Glenn Murcutt has become the first Australian to be named a Praemium Imperiale Laureate of architecture by the Japan Art Association.
The annual global prize recognizes individuals or groups from all over the world “that make outstanding contributions to the development, promotion and progress of the arts,” across five categories of painting, sculpture, architecture, music and theatre/film.
The selection committee described Murcutt as “an architect ahead of his time – an architect who has spent his career creating modest, environmentally responsible buildings rooted in the climate and tradition of his native Australia.”
“[Murcutt’s] architecture has a poetic beauty and lightness, in harmony with nature while at the same time, allowing the rationality of modernist architecture and ecological wisdom to shine through.”
“Murcutt uses simple materials such as local timber, corrugated steel, stone, glass and concrete and advocates an architecture based on a process of observation and discovery – one that utilizes and works with the characteristics of the land, light and materials.”
View gallery
Marie Short House (1974) by Glenn Murcutt. Image:
Anthony Browell
His citation notes his celebrated works including the Marie Short House (1974), the Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre (1999), designed with architects, Wendy Lewin and Reginald Lark, and the Australian Islamic Centre (2016), designed in collaboration with Elevli Plus Architects.
In receiving his prize, Murcutt said:
For me architecture is not a creative process. I have always said for every great building, or any building that’s going to be a wonderful building, it is already there, but to be discovered. It is not created, it is discovered.
Discovery is very important to me. Discovery takes out the elitism. Discovery is something we can all do. That is very, very important to me.
I have eschewed the computer for discovery. I think the computer has taken away the rapidity of hand drawing and eye-hand thinking. One can discover so rapidly the alternatives. One doesn’t have to set up a whole set of parameters to arrive at a solution. That has to be consciously done. But with the pencil, you can arrive at a solution and not even know how it came. In other words, you arrive at a solution before the conscious can understand it. It is the subconscious that has led you to that solution, not the conscious.
The landscape is critical to me. I want to minimize the damage to that landscape. It’s very important to work with the landscape, not against it. So you work with things, not against them. You live with my buildings, not in my buildings, because my buildings live within the environment – bringing the light in, the sun, the wind, all those elements are all about environmental issues – that the buildings perform to a very great level by themselves, no air conditioning.
There’s been an Aboriginal expression that was given to me – the Aboriginal people said, we’ve touched the land lightly. Now, touching the land lightly isn’t a question of showing a building sitting lightly on the land, it’s about where the materials come from, it’s about how a building operates in that landscape, it’s about minimizing energy consumption, its about how it can be without all the artificial factors that make it comfortable. Touching the land lightly is not simply an expression that is without complexity.
I think the best of architecture has a presence. That presence embodies a strength and a delicacy and a quietness. I’m not interested in architecture that is loud, that speaks of showing off, I’m interested in architecture that is without novelty. I’m not interested in novelty, I just want it to be excellent.
Murcutt is the 32nd Praemium Imperiale architecture laureate. Past laureates include I.M. Pei, Kenzo Tange, Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas, Peter Zumthor and Zaha Hadid.
The other 2021 laureates are James Turrell for sculpture, Sebastião Salgado for painting, and Yo Yo Ma for music. No recipient was named for theatre/film as many of the candidates were unable to fulfil the requirements for the award due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More
Adelaide practice Studio Nine Architects and steel manufacturer Revolution Roofing have teamed up to bring to market a new wall cladding series, NINELINE. Born out of a mixture of curiosity and frustration, the series came out of a sports project Studio Nine was working on. “Sports architecture is typically clad in a single, cost effective, […] More
The WA government has unveiled the design of a second station along the proposed Morley-Ellenbrook Line in Perth’s north-east.
Woods Bagot is leading design for the project with architects Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick and landscape architects TCL and UDLA, as part of the Melconnx Consortium led by Laing O’Rourke Australia.
The Morley-Ellenbrook Line is the most significant upgrade to the city’s transport infrastructure in more than a decade.
Five new stations and station precincts are planned at Morley, Noranda, Malaga, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook. The project aims to address missing transport links in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs.
Malaga station, the second in the network to be unveiled, is designed to be “a station in a park,” drawing influences from the nearby Whiteman Park, Lightning Park and surrounding banksia bushlands. It will be the first building in a future town centre and will include shaded meeting points within an urban landscape setting and intuitive wayfinding. The station will also have open, verandah-style entrance.
“The overall architectural design, form, scale and presence of Malaga Station is unique to its location while still in keeping with the line wide narrative and design approach,” said Woods Bagot’s Perth studio chair Kukame McPierzie.
“The station architecture expresses a clear hierarchy of forms. The main triangulated roof is reminiscent of the local banksia bushland leaves, with a simple hipped geometry that ‘floats’ above the station, providing natural light and cross ventilation.”
View gallery
Ellenbrook station design by Woods Bagot, Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick, TCL and UDLA.
Earlier in July the government released the design of Ellenbrook station, which draws inspiration from the colours and patterns of the Swan Coastal Plain, including the local sunsets, soil, bush and waterways. The station will include a kiosk, public restrooms, universal access, a bush exchange, bike shelters and parking for 500 cars.
“We’re committed to using exceptional, integrated design work to create a passenger-centered experience with access to amenity that people enjoy — green space, clear routes to platforms and an easy journey in and out,” McPierzie continued.
“Railway stations are important civic places. These will be distinctive, safe and inviting settings for the gathering and movement of people. Our team will create precincts that are sensitive to the local culture and environment—commuters will be able to find their way easily and enjoy being in the space.” More
Two towers of 30 and 21 storeys designed by Fender Katsalidis have been approved for Melbounre’s inner-city suburb of South Yarra. Described as “the largest build-to-rent development ever to receive a permit in Australia,” the $500 million project will deliver 625 units and 2,400 square metres of office and retail space. The larger tower on […] More
A South Australian council has endorsed concept designs for a $34 million transformation of the town’s riverfront. Landscape architecture practice Aspect Studios and architecture practices Terroir and Mulloway are leading design development for the Sturt Reserve project, which will deliver new recreation, play and historic precincts for Murray Bridge. Sturt Reserve redevelopment concept designs by […] More
Limits of size or budget are no obstacles for the Australian architects who will present their work as part of a symposium on small projects.
Curated by Anita Panov and Andrew Scott of Panov Scott Architects, The Architecture Symposium: Small will celebrate projects or processes that might not necessarily be physically small but which involve “divergent practice methods developed over many years to produce an enviable economy of architectural means.”
View gallery
St Albans Housing by NMBW Architecture Studio.
The Design Speaks program will be presented virtually, with each session viewable live and then available on demand until until 19 November.
The first session, scheduled for 6 October, is themed “Making Urban.” Speakers include John Choi of Chrofi, who will present his firm’s project for Parramatta Mission; Mel Bright of Studio Bright, presenting Loftus Lane; Amelia Holliday and Isabelle Toland of Aileen Sage Architects, discussing Redfern Community Facility; and Olivia Hyde, director of design excellence at the Office of the Government Architect NSW.
View gallery
Loftus Lane by Studio Bright. Image:
Rory Gardiner
Session two, streaming live on 13 October, will be about “Making Suburban.” Nigel Bertram of NMBW Architecture Studio will present St Albans Housing; Simon Pendal, of Simon Pendal Architect will present Beaconsfield House; John Ellway will present Three House, the 2021 Australian House of the Year; and Mat Hinds and Poppy Taylor of Taylor and Hinds will present their project Bozen’s Cottage.
And finally, on 20 October, Session three will be about “Making Community.” Speakers include Jennie Officer, Officer Woods Architects; Matthew Eagle, ME; Rachel Nolan and Patrick Kennedy, Kennedy Nolan; and Alexander Symes, Alexander Symes Architect.
View gallery
Bozen’s Cottage by Taylor and Hinds. Image:
Adam Gibson
Each session will be followed by a live panel discussion led by curators Panov and Scott.
For further information, head here.
The Architecture Symposium is a Design Speaks program organized by Architecture Media, publisher of ArchitectureAU.com. The Architecture Symposium: Small is supported by principal partner Dulux and major partners Planned Cover and James Hardie. More
