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    Finalists revealed for Melbourne’s 2025 City Design Award

    Four finalists have been revealed as contenders for the City of Melbourne’s 2025 City Design Award, as part of the council’s annual Melbourne Awards program. The City Design category recognises design excellence in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.
    This year’s finalists include:

    Melbourne Place Hotel by Kennedy Nolan
    Naarm Ngarrgu Library and Family Services – Wurru Wurra Outdoor Terrace by Emergent Studios
    Shiel Street North Melbourne, Community Housing Project by Clare Cousins Architects
    Wurundjeri Biik Baan by Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation

    Last year’s prize was won by the Koorie Heritage Trust Stage II, designed by Lyons, Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates – a project that involved the expansion and rejuvenation of a First Nations arts and cultural centre in the Birrarung Building in Federation Square. It was praised by the jury for “honouring and amplifying Indigenous art and culture in a contemporary execution.”
    The other Melbourne Awards categories are Arts and Events, Knowledge and Innovation, Community, Aboriginal Melbourne – Ganbu Guljin, Sustainability, LGBTIQA+, and Access and Inclusion. Finalists in these categories include Yarra Trams – Welcome to Wurundjeri Country by Little Rocket, a project across the length of Collins Street’s tram shelters that showcases the work of five First Nations artists; EnAccess Maps, an app founded by Sabrina Leung that helps map accessible venues; and OM Signage Film by Other Matter, an alternative to PVC vinyl intended for temporary use across exhibitions, retail and events developed from algae-derived polymers and made in Melbourne.
    The winner of the 2025 City Design Award, along with the other category winners of the Melbourne Awards, will be announced at a ceremony on 15 November.
    ArchitectureAu is the presenting partner of the Melbourne Awards 2025 – City Design Award. More

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    Brisbane Olympic broadcast facility site swapped for mixed-use precinct plan

    The Queensland government is calling for submissions to develop “one of Brisbane’s last remaining industrial riverfront sites,” currently home to the Visy glass recycling and manufacturing facility.
    According to a media statement from Premier David Crisafulli and Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, the government’s vision for the 7.1-hectare South Bank site is to develop a “world-class mixed-use precinct,” incorporating over 4,000 dwellings, riverfront promenades, entertainment spaces, event lawns and community spaces.
    The site was purchased by the government in 2022 with the idea that it would host an International Broadcast Centre for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, described by Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner as “South Bank 2.0”, however, the 100 Day Review by the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) queried the financial and technical viability of the proposal, given flood risk.
    The GIICA’s report in March this year stated, “The Visy site is a valuable land parcel in the heart of Brisbane. If the site is not used for the International Broadcast Centre, it could offer opportunities for a range of Games operational uses or as a temporary competition venue … Ultimately, it is anticipated the site would be redeveloped following the Games to deliver a high-quality, mixed-use precinct complemented by open space and community facilities.”

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    Development controls for the site are affected by a temporary local planning instrument (TLPI) for the Kulrilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct, which was first made effective in October 2023 and renewed by Bleijie earlier this month. The TLPI is intended to streamline planning approvals and enable unlimited building heights up to the flight path cap of 274 metres.
    Crisafulli said, “We’re unlocking one of the last golden stretches of riverfront to create a world-class legacy precinct that all Queenslanders can be proud of. This is a once-in-a-generation moment to reshape Brisbane’s inner city and deliver lasting benefits.”
    Schrinner added, “More than 5,000 new homes are planned in South Brisbane’s Kurilpa Precinct already and this builds on our plan to transform this area into one of Brisbane’s most liveable communities.
    “Our plan means we’re able to deliver new homes in an area where more people want to live while protecting the character of Brisbane’s suburbs.”
    The site is one of several land holdings owned by the government that they have identified for housing development in order to deliver one million homes by 2044.
    Expressions of interest from developers and investors can be made online. Once submissions are received, Economic Development Queensland will identify a shortlist of proposals and work with applicants individually or as a consortium to develop the proposals into construction agreements. More

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    What’s on in November 2025

    Open House Hobart returns this year with a fresh lineup of buildings never before seen by the public across the weekend of 8–9 November. Highlights include Lisa and Matt’s Place by Rebekah Verrier Architecture and Hamish Saul (2023), Little Brick Cottage by Perversi-Brooks Architects (2023), Kaljuvee House by Esmond Dorney (1952) and Pedder Street by Bence Mulcahy Architects (2023).

