Architecture

A state significant development application for the $300 million heritage renewal of the 146-year-old Powerhouse Ultimo has received planning approval from the NSW government.
Designed by Durbach Block Jaggers in partnership with Architectus, Youssofzay and Hart and landscape architects Tyrell Studio, a contract for the project is expected to be awarded shortly, following nearly a decade of design revisions.
The approved project focuses on reorienting the original museum entrance to The Goods Line – a partly elevated urban walkway from Central Station in the Sydney CBD to Darling Harbour – in a move that seeks to maximise the use of the pedestrian link and improve access to public transport.
The Harris Street facade will be activated through a new built form that the planning application described as being sympathetic to the existing heritage skin. These materials include a mix of recycled and new bricks, brick slips, stone, ceramics, glass, metal cladding and concrete.

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According to a NSW government communique, “the project will exhibit design excellence across the built form and public domain, making it a contemporary facility with a variety of exhibition spaces that have been designed to meet international museum standards.” The release adