Evelyn Reynolds

The Australian Institute of Architects Curatorial Committee for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale has unveiled its shortlist for the creative director of the Australia Pavilion.
Among 21 entries, four consortia have been selected as finalists. All of the shortlisted teams will now progress to the next stage, where they will prepare and present an extended proposal to the curatorial committee.
The four teams include:

Jessica Spresser and Peter Besley – Redux
Ian Strange, Fleur Watson and Jon Clements – Precarious Actions – The Marked Home
Georgia Birks, Ewan McEoin, Rachel Nolan, Dr Timothy Moore and Ross Harding – A New Normal
Jack Gilmer, Emily McDaniel and Michael Mossman – Home

One winner will be selected to lead Australia’s representation at the 2025 Venice Biennale, the premier international architectural forum. The 2025 biennale has been curated by architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, under the theme “Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.”
Jane Cassidy, the national president of the Institute and a member of the curatorial committee, said the committee envisions a captivating exhibition that responds to the curatorial theme.

The winning exhibition will be one that not only connects with a global audience, but that also speaks to an Australian demographic to align with any future exhibitions in Australia following the biennale.

“The 2025 Venice Biennale Curatorial Committee’s vision is to tell a rich and engaging story, showcase original ideas and describe the depth of our architectural expertise. It also provides the opportunity to promote the value of architecture nationally within Australia,” Cassidy said.
The selected creative director will be announced in October 2024, while the Australia Exhibition will open to the world on 8 May 2025. More

The Woods Bagot-designed Melbourne Quarter Tower has opened, marking the completion of the third and final commercial tower in the Melbourne Quarter precinct.
Sited across from the Southern Cross Station, the objective behind the precinct is to activate and connect a previously underutilised gap between the CBD grid and Docklands. The Melbourne Quarter Tower (MQT), at 426 feet tall, is the largest of five office and residential towers in the precinct.

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The tower form responds to its context, adopting a concave on one face of the building to echo the curve of Wurundjeri Way. Woods Bagot principal Hazel Porter said the tower’s embrace of Wurundjeri Way responds to one of the primary objectives of the masterplan, which aimed to tie together the built form along Collins Street.
“Maximising the volumetric titles, the tower rises directly over the freeway, returning valuable inner-city space back to the public,” Porter said.

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Internally, the commercial levels of the building, which accommodate offices and workspaces, are approximately 2,000 square metres in size, with the upper floors gradually tapering as the building curves in. The double-height lobby features a verdant vertical wall that contrasts with the neutral tones of the sandstone flooring and timber wall battens. The interior of the topmost level features a sweeping modular timber ceiling that conceals the building’s plant room.
The Melbourne Quarter precinct is among one of the largest mixed-use urban regeneration developments to occur in the city. More than 50 percent of the 2.5 hectare precinct has been dedicated to public open space. At the heart of the hub is a central park, named the Sky Park, which the new buildings revolve around. More

A newly approved planning scheme amendment has moved Docklands’ waterfront one step closer to being redeveloped as a hub for housing, entertainment and employment.
Two waterfront buildings are involved: the Australian Football League (AFL)-owned AFL House at 140 Harbour Esplanade; and the Development Victoria-owned 160 Harbour Esplanade, which is occupied by the Channel 7 broadcast centre.
Development Victoria and the AFL entered a joint venture agreement to explore redevelopment opportunities at the two sites in January 2024. An earlier proposal, designed by Grimshaw Architects and filed by the joint venture partners in May 2024, sought the development of three towers at the sites; however, the City of Melbourne did not support it.
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has now approved a planning scheme amendment (PSA) application for the sites, which have been rezoned to permit the building of mixed-use commercial, residential and entertainment developments.
Future building designs will need to respond to the conditions of the planning scheme amendment and are subject to further approvals before construction can begin.
Minister for Development Victoria Colin Brooks said redeveloping these sites and integrating them with Marvel Stadium will deliver “more homes, jobs, shops, restaurants and entertainment to the Docklands waterfront.”
“Docklands plays a key role in delivering much-needed housing in Melbourne as we get on with delivering 800,000 new homes in Victoria over the next decade, with thousands of homes to be built in the precinct including a mix of market homes and build-to-rent,” Brooks said.
The joint venture partners may now commence planning that aligns with the PSA, including delivery strategies for releasing the sites to market. More

Australia’s first all-electric hospital building, designed by BVN, opened on 17 August.
Canberra Hospital’s new Critical Services Building (CSB) — also known as Building 5 — is a nine-storey structure that is powered by 100 percent renewable energy. As a result, its emissions impact is reduced by approximately 1,886 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
The 44,000 square metre building is linked to the existing hospital campus through a double-height welcome hall, which also serves as the hospital’s new primary reception area. The building houses a new emergency department, intensive care unit, operating theatres, day surgery with expanded recovery areas, cardiac care unit, and inpatient wards.
The design prioritises families as a key user group of the hospital. The welcome hall, collaboratively designed with the community, aims to create an inclusive space by incorporating outdoor terraces and courtyards for alternate, greener waiting areas. The intensive care facility also includes two sheltered terraces, both of which have been specifically designed to support medical equipment. This setup enables patients and their families to experience outdoor environs while visiting and receiving care.

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BVN principal Julian Ashton said the major expansion of Canberra Hospital will “unite healthcare and community in an environmentally-friendly wellbeing-oriented campus.”
“Our approach to this project included a strong focus on engaging with the local community to really understand how the new facilities would be used, and how the spaces could bring additional value to the people who use them,” Ashton said.
“The introduction of gathering spaces such as the welcome hall are examples of areas within the hospital that evolved through this process, offering something fundamentally different to the status quo in hospital design.”
The ACT Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith, highlighted that the opening of the CSB is a huge milestone for the territory’s public health system as it is the largest healthcare infrastructure project undertaken by the ACT government to date.
“It will help to meet the growing health needs of our city, attract health workers to the ACT, and provide staff, patients and families with a light and pleasant environment to work and heal.” More

A collaborative design alliance has unveiled a speculative proposal that reimagines Brisbane’s Northshore as a lively new precinct that accommodates housing, recreation and a sports and entertainment stadium for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The scheme, named Northshore Vision 2050, is a timely response to the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which wrapped up less than a fortnight ago. The proposal was conceived by the Brisbane Design Alliance, a collaborative team of architecture, planning and engineering firms that comprises Buchan, HKS, NRA Collaborative, Aurecon and Nikken Sekkei.
The proposed Northshore Vision features a 60,000-seat stadium with an adjacent aquatic centre, a wave pool and retail and hospitality zone. The scheme includes pedestrian promenades that would maximise access to the Brisbane River and create a waterfront tourism destination.
HKS director Andrew Colling said the proposed design transforms underutilised industrial land, as well as leverages the potential of the Brisbane River as a prominent feature. He explained that the scheme responds to projected population growth in the next 25 years through a mixed-use precinct located on the shores of the Brisbane River.
Colling added that the scheme addresses the challenges of the city’s existing sports infrastructure. “We love the Gabba and its history, but its potential will always be constrained by its narrow site,” he said. “A new, world-class stadium at Northshore can be purpose-built for cricket and Aussie Rules while creating a unique Brisbane 2032 Olympics experience and venue to be proud of. Having direct connection to the river and views from inside the stadium back to the CBD will showcase our city’s natural beauty, river setting and sub-tropical climate to the world.”

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The proposed project would be delivered in stages, said Buchan principal Phil Schoutrop.
“Stage one would establish a sports and entertainment precinct that accommodates the 2032 Olympics. It includes the stadium, warm-up facilities, and a 2,500 apartment athletes’ village, alongside hotel, restaurant and leisure amenities,” Schoutrop said.
The ensuing stages would occur over 15 years. These stages would see the establishment of an additional 12,000 residential apartments and townhouses; enterprise, innovation and cultural zones; a specialist high performance sports science and sports medicine zone, and a central park with public open spaces. An elevated, landscaped walkway or highline would later connect the precinct to Doomben Station, while a green pedestrian bridge over the river would link the site to the suburb of Bulimba.

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Schoutrop highlighted the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games at Stratford in the UK.
“London used the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to turn industrial land in the city’s east into a precinct that is now a thriving place to live and work, with enviable sports and wellness facilities. We can do the same in Brisbane. Our design-led scheme optimises land use and investment to make the most of this exciting period of growth and opportunity.”
The alliance has proposed the scheme could be brought to life through a private finance model, minimising costs to the state.
To view the scheme, visit the Brisbane Design Alliance website. More

The newly opened Sydney Metro Waterloo Station, designed by John McAslan and Partners, features a design that celebrates the diverse history of Waterloo, including its First Nations and industrial heritage.
The three-storey station, which opened on Monday 19 August 2024, is part of the Sydney Metro City line. It will service high-frequency, driverless trains that will arrive at the station every four minutes during peak times.
Director of John McAslan and Partners (JMP) Troy Uleman said the design emphasises a connection to place. At the platform level of the station, the design nods to ancient heritage, while at street level, it reflects Waterloo in its post-colonialist condition.
“Waterloo is a dynamic, multicultural community with a rich Indigenous, social and industrial history,” Uleman said. “Through consultation with Indigenous advisors, Yerrabingin, we learnt the phrase ‘the past is in the earth and the future is in the sky.’ That became the conceptual framework for our design, which takes passengers on a journey shaped by Waterloo’s layered heritage.”

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Upon entering the station’s concourse, rail passengers are greeted by a 9.7-metre image of a young local Indigenous dancer named Roscoe. This artwork, created by Indigenous Australian artist Nicole Monks, celebrates First Nations living and thriving culture. Also on the concourse level is perforated panelling with a depiction of the endemic banksia scrub.
The southern station box connects to place with a perforated aluminium facade that has been overlaid with an image derived from early maps of Waterloo when it was marshland. At the subterranean platform level, rust-colored wall linings reveal abstracted imagery of a stone blade fragment, in reference to a fragment that was discovered on site during archaeological excavation.
“In collaboration with artists and design consultants, the incorporation of Indigenous themes grounds the station in the area’s deep history while symbolising a robust future for the nation’s first people,” said Uleman. “I cannot imagine Waterloo without Roscoe, that great, smiling, friendly boy, telling us the future is bright.”
In the street-level entrance hall, materials and textures pay homage to the suburb’s built history. This space features a coffered aluminium ceiling and granite flooring. More

The Australian Institute of Architects and the First Nations Advisory Committee have unveiled a new online resource that supports built environment professionals to deepen their knowledge on First Nations design considerations.
The First Nations Resource Hub aims to improve practitioners’ knowledge on culturally respectful and appropriate design for Indigenous Australians. The resource hub considers more than just aesthetics, but also provides insight on acknowledging the history and Traditional Custodians of the land, as well as how to interact with and learn from First Nations communities.

The platform includes educational materials that cover the cultural heritage of and current challenges faced by First Nations communities. It also provides architectural guidelines for creating spaces that honour and reflect First Nations cultures, along with strategies to ensure designs are culturally appropriate. Additionally, cultural protocols are included to outline respectful protocols for engaging with First Nations communities.
Outstanding projects that have incorporated best practice in First Nations design are showcased in the resource hub as examples of what can be accomplished through respectful engagement.
The new resource hub can be accessed via the Institute’s website. More

Curated by Clare Kennedy and John Ellway, The Architecture Symposium: Out of Office will explore the design possibilities that can emerge from being on site.
The two-day symposium, to be held on 11 and 12 October, will delve into collaborative prototyping, sketching and open conversation on site that can lead to greater design outcomes, inspiration and project relationships.
Twelve speakers from Australia and abroad will share stories from site, their work with builders, and their hands-on models of practice and education. Featured speakers include Tomoaki Uno of Tomoaki Uno Architects, Scott Burchell of Comb Construction, Lucinda McLean of NMBW, Yolandé Vorster of Architectus Conrad Gargett, Claire Markwick-Smith of Claire Markwick-Smith, Kim Baber of Baber Studio, Sascha Solar-March of Saha, Laurens Bekemans of BC Architects and Studies, Sarah Lynn Rees of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, Daniel Burnett of Blok Modular, and Chloe Naughton of BVN.
The Architecture Symposium is a Design Speaks program organised by Architecture Media, supported by premium partners Planned Cover and Bondor, supporting partner Moddex, and hotel partner Ovolo.
To find more about Architecture Symposium: Out of Office, visit here. More