Evelyn Reynolds

The nine-storey Jewish Arts Quarter building proposed for 7 Selwyn Street, Elsternwick in Melbourne’s inner south has been granted approval, after planning minister Richard Wynne intervened to scuttle a legal challenge.
Designed by Melbourne’s Mclldowie Partners, the building will replace the double-storey brick building used by the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre. It will bring together the Jewish Museum of Australia and the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library, along with performing arts and co-working spaces.
Glen Eira council gave the proposal the green light back in September 2020 but residents concerned about the building’s height and lack of parking lodged an appeal with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Before the matter could be heard, planning minster Wynne called in the matter, referring it to the government’s Priority Projects Standing Advisory Committee instead of the tribunal. Wynne told parliament he stepped in because he considered the project would provide a substantial public benefit and the appeals process “may have a substantial effect on the achievement or development of planning objectives.”

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Jewish Arts Quarter by Mclldowie Partners.

The Priority Projects Standing Advisory Committee held a roundtable discussion on the proposal in June, where the applicant and council submitted evidence in support of the proposal and objectors raised their concerns. Based on the evidence presented the committee recommended the proposal for approval, and the planning minister granted it in late August.
Joe Tigel, Jewish Arts Quarter director and president of the Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library welcomed the approval.
“We are kvelling! – beaming with pride and joy in realizing our vision for the Jewish Arts Quarter, allowing us to move from imagination to the belief that a vibrant and dynamic new cultural destination will soon become a reality,” he said.
The new building will feature a 751-square-metre performing arts theatre occupying the three basement levels, which will be able to accommodate up to 300 patrons and 20 theatre staff. Museum exhibition space will occupy the first three floor, covering around 1,259 square metres, and c-working office spaces covring a total floor area of 1,631 sqaure metres will occupy the top five floors.
There will also be a café on level three for offce workers, a ground floor café, a shop and 30 bicycle parking spots. There will be no car parks, which was a sticking point for the development’s opponents, but the government noted the precinct was well connected to public transport and that the lack of car parks would encourage “sustainable, active transport alternatives.”
The Jewish Arts Quarter will sit adjacent to the Jewish Holocaust Centre designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects, and become part of a wider precinct featuring the Sholem Aleichem College and Classic Cinemas.
The development will be supported by a $3.5 million contribution from the Victorian government. More

The Design Institute of Australia has announced the state winners of its Graduates of the Year program.
From 173 nominations, 57 were shortlisted and 27 state winners will now progress to the national awards, to be announced in October.
The jurors include Mark Berlangieri, Jane Valentine, Dave Bickmore, Tim Phillips, Gustavo Ruckman and Nancy Beka.
The Graduate of the Year program has been mentoring students since 2005 and provides students with an opportunity to feedback from experienced designers and industry leaders.
The state winners are:
NSW / ACT
Interior Design
Isabelle Kleijn, UNSW
Interior Decoration
Ike Sonder TAFE NSW
Industrial / Product Design
Anthony Franco, UNSW
Visual Communication Design
Madison Chan, University of Technology Sydney
Fashion Design
Gisella Candi, University of Technology Sydney
Textile Design
David Ward, TAFE NSW
Queensland
Interior Design
Nadia Dubreuil QUT
Interior Decoration
Elicia Muratoglu, Torrens University Australia
Industrial / Product Design
Alexander Eviston, QUT
Visual Communication
Hannah Bryce, Griffith University
Fashion Design
Lily Mergard, QUT
Textile Design
Hannah Nam, QUT
South Australia
Interior Design
Brooke Bartolic, University of South Australia, SA
Industrial / Product Design
Shu Yun Lam, University of South Australia, SA
Visual Communication Design
Brian Bolado, University of South Australia
Victoria/Tasmania
Interior Design
Madeleine Day, Swinburne University of Technology
Industrial / Product Design
Tim Lutton, RMIT University
Interior Decoration
Joanne Odisho, RMIT University
Visual Communication Design
Erin McConnell, Swinburne University of Technology
Fashion Design
Liam Ramirez, RMIT University, VIC
Textile Design
Sophie Yencken, RMIT University
Furniture Design
Bolaji Teniola RMIT University
Western Australia
Interior Design
Angela Scarano, North Metropolitan TAFE
Industrial / Product Design
Simon Lockwood, North Metropolitan TAFE
Visual Communication Design
Anabel Cressie, North Metropolitan TAFE
Fashion Design
Hannah Altinier, North Metropolitan TAFE
Emily Cooper, Curtin University More

Australia’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, designed by Brisbane practice Bureau Proberts, will create a stylized depiction of the country’s unique landscape and dramatic skies.
Taking inspiration from historic landscape paintings, Bureau Proberts designed a cloud-like form that will hover over a folding timber terrain. “We derived great satisfaction from translating the essence of Australia — or its qualitative elements — into a built form,” said Bureau Proberts managing and creative director Liam Proberts.
“It was interesting to find that cumulus clouds appear through history in scenes of the Australian landscape. Not only is the cumulus cloud instantly recognizable on the Australian skyline, it’s also ubiquitous the world over.
“Just as a real cloud is made up of a series of droplets, our cloud structure comprises a myriad of disparate yet similar elements.
“Together, they signify the way in which Australia is home to multiple cultures that unify and enhance our nation.”

