More stories

  • in

    One-day architecture conference to explore connection to Earth

    A one-day conference featuring talks from esteemed international and Australian architects will present a hopeful vision for the future of the planet, the architecture profession and the built environment through the sharing of global examples of responsible architecture.
    Stories of Earth: Echoes in Architecture, to be held in Sydney on 14 September 2024, will feature international speakers Niall McLaughlin (UK), Marusa Zorec (Slovenia), Rick Joy (US) and Maria Tabassum (Bangladesh) alongside Australian architects, who will each present their perspectives on the human connection to Earth.
    The stories the speakers share will not just revolve around built architecture, but will also explore solutions for building a common future for humanity; for those with and without land; those in poverty or with privilege, and those living within different environmental and built contexts.
    The conference topic has been partially informed by professor Daniel Barber’s 2024 essay, “Enough? Architecture and the Sufficiency Imperative,”which asks: In its quest for efficiency and performance, sustainable architecture has only made us want more – more buildings, more extraction, more stuff. What if architects crafted new desires, within planetary limits?
    As we hurtle towards exceeding those planetary limits, the conference will project an optimistic outlook on leading a purpose-driven profession – one that is rooted in a return to people, place and planet, over profit alone.
    To find out more about the event, visit the Stories of Earth: Echoes in Architecture website. More

  • in

    Indiana Teahouse redevelopment proposal axed by council

    The Town of Cottesloe in Western Australia has resolved not to proceed with a proposal to redevelop the heritage-listed Indiana Teahouse, designed by Woods Bagot, and a business plan put forward by Tattarang and Fiveight.
    The council rejected the proposal, which was first unveiled in 2021, due to its failure to align with the council’s Foreshore Masterplan by Aspect Studios, a lack of clarity around the financial impacts and risks, and uncertainly regarding the level of community benefit.
    “Commercialisation and privatisation of beaches is not a part of our culture and shouldn’t be contemplated unless backed up by very considerable community benefit,” said Cottesloe mayor Lorraine Young. “On balance, we didn’t feel the existing proposal delivered enough in that respect.”
    “[The masterplan] was endorsed by Council in 2019, and is a shovel-ready and much-needed project. Any redevelopment of Indiana should fully integrate with the approved Masterplan – the current proposal does not.”

    View gallery

    Instead, the council has endorsed a set of development parameters to guide the redevelopment of the teahouse, which address the use of the site, expected community benefits, financial considerations, and environmental and heritage considerations.
    The redevelopment of Indiana Teahouse was first proposed in 2019, when the site’s proponent, Minderoo Group (now Tattarang) held a design competition for a new pavilion on the site.
    Durbach Block Jaggers, Ohlo Studio and Aspect Studios won the competition, but a public vote revealed that only 10 percent of respondents preferred the jury’s choice and the site’s proponents decided not to proceed with the winning design.
    The existing Indiana Teahouse was added to the state’s heritage register in June 2021.
    A new proposal designed by Woods Bagot was unveiled in December 2021, which comprised two separate but interconnected structures stepping down towards the ocean, with the existing teahouse building retained. The proposal included restaurants, cafes, a rooftop pool, an underground spa, a promenade and public plaza, a 31-room hotel and a new boat storage shed for the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club.

    View gallery

    The council’s development parameters state: “tavern, hotel and short stay accommodation uses are not supported [and that] redevelopment must sit within current lease boundaries.”
    It also expressed a strong preference for a new fit-for-purpose boatshed to be located within the existing footprint.
    The council believes the development parameters could guide a revised proposal.
    “To be very clear, the Town of Cottesloe fully supports the redevelopment of the Indiana Tea House – and we would welcome a revised vision for the site that works within the parameters set out by Council,” Young said.
    “We continue to welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with Tattarang and Fiveight towards a proposal that enhances this landmark site and delivers a great outcome for all.” More

  • in

    Pattern book design competition launches for envisioning future of NSW

    A pattern book design competition has launched, inviting Australian and international architects and architecture students to submit simple-to-build proposals for terrace houses and mid-rise apartment buildings for sites across Sydney and New South Wales.
    The competition objective is to increase the supply of quality and diverse housing through designs that can easily be replicated. The outcome of competition will lead to the creation of a pattern book containing endorsed low- and mid-rise housing designs for guiding development.
    The winning designs will be eligible for an accelarated development approval pathway, enabling homes to be built faster. The successful proposals will additionally be approved for construction on five sites supplied by Homes NSW, Landcom and Sydney Olympic Park.
    Abbie Galvin, the New South Wales government architect, will lead the panel responsible for evaluating the proposals, with other jury members yet to be appointed. The jury will be seeking designs that are liveable, straightforward to build, replicable, cost effective, sustainable and that meet the needs of industry and local communities.
    The competition, first announced in 2023, was officially initiated on 2 July 2024. The first phase will require participants to express their interest in designing a scheme for a terrace house or mid-rise apartment building. Shortlisted nominees will be announced in September 2024, progressing through to the next stage, which involves submitting a detailed design proposal.
    The expression of interest portal will close on 9 August. Competition winners are anticipated to be revealed in November 2024, supplemented by the winning designs which will simultaneously be released to the public.
    The final pattern book is expected to launch in 2025. More

  • in

    Open for inspection: Residences on show for Open House Melbourne 2024

    A Robin Boyd-designed house never before been seen by the public is among the many exceptional homes scheduled to welcome visitors during the 2024 Open House Melbourne Weekend on 27 and 28 July. Wildwood House, completed in 1966, is one of the few remaining houses designed by Robin Boyd during his partnership with Frederick Romberg. […] More

  • in

    Osgemeos Rocked Brazil. Can the Graffiti Twins Take the U.S., Too?

