Evelyn Reynolds

A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra titled The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Her Parts invites visitors to touch, play with, and even inhabit the art – offering an interactive experience designed for all ages and challenging traditional museum etiquette.
The exhibition has been created by artist and Sydney College of the Arts senior lecturer Dr Sanné Mestrom and runs alongside the Cézanne to Giacometti exhibition. The installation responds to works by modernist masters including Picasso, Matisse, Cézanne, Klee, and Giacometti through touchable sculptures, drawing systems and immersive spaces. It invites audiences to rethink the way we engage with art and challenges how women are represented in the modernist canon.

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Designed for playful learning, the exhibition features 3D construction activities, bronze reliefs and tactile forms that encourage co-creation across generations.
“This is real art that both children and adults can engage with,” Dr Mestrom said. “I tested many of these ideas in my son’s school art class. The kids showed me how they learn – through movement, touch, and curiosity. Their feedback shaped the final exhibition.”
“The most striking response has been watching children naturally understand the cubist concept of multiple perspectives through play. Children intuitively grasp that the same object can look completely different from various viewpoints – they experience this daily through their embodied movement through space and daily life. Adults, however, often need to unlearn fixed perceptual habits.”

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The project is the result of Mestrom’s four-year DECRA research grant and is an example of how arts research can generate real-world impact. Her broader work on play and public space has influenced urban design policy and attracted $1.7 million in research funding.
The exhibition also contributes to the NGA’s Know My Name initiative, aiming to elevate women artists in Australian collections.
“This work emerged from my sustained investigation of female representation in Western art, particularly modernism’s fragmentation of women’s bodies. The title directly addresses how modernist artists like Picasso dismantled female forms according to male desire. As both feminist artist and researcher, I wanted to reclaim this fragmentation by transforming the passive reclining female nude into an active site of engagement,” says Dr Mestrom.

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“This is about loosening the grip of hierarchy and ownership in art,” said Dr Mestrom. “My work is inclusive, it’s playable, and it’s about making space for new ways of seeing and being in spaces accessible by all.”
“I hope visitors discover that ‘perception’ of art is an active, creative process rather than passive reception – we often learn and understand things through our bodies, not just our minds. This sort of embodied knowledge is central to being a child, and also to being a practicing artist. The exhibition demonstrates that comprehensive understanding emerges through integrating multiple viewpoints – visual, tactile, and kinesthetic,” says Dr Mestrom.
The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Her Parts is on view at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, until 21 September 2025. More

The City of Perth has released a report card evaluating the progress of the city’s Towards 2036 strategy, which looks at how the city can adapt to accommodate population growth through increased and improved public space, reduced car dominance, and celebration of its locale.
Developed alongside international urban design and strategy firm Gehl, the council’s report card has found that the city has “changed dramatically” in the past decade as a result of urban transformations like Elizabeth Quay. Yet, while the quality of public life has been improved through street and public domain upgrades, and connectivity to the city centre strengthened by public transport, more could be done to foster green open spaces and encourage cycling over vehicular transport.
In addition, the report card notes that despite “an increasingly enabling planning framework” and an uptake in city living, the critical mass of residents needed to create a continuously energised urban centre “is yet to be realised.”
Towards 2036 builds upon the previous studies for Perth conducted in 1994 and 2009 by Danish architect Jan Gehl as part of a project titled Public Spaces Public Life, in which other Australian capital cities, such as Sydney, were also examined.
According to a communique from City of Perth, Gehl’s “previous two studies analysed the quality of Perth’s public spaces and how people used them, establishing comparative benchmarks and methods for measuring improvements over time.”
Recommendations from the past studies lead to the development of the Cathedral Square and State Buildings precinct, Elizabeth Quay, Perth City Link, and recent work on the Perth Riverfront Masterplan.
Deputy Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds said the recent report card showed promising signs that Perth’s growth was having a positive impact on life in the city.
“Perth is celebrated as one of the most liveable cities in world and renowned for its unique natural setting on the magnificent Swan River,” Reynolds said.
“To future-proof Perth’s liveability, the City [of Perth] has worked with Gehl for more than 30 years to ensure we remain a city that protects its natural environment and creates public spaces that people can enjoy. This is particularly important as we strive to increase the number of people living in the city centre to 55,000 by 2036.”
Reynolds noted that “the report card identifies opportunities to make the city even more attractive, such as improving the connection to Kings Park, reducing the reliance on cars, continuing to improve the tree canopy, providing reasons for workers to stay in the city after work and making the streets more bicycle friendly.”
According to the council’s communique, the 2025 report card will form the basis for further consultation with industry, government, designers and Traditional Owners.
This consultation will inform a vision for the city which will be released at the end of the year.
The Towards 2036 report card can be viewed on the City of Perth’s website. More

Entries open for the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work, which recognises compelling projects of a speculative or conceptual nature.
The prize is open to students and professionals in the built environment, including architects, interior designers, landscape architects, urban designers and planners.
The 2025 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work was awarded to Angela Xu and Georgia Reader for their scheme, Landscape of Co-existence, which was lauded by the jury as “a bold and sophisticated proposal touching on ideas of Country, adaptive reuse, community and housing.”
They added that the project was “thoughtfully executed, beautifully drawn and deeply felt.”
The jury for the 2026 prize includes Ingrid Bakker of Hassell; Kirsteen Mackay from the Office for Design and Architecture SA, Deo Prasad of the University of New South Wales, and Stuart Vokes of Vokes and Peters. Georgia Birks, associate editor of Architecture Australia, will serve as jury chair.
Entries close on 22 August 2025, at which date projects must be unbuilt. A cash prize of $2,500 is offered. To enter, head to the AA Prize for Unbuilt Work website, or to view the previous winning, mentioned and shortlisted projects, visit here. More

Development approval has been granted for a $500 million mixed-use tower in Sydney’s east. A joint venture between Lendlease and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, the One Darling Point project has been designed by local architecture practice Tzannes.
Located on the boundary between Darling Point and Edgecliff, the development is proposed on the site of a 1941 heritage-listed Commonwealth Bank building.
The 17-storey proposal includes 41 premium apartments with interior design by Alexander and Co., as well as 15 percent floor space dedicated to affordable housing for key workers, whose interiors have been designed by Tzannes. In addition, the development includes commercial office space, ground-floor retail and hospitality offerings, a rooftop pool and a wellness centre.
According to a release from the practice, the project sets a precedent for the sensitive integration of premium residences with affordable housing.
Tzannes associate director Yi-han Cao said, “More people now want to live in well-designed apartments, and we believe everyone should have access to design excellence regardless of tenure or price point.”
“This is a model for how Sydney – particularly the eastern suburbs – can evolve, delivering housing diversity while maintaining the quality that defines this area,” he added.

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Tzannes’ design approach for One Darling Point “was to design a building that entirely belongs to its place,” drawing inspiration from the pre- and post-colonial history of the site.
The building’s curved facade is intended to reflect the sand dunes that once featured prominently, while brick was selected for its material longevity and to complement the post-colonial architecture of the area.
At the podium level, the proposal responds to the rhythm and materiality of the adjacent heritage building, while the tower above is articulated to reduce visual bulk and capture natural light.

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The development makes use of the NSW government’s planning incentives to boost low-income housing, including bonus height and floor space allowances, which were introduced in 2023. Cao said these incentives provide a critical opportunity to reframe urban density.
“Height isn’t just about delivering more apartments,” he said. “It’s about making viable models for mixed tenure housing. The challenge is to ensure design quality doesn’t drop as we increase yield. That’s where architects can play a meaningful role.”
To this point, Cao noted that “it can be difficult to make the inclusion of social and affordable housing viable, particularly in locations where land costs are high and construction costs and complexities are significant.”
“We’re constantly applying our research and experience to prove good design is feasible. I predict many projects will remain on the edge of feasibility unless some roadblocks to approval are relaxed or stronger incentives for affordable housing are implemented,” he said.
According to Tzannes’ communique, “Projects like One Darling Point, while premium in nature, establish a precedent for well-designed higher density in traditionally low-rise areas” and could invite more inclusive housing outcomes in future.
“If density becomes more acceptable in these locations, it becomes easier to deliver housing diversity in the next generation of projects,” Cao said.
Construction on One Darling Point is expected to commence in 2026. More