    In addition to Open House Hobart, a second program will be held in Tasmania’s Southern Midlands between 1–2 November. Among the homes opening their doors are Jordan House by Preston Lane (2024) and Hollow Tree House by Core Collective (2019) and Petit Chateau by James Smith (1837), among others.

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    Also taking place this month is Sydney Open, a city-wide celebration of architecture that invites visitors into some of the city’s most significant buildings – many of which are typically off-limits to the public. This year’s program, scheduled for 2 November, features a mix of contemporary and historic spaces, including: Bundarra by Smart Design Studio and Those Architects; Parkline Place by Foster and Partners; and The Rocks Former Police Station, designed by colonial architect James Barnet, with alterations by Welsh and Major in 2014.

    The five finalists of the Tapestry Design Prize 2025 will have their shortlisted designs woven into tapestry and exhibited at Robin Boyd’s Walsh Street House in South Yarra. The competition, presented by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, invited architects and interior designers, either as individuals or as part of a team, to design a tapestry for a given site. This year’s chosen site is Walsh Street House in Melbourne, designed by Robin Boyd for his family in 1957. Applicants had the opportunity to create designs for five distinct spaces within the residence, with one finalist selected for each space. The 2025 finalists are Jack MacRae (Wilson Architects); Troy Emery and Cox Architecture; N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM and Greenshoot Design; Yvette Coppersmith and Anouska Milstein, and Mouriya Senthilkumar and Ian Tsui.

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    This Melbourne-based exhibition, running until 28 November, explores the work of emerging architectural practices in Australia by focusing not on completed buildings, but on the distinct parts that shape contemporary practice – drawings, models, photographs, references and ideas. Parts of Practice includes the work of Zuzana and Nicholas, Lineburg Wang, Retallack Thompson, Anthony St John Parsons, Youssofzay Hart, Brunsdon Studio, Office Mi–Ji, Trower Falvo Architects, James Bowman Fletcher, Eldridge Anderson and Prior Barraclough, with design by Maximilian Bufardeci and photography by Ben Hosking. More

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    Melbourne Museum celebrates 25 years

    This week marks the 25th anniversary of Melbourne Museum – designed by Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) – which first opened in Carlton Gardens on 21 October 2000.
    Having previously been part of the State Library of Victoria, the DCM-designed museum has welcomed more than 23 million visitors and hosted hundreds of exhibitions, events and programs at its Carlton location. According to a release from the Melbourne Museum, “these experiences have helped generations of Victorians and visitors connect with the world around them and understand their place within it.”
    The Carlton Gardens precinct in which the museum is sited has long been central to Victoria’s civic and cultural life, with the World Heritage-listed Royal Exhibition Building opposite having hosted the 1880 Melbourne International Exhibition and the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition, as well as the venue for the launch of Australia’s first federal parliament in 1901. Throughout its history, the site has seen various incarnations, including a WWII Royal Australian Air Force training centre and a host venue for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games.

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    Long before this, the site served as a place of cultural gathering, learning and exchange on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin Nation. According to a communique from Melbourne Museum, First Peoples’ knowledge remains at the core of the Melbourne Museum’s program today through collaboration with Yulendj Elders and community representatives.
    “Melbourne Museum holds a unique place in the hearts of Victorians,” said CEO and director of Museums Victoria Lynley Crosswell. “For 25 years, it has been a destination for discovery, conversation and wonder — a place where science meets culture, and where stories of the past, present and future are shared under one roof.”

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    According to the media release, DCM’s design for the museum, which was first unveiled in 1994, “redefined what a museum could be.”
    “The design reflects a dialogue between history, nature, culture and progress. Its striking geometry, contemporary materials, and bold spatial layout represent the ambition of a new millennium, to create a public space for discovery and innovation,” the communique reads.
    In his review of the museum for Architecture Australia (Jan/Feb 2001), architectural critic Paul Walker described the building as “a collection of buildings, where the landscape interpenetrates the forms and where garden and open activity space interact.”