    Their street murals, monumental sculptures, intricate drawings and vivid paintings pop up at Lehmann Maupin gallery on the eve of their Hirshhorn debut.Just inside the door to the studio of the Brazilian artists Osgemeos is a self-portrait.Spray painted onto the concrete wall of the old metal workshop’s entryway, the image shows the identical twins Otávio and Gustavo Pandolfo, 50, standing next to each other, hands at their sides and looking forward. They’re wearing colorful printed clothing, bags slung over their shoulders and baseball caps propped on their heads.Their skin is the same shade of yellow as the other characters they’re known for throughout their art, a nod to the fact that they, too, might be from Tritrez, the fantastical world they explore in their graffiti-style murals, monumental sculptures, intricate drawings and vivid paintings that have for more than three decades rocked their native Brazil.The self-portrait is just a snippet of what’s to come after passing through a small doorway at the back of the room that leads to a work space that allows the twins to create on an enormous scale. Here, preparations are underway for “Endless Story,” their first museum survey of work in the United States. The full-floor presentation will run at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum, in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 29 to Aug. 3, 2025, using the circular museum and its outside gardens to showcase some 1,000 artworks, photographs and archival materials.One of the brothers’ imposing sculptures, wrapped in black plastic so it can be shipped for the exhibition, hangs from chains on the sweeping ceiling and another is tucked away in a corner, a smidgen of what looks like a subway car visible.Under the studio’s mezzanine sits a model of the Hirshhorn, miniature versions of paintings and a photo of the pair as teenage B-boys placed on tiny gallery walls as the brothers decide where they should go. Working with Marina Isgro, the curator, has been a massive undertaking — not only do the artists have to select pieces they’ve done since art became their profession, but they also have to comb through the thousands of drawings their mother saved that they did as boys. Some depict sketches of cars and fire trucks, while others are an attempt to explain to their parents the importance of Tritrez to their journey.That magical world is also the focus of a solo exhibition at Lehmann Maupin gallery in New York. “Cultivating Dreams,” their sixth solo show with the gallery, runs through Aug. 16 and features 13 new paintings and an immersive installation, taking visitors through Tritrez, a dreamworld they first started drawing when they were just five years old.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

  • in

    Living Cities Forum announces first keynote speakers for 2024

    Living Cities Forum will return in September with another one-day conference themed “Common Interests”. In 2024 the conference will be held in both Melbourne and Sydney. The theme focuses on public spaces and challenges keynote speakers to showcase progressive ideas and solutions for the future of cities. Four international speakers have been announced. They include: […] More

  • in

    A 60-storey hotel designed by Kerry Hill Architects proposed for Sydney CBD

    A proposal to establish a 60-storey hotel in Sydney’s CBD has been filed, following an architectural competition won by Kerry Hill Architects. The proposed building, to be sited at 372-382 Pitt Street, would be mixed-use, accomodating a 517-room hotel and retail tenancies. The design proposal is the outcome of design excellence competition, for which Kerry […] More

  • in

    Melbourne’s built treasures set to amaze during Open House Melbourne 2024

    The 2024 Open House Melbourne Weekend encourages Victorians to rediscover their city – all the places they never knew existed and all the homes they’ve always been curious to step inside.
    This year’s program will host more than 170 experiences between 27 and 28 July. As always the weekend will include visits to spaces not normally open to the general public and captivating buildings, both new and old.

    View gallery

    The Koorie Heritage Trust by Lyons, Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates. Image: Supplied

    Some program highlights include Naarm Ngarrgu Library by Six Degrees Architects; the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art by Wood Marsh; the Koorie Heritage Trust by Lyons, Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates; a forest land artwork by Agnes Denes at a water treatment facility not open to the public; 116 Rokeby, an 11-storey commercial tower designed by Carr; the Melbourne Holocaust Museum by Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA), and a walk-through of the forthcoming Greenline project with the design team: TCL and Aspect Studios.
    In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the beloved Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, designed by Silver Thomas Hanley, Design Inc and McBride Charles Ryan, a special behind-the-scenes tour of the building will be held.

    View gallery

    The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, designed by Silver Thomas Hanley, DesignInc and McBride Charles Ryan. Image: Supplied

    The doors to well-designed homes of all typologies and ages will also be unlocked. Some residences set to throw open their doors include Wildwood House by Robin Boyd, which has never before been open to the public; Armadale House by Neeson Murcutt Neille; Living Around a Courtyard by Rush Wright Associates; Nightingale Preston by Nightingale Housing, and four multi-residential projects in Fitzroy, designed by KTA.
    Tania Davidge, the executive director and chief curator of Open House Melbourne, said that this year’s theme, Rediscover your City, is designed to prompt Victorians to see Melbourne in a new light.
    “Open House Melbourne Weekend is a chance for the curious at heart and lovers of architecture to discover new places and spaces in their city, to re-examine what they have perhaps overlooked and reconnect with beloved favourites. This year, we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Victorian Heritage Register, an important milestone for the many significant places and objects protected by the register, many of which are in this year’s program,” said Davidge.
    “Open House Melbourne’s 2024 program of events, talks and tours underscore the importance of good design in shaping our community, with some of the country’s most celebrated designers and architects, photographers and artists generously sharing their knowledge.”
    Other experiences on the bill include a Designing with a Country panel presented by Yulendj Weelam Design Research Lab from RMIT’s School of Architecture and Urban Design, a documentary screening about the life and career of Australian architecture Gold Medalist Maggie Edmond, and a heritage address by esteemed architectural photographer John Gollings.
    Approximately 60,000 people are anticipated to attend the weekend. The full program is now on the Open House Melbourne website. Tickets will be released on 3 and 6 July. More