In August, an emerging generation of Australian architects will present at the Sydney edition of The Architecture Symposium, sharing their ideas on what the future of architectural practice looks like and how they’re working to shape this through their process and projects. The full-day symposium will feature nine presenters and three intergenerational conversations on what’s next for practice.
Read up on the individual presenters below:
Amelia Borg of Sibling Architecture
A 2025 juror and 2024 winner of the ArchitectureAu Award for Social Impact, Amelia Borg of Sibling Architecture is interested in making projects “that makes people’s lives better.” Borg will delve into Sibling’s user-first approach, which is both research-led and multidisciplinary.
Ben Berwick of Prevalent
Ben Berwick heads up interdisciplinary Sydney practice Prevalent, which focuses on the integration of architectural rigour, industrial innovation and ESG-driven design. He recently interviewed Rwanda-based consultant Fatou Kiné Dieye ahead of her keynote address at the 2025 Australian Architecture Conference. Berwick’s presentation at The Architecture Symposium will push the envelope on current conceptions of sustainability.
Simon Robinson of Office
Along with Steve Mintern, Simon Robinson leads Office, a not-for-profit practice directed toward design, research and activism, particularly around the retention and repair of Melbourne’s public housing towers and social housing estates. Robinson will discuss Office’s alternative mode of practice, which continues to evolve with initiatives such as 3553, a free-of-charge exhibition space recently opened behind a garage door in Collingwood.
Liz Walsh of So. Architecture
Recently announced as a co-recipient of the 2025 Australian Institute of Architecture Tasmanian Architecture Awards Emerging Architect Prize, Liz Walsh is one half of So. Architecture – a small studio Walsh founded with life partner Alex Nielsen while both working nine-to-five for larger-scale practices. Walsh will present the distinct model of practice her and Nielsen have prototyped, whose output includes small-scale accommodation projects in Hobart, such as The Barn Tas and The Bae Tas.
Jack Gillmer-Lilley of SJB
One third of the creative team for Home, the Australian exhibition at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Jack Gillmer-Lilley leads First Nations design as an associate at Sydney practice SJB. Gillmer-Lilley will discuss his approach to Indigenising practice and creating equitable outcomes for Country.
Xavier De Kestelier of Hassell
London-based architect and technologist Xavier De Kestelier has a keen interest in design technology and digital innovation, which he pursues in his work at Hassell. He recently contributed to a rountable on the integration of AI in architectural practice (Architecture Australia Mar/Apr 2024). De Kestelier’s presentation will posit ways to embrace new generation technology in practice.
Nic Brunsdon of Brunsdon Studio
Nic Brunsdon is director of the Perth-based practice Brunsdon Studio (formerly practising under his own name), which operates across Australia and South-East Asia. Earlier this year, he contributed to a rountable on the circular economy (Architecture Australia Mar/Apr 2025) and was a juror for the AA Prize for Unbuilt Work. Brunsdon will speak to the way in which he has diversified his studio over the past decade.
Billy Maynard of Billy Maynard Architects
Sydney-based Billy Maynard leads a studio of the same with a single residential folio. The practice was also recently announced as the winner of a design competition for a new Sydney war memorial. Maynard will relay the roundabout journey he’s taken in practice, including working client-side.
Belqis Youssofzay of Youssofzay Hart
Alongside David Hart, Belqis Youssofzay leads Youssofzay Hart – a self-declared “next generation” practice “informed by a seismic shift in thinking towards urgent consideration for the environment and architecture’s impact on it,” writes Linda Cheng. Youssofzay will discuss the collective and collaborative approach championed by the practice.
The full-day symposium will be held on 1 August, followed by the 2025 Houses Awards on the evening of the same day. Tickets to the symposium and the 2025 Houses Awards are now available. Architects are eligible to earn up to 4.5 formal CPD points, while Design Institute of Australia members can earn 6 DIA CPD points by attending The Architecture Symposium: What’s Next for Practice?
The Architecture Symposium is a Design Speaks program organised by Architecture Media, supported by premium partners Planned Cover and Bondor, and hotel partner Ovolo. More

In August, an emerging generation of Australian architects will present at the Sydney edition of The Architecture Symposium, sharing their ideas on what the future of architectural practice looks like and how they’re working to shape this through their process and projects. The full-day symposium will feature nine presenters and three intergenerational conversations on what’s next for practice.
Read up on the individual presenters below:
Amelia Borg of Sibling Architecture
A 2025 juror and 2024 winner of the ArchitectureAu Award for Social Impact, Amelia Borg of Sibling Architecture is interested in making projects “that makes people’s lives better.” Borg will delve into Sibling’s user-first approach, which is both research-led and multidisciplinary.
Ben Berwick of Prevalent
Ben Berwick heads up interdisciplinary Sydney practice Prevalent, which focuses on the integration of architectural rigour, industrial innovation and ESG-driven design. He recently interviewed Rwanda-based consultant Fatou Kiné Dieye ahead of her keynote address at the 2025 Australian Architecture Conference. Berwick’s presentation at The Architecture Symposium will push the envelope on current conceptions of sustainability.
Simon Robinson of Office
Along with Steve Mintern, Simon Robinson leads Office, a not-for-profit practice directed toward design, research and activism, particularly around the retention and repair of Melbourne’s public housing towers and social housing estates. Robinson will discuss Office’s alternative mode of practice, which continues to evolve with initiatives such as 3553, a free-of-charge exhibition space recently opened behind a garage door in Collingwood.
Liz Walsh of So. Architecture
Recently announced as a co-recipient of the 2025 Australian Institute of Architecture Tasmanian Architecture Awards Emerging Architect Prize, Liz Walsh is one half of So. Architecture – a small studio Walsh founded with life partner Alex Nielsen while both working nine-to-five for larger-scale practices. Walsh will present the distinct model of practice her and Nielsen have prototyped, whose output includes small-scale accommodation projects in Hobart, such as The Barn Tas and The Bae Tas.
Jack Gillmer-Lilley of SJB
One third of the creative team for Home, the Australian exhibition at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, Jack Gillmer-Lilley leads First Nations design as an associate at Sydney practice SJB. Gillmer-Lilley will discuss his approach to Indigenising practice and creating equitable outcomes for Country.
Xavier De Kestelier of Hassell
London-based architect and technologist Xavier De Kestelier has a keen interest in design technology and digital innovation, which he pursues in his work at Hassell. He recently contributed to a rountable on the integration of AI in architectural practice (Architecture Australia Mar/Apr 2024). De Kestelier’s presentation will posit ways to embrace new generation technology in practice.
Nic Brunsdon of Brunsdon Studio
Nic Brunsdon is director of the Perth-based practice Brunsdon Studio (formerly practising under his own name), which operates across Australia and South-East Asia. Earlier this year, he contributed to a rountable on the circular economy (Architecture Australia Mar/Apr 2025) and was a juror for the AA Prize for Unbuilt Work. Brunsdon will speak to the way in which he has diversified his studio over the past decade.
Billy Maynard of Billy Maynard Architects
Sydney-based Billy Maynard leads a studio of the same with a single residential folio. The practice was also recently announced as the winner of a design competition for a new Sydney war memorial. Maynard will relay the roundabout journey he’s taken in practice, including working client-side.
Belqis Youssofzay of Youssofzay Hart
Alongside David Hart, Belqis Youssofzay leads Youssofzay Hart – a self-declared “next generation” practice “informed by a seismic shift in thinking towards urgent consideration for the environment and architecture’s impact on it,” writes Linda Cheng. Youssofzay will discuss the collective and collaborative approach championed by the practice.
The full-day symposium will be held on 1 August, followed by the 2025 Houses Awards on the evening of the same day. Tickets to the symposium and the 2025 Houses Awards are now available. Architects are eligible to earn up to 4.5 formal CPD points, while Design Institute of Australia members can earn 6 DIA CPD points by attending The Architecture Symposium: What’s Next for Practice?
The Architecture Symposium is a Design Speaks program organised by Architecture Media, supported by premium partners Planned Cover and Bondor, and hotel partner Ovolo. More

Architect Jiri Lev’s candidacy as an independent MP for Lyons in the upcoming Tasmanian state election on 19 July is founded on the core tenet that housing needs must be not only environmentally responsible but accessible to all.
Key to his campaign is establishing a pathway for Tasmanians, including public housing tenants and applicants, to build their own homes under builder’s supervision, enabling them to gain both significant equity in their new rent-to-own houses, as well as skills and income potential.
“Like in the ‘50s, neighbours lending each other a hand would again build streets, suburbs, villages and strong, cohesive, long-term communities,” Lev said. “I want houses to be homes again.”
To facilitate this shift, the architect is targeting first home owner grants and support for owner-builders, with his ultimate aim being “to create a simple-to-use, step-by-step online portal to guide them through the complete process, from conception through permits to completion.”
Where renters are concerned, Lev is looking to enact policy that guarantees affordable lifetime rental housing to provide security and a sense of ownership to tenants.

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At a broader scale, Lev’s proposed policy is structured around limiting urban sprawl and designing new developments according to New Urbanism principles, echoing successful international examples of mixed-use, low- to medium-density developments that feature dense urban greenery and diverse public spaces. In addition, Lev has stated his explicit support for co-housing, cooperative housing and land-sharing models in the planning scheme.
According to the architect, “The planning and building process in Tasmania is extremely stringent, yet inefficient and probably the worst in the country. It needs a serious clean-up.”
“I want to plan urban villages and communities, not more isolated suburbs,” Lev said.
Part of his campaign to improve housing and planning is founded on establishing guidelines for a minimum aesthetic standard that champions local character and craft, “without unduly increase[ing] building costs or regulatory burden.”
“Beauty is not subjective. We all know where tourists like to take photos and it is not the Australian suburbs. Evidence overseas shows that building ugly is not an economic necessity and that beauty pays. We also know that local traditions and strong, unique character draw both tourists and new residents. But none can tell the country nor even the continent from looking at our new inner-city buildings,” he said.
According to Lev, this development of aesthetic guidelines “must be done professionally through a collaborative process and with much public consultation. It won’t happen overnight, but we must make a start before we lose even the last remnants of our uniquely Australian building culture to globalised anonymity.”