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    This idea is most potent in the design of the museum’s Forest Gallery – an outdoor space described by Melbourne Museum as “a living ecosystem that bridges the human and natural worlds.”
    In Walker’s view, the building “subtly lays claim to a powerful presence by its very interaction with the landscape; the gardens themselves become inclusive to its form. It is not a forbidden and impenetrable institution entered through closed doors.” More

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    Winners of the 2025 Australian Good Design Awards revealed

    The winners of this year’s Australian Good Design Awards have been announced, recognising innovation across architecture, installation, interior and place design.
    The Australian Good Design Award for Sustainability was awarded to First Building – Bradfield City Centre, led by the Bradfield Development Authority and NSW Public Works and realised by Hassell in collaboration with cultural research agency Djinjama. A media communique from Good Design Australia notes that “the project sets a benchmark for environmentally conscious urban infrastructure,” blending “regenerative design, cultural storytelling and cutting-edge technology [and] demonstrating how design can transform cities for people and place.” The project was also named among the best in class for the Built Environment Architectural Design category.
    The Australian Design Prize was received by professor Mark Burry – a founding director of Swinburne University’s Smart Cities Research Institute. Since 1969, he has been deeply involved in the project to complete the Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí, applying modern tools and digital technologies to translate Gaudí’s designs into reality. According to the media communique, Burry’s “visionary work, which bridges architecture, research and city-making, has earned him the Australian Design Prize, recognising a career-long impact on the way Australians live, work and move through their cities.”
    Taking out the Indigenous Design Award and Powerhouse Design Award was Footprints on Gadigal Nura – Mili Mili at Waterloo Station in Sydney, designed by Mili Mili, Nicole Monks, AG Public Art and other collaborators, which was also named the best in class for the Built Environment Place Design category. According to the media release, the project was praised for having “ delivered measurable impact across cultural, social and environmental spheres, showcasing how visionary design can elevate public infrastructure and community wellbeing.”
    At Sydney Metro’s Central Station, the customer-centred design experience designed by Büro North in collaboration with Woods Bagot and John McAlsan and Partners for Laing O’Rourke Australia was prized as Best in Class for Design Research. According to the Australian Good Design Awards website, the research developed by the team “identified and validated design changes to enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and the overall customer experience across key areas of the station.”
    Winners of the Best in Class Awards for the Built Environment category also included Allan Border Oval Pavilion by Archer Office for the Architectural Design subcategory, and Scholé by Taylor and Hinds Architects and Gabrielle Phillips for the Interior Design subcategory. More

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    First stage of UNSW Canberra City campus under construction

    Construction has commenced on the first stage of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra City campus, the tertiary institution’s second campus in the Territory.
    A masterplan for the staged development, prepared by MGS Architects, Snøhetta and Turf Design Studio, was approved by the ACT government in April 2023. Once complete, the campus will facilitate education and research in areas such as defence, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, digital engineering, and climate and public policy. It is anticipated to accommodate up to 5,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
    The first stage of the project involves the development of two multipurpose buildings at the corner of Constitution Avenue and Coranderrk Street in Parkes, designed by Hassell. The buildings, named Parkes West and Parkes East, are each defined by a distinct character and massing.
    ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr visited the site today to mark the start of construction on the first stage, describing the campus as a key part of the ACT government’s plans to foster innovation, education and economic growth in the capital.
    “It will not only deliver a campus that revitalises the eastern edge of the Canberra CBD, but also bring new employment and students – attracting about 6,000 more students and educators to Canberra,” said Barr. “Today’s sod turning is a major milestone for the project, which is a cornerstone of our city-shaping agenda – supporting urban renewal, industry collaboration and innovation in areas such as cybersecurity, defence and artificial intelligence.”
    In their communique, UNSW stated the campus precinct has been designed with a strong focus on environmental sustainability, with buildings set to incorporate “low-carbon materials, energy-efficient systems and climate-responsive design.” Landscaped green spaces, pedestrian pathways and end-of-trip facilities will support vehicle-free, active transport.