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Design of Australia’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai by Bureau Proberts.

The “cloud” canopy will be fixed with a series of lights that will create a dynamic display akin to a lightning bolt from an Australian thunderstorm.
Below, the terrain will be made from cross-laminated timber, which is sustainably sourced and can be disassembled and reused.
“Sheltered by an expansive, cloud-like form, we’ve created a large, open gathering space at the heart of the pavilion,” Proberts continued. “It offers a welcoming invitation to all visitors, echoing the warm and inclusive nature of Australians.”
A VIP facility on a second story balcony will overlook the pavilion courtyard.
The pavilion will accommodate Australia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, which is taking place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. More

DKO Architecture’s design for a 25-storey tower complex at 26 Mann Street, Gosford on the NSW Central Coast has been placed on public exhibit. The first stage of the $150 million Central Coast Quarter development, which comprises three towers all designed by DKO. The towers would accommodate 136 apartments and retail uses on a site […] More

The Western Australian government has released concept designs of the state’s first hospice for children. To be built on the site of the former Swanbourne Bowling Club, the facility designed by Hassell will create a home-like environment close to the beach for children and their families needing respite. It will accommodate seven beds, three family […] More

Chrofi and McGregor Coxall have won a design competition for a village green and community centre in Macquarie Park, Sydney.
The project will sit at the heart of Midtown MacPark, a housing development being built by Frasers Property with designs and masterplanning by Bates Smart, Hassell, Cox and Candalepas Associates.
Along with the open space, the development includes a range of community facilities that will be open to the public.
McGregor Coxall director Philip Coxall said the design aimed to create an inclusive space where the community building, with its pool, gym and range of other amenities, sits comfortably within the landscape.
“Our design creates a dramatic place for people to explore,” he said. “The landscape and architecture amplify the experience of a sunken garden, utilizing level changes throughout the topography to create a destination worthy of exploration.”
The village green will offer a pleasant view to surrounding apartment buildings, while also offering space for community activities such as movie nights, markets and workshops. The green space will be integrated with a 25-metre swimming pool and a 434-square-metre gymnasium, available on a pay-as-you-go basis.
There will also be a mixed-use space containing a community centre, a cafe and multipurpose rooms, all connected by a verandah.
“While providing a unique aesthetic, the site maintains optimal functionality through the plaza and green space’s connectedness to the fitness and leisure amenities in the floor below,” said Coxall. “With shared swimming and exercise facilities, outdoor gardens, seating and a playground for children of all ages, the public domain provides a safe place of equal engagement and treatment for individuals from all walks of life.”
Frasers Property plans to build around 3,300 apartments at Midtown MacPark over the next 10 to 12 years. More

Richards and Spence has designed another building for James Street in Brisbane, which will provide fine-grain retail and hospitality tenancies as well as small and medium office space.
The James Street precinct is home to a number of buildings designed by the local firm, including the Calile Hotel, the Ada Lane dining strip and the West Elm shop at Wandoo Street.
With a development application submitted to council, the latest mixed-use building at 75-85 James Street promises to “mediate the scale of building between the commercial heart of the Fortitude Valley and New Farm residential, acknowledging and supporting both conditions,” according to Richards and Spence.
The five-storey building will be centred around a ground-floor plaza and captured garden, with eleven “high end” retail tenancies, a cafe and a restaurant activating the ground plane.
“Glazed shopfronts are framed by double storey brick portals to create articulation in plan,” Richards and Spence states in planning documents. “Each tenancy is expressed as a separate building as it steps up the length of the street. The public footpath transitions into a landscaped oasis with a comfortable raised level change.”

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75-85 James Street by Richards and Spence.

The site is bounded by James Street, Harcourt Street and Southwick Lane, and a number of internal laneways will create cross-block connections and lead into the central plaza. An existing timber building on the corner of James and Harcourt streets will be preserved as a neighbourhood bakery, while on the western edge a restaurant with external dining will activate the public plaza and back onto a four-metre-wide deep planting zone.
“This mature landscape allows filtered daylight into the plan while maintaining a natural buffer to adjacent residential,” states the architect.
Generous balconies will create articulation along the building’s facade, while solid balustrades will ensure privacy from the street.
The design of the office levels is flexible, incorporating opportunity for subdivision into smaller tenancies.
“Commercial office plates are designed from the inside out as ‘villages’ to optimise occupation,” notes the architect.
“Care has been taken to ensure maximisation of views and orientation with perimeter rooms each celebrating different experiences whether they be city views, northern orientation to the Calile Hotel, views to the Story Bridge and the river.” More

The Australian Institute of Architects will soon launch an online resource designed to help reinforce safety and sustainability in product specifications. The products and materials library will enhance architects’ ability to specify materials that have sustainability certifications and modern slavery registrations. The library will include links to specification documents and BIM files. “Our new Products […] More