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Lev’s progression into politics builds upon the humanitarian focus of his architectural career. While in Sydney in 2020, he founded Architects Assist, an online registration platform allowing architects to register to provide pro bono services to people affected by the 2019–20 bushfires. For Lev, the experience “touring affected communities […] through the burnt landscapes, abandoned and empty in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns” bore him firsthand witness to “the results of poor environmental management and urban planning.”
After settling in Tasmania, Lev built his own home from local plastic- and paint-free materials – making the plans freely downloadable online. Since then, he has constructed two larger, low-cost houses with “plans free for anyone to use again and they have been downloaded by well over 20,000 people in just the last 12 months,” Lev said.

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“I’ve been working towards solutions to the housing crisis for years, be it with my own projects, establishing housing cooperatives, giving talks or harassing politicians. […] While they seem interested, they are not interested enough,” Lev said. “Nothing has changed and meanwhile we’ve been seeing just more of the same. There is a dire need for fresh ideas and innovation and my candidacy is the logical next step to take.”
He added, “Good architects balance the boldness of their ideas with the humility of their conduct. The same should apply to politicians. I certainly hope that my candidacy and policies will inspire and encourage other architects to stand.” More

More than 780 projects were entered into the 2025 World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards, with 460 making the shortlist – including 36 based in Australia.
The awards program recognises projects across four overarching categories: Completed Buildings, Future Projects, Interiors and Landscape, each encompassing a range of sub-categories.
Within this year’s shortlist, practices from America are the most highly represented, with China, UK, Australia, India, Canada, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Japan also in the top ten.
Shortlisted entrants will present to juries at the World Architecture Festival, taking place at the Miami Beach Convention Center from 12 to 14 November. Category winners will be considered for World Building of the Year, World Landscape of the Year and Future Project of the Year Awards.
Darlington Public School by FJC Studio in Sydney won the 2024 World Building of the Year. “The result of the project is poetic, a building in which topography and landscape, inside and outside, form and materials flow seamlessly in an unexpectedly delightful way,” said Paul Finch, the programme director of WAF.
The shortlisted Australian projects for 2025 are as follows:
Completed Buildings
Civic and Community
Blacktown Exercise and Sports Technology Hub – ARM Architecture
Guulabaa – Place of Koala – Gensler
Pyrmont Community Centre – Welsh and Major
Yarrila Place – BVN

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Creative Reuse
Brewery Yard, Stage 2 – Tzannes
Reddam House North Shore – AJC Architects
Rosebery Engine Yards – Group GSA
Younghusband – Woods Bagot

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Culture
Yellamundie Library – FJC Studio
Health
Canberra Hospital Expansion – BVN

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Higher Education and Research
Flinders University Health and Medical Research Building – Architectus
Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence – ARM Architecture
University of Queensland Soundshell – Kirk Studio

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Housing
One Sydney Harbour – Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Mixed-use
25 Martin Place Retail Development – Woods Bagot
388 George Street – FJC Studio
Martin Place Metro Precinct – Grimshaw, Tzannes and JPW
The Pump House – MHN Design Union and Fieldwork
Office
Brewery Yard, Stage 2 – Tzannes
Retrofit
Sirius Redevelopment – BVN
Sport
Blacktown Exercise and Sports Technology Hub – ARM Architecture
Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool – Co.Op Studio

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Transport
Central Station – Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan and Partners
Sydney Metro Martin Place Station – Grimshaw

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Future Projects
Education
AMRF Second Building – Architectus in collaboration with Aileen Sage Architects and Jacobs
The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness – New Wing Extension – HDR

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Sport
Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium – Cox Architecture in association with Cumulus Studio
Interiors
Bars and Restaurants
Prefecture 48 – Bates Smart
The International – Woods Bagot
Hotels
Journey Beyond – Woods Bagot
Residential (Single Dwelling)
Eaglemont Modern House – Sky Architect Studio
Palmerston Street House – Robert Simeoni Architects
Shell House – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Veil – Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Workplace (Large)
JLL Melbourne – JLL Design
Macquarie Group Global Headquarters workplace design – Architectus, Cox Architecture and Hecker Guthrie
To view the full shortlist, visit the WAF website. More