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    Djinjama and Ngurra Advisory provided consultation on honouring and Connecting with Country in the design.
    The campus is expected to be completed in time to welcome students in early 2028. More

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    Expressions of interest open for Gabba Entertainment Precinct

    Expressions of interest are now being accepted for Brisbane’s Gabba Entertainment Precinct, which will include a new 17,000-seat indoor arena and a mixed-use residential hub – part of the city’s legacy plans for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
    On 9 October, the Queensland government announced that procurement is now underway and information memorandums have been released for the development of the precinct across the site of the existing Gabba stadium and its surrounds.
    Earlier, in March 2025, the Queensland government announced it had abandoned its earlier plans to upgrade the Gabba stadium, opting instead to establish “a new housing and entertainment precinct over the Gabba” once the stadium demolished, along with a new 63,000-seat stadium at Victoria Park in Brisbane’s north, set to become the heart of the 2032 Games.
    Located less than two kilometres from the CBD and spanning nine hectares, the Gabba Entertainment Precinct will feature a new indoor arena, housing, retail, public spaces and integrated transport infrastructure.
    A state government communique noted: “The precinct will redefine how Brisbane hosts major events, concerts and sporting fixtures, while unlocking new housing and investment opportunities in one of the city’s most connected locations.

    “This transformative project will position Woolloongabba as a dynamic cultural, residential and community epicentre, ensuring its golden legacy lives on well beyond the 2032 Games.”
    The government communique noted the new precinct will create:

    Tourism opportunities through the display of major events
    Attrac investment in hospitality, retail and residential development
    More housing and urban activation
    A showcase of innovation and design in Brisbane’s inner south
    Access and connectivity to the Cross River Rail line and CBD.

    Expression of Interest for the Gabba Entertainment Precinct can be submitted until 12 January 2026. View the information memorandum here.
    In September, global design firm Arup was appointed by the Queensland government to lead the masterplanning of the Victoria Park precinct, despite the Yagara Magandjin Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) submitting an application to the federal government in August seeking permanent legal protection of the park. More

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    Decade-long plans for Indigenous art gallery in Alice Springs axed

    The Northern Territory government has abandoned its plans for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia (ATSIAGA) in Mparntwe/Alice Springs after more than nine years of back of forth, citing a lack of commitment from the federal government.
    The project was first announced in 2017, with the Northern Territory government pledging $69 million, and the federal government to contribute $80 million.
    A statement from Northern Territory treasurer and infrastructure minister Bill Yan said they had been “left with no choice.” The communique stated that repeated attempts had been made to secure federal endorsement of the gallery in Alice Springs CBD ahead of a November deadline to begin construction.
    The project has evolved through several iterations by a design team comprising BVN, Susan Dugdale and Associates (SDA), Aspect Studios and Clarsen and Clarsen. The first scheme, unveiled in July 2023 under the name the National Aboriginal Art Gallery, proposed a building with a four-level atrium to be built on Anzac Oval. The plans prompted mixed reactions, with some community members pushing for an alternative site outside the town centre.
    A revised five-storey design for the National Aboriginal Art Gallery was revealed in November 2023, featuring updates to the facade and atrium. In March 2024, the Northern Territory government lodged a development application for this design.
    The latest version, exhibited publicly in July 2025, proposed a scaled-back three-storey gallery – a revision that the NT government said would make the project more “affordable and achievable.” Under this scheme, the gallery was renamed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia (ATSIAGA), with a new proposed location at the Wills Terrace car park.
    Minister Yan said the nearly ten-year saga had to end, stating that despite repeated assurances, financial support from the federal government had not been secured.
    “I won’t have NT taxpayers burdened with yet another project blowout and potentially significant penalties if it continues to be delayed,” he said.
    According to a National Indigenous Times article, Yan’s federal counterpart, Catherine King, told the publication the “project is unable to progress” following the NT Government’s withdrawal of funding. King added that the “Commonwealth is disappointed that this project cannot go ahead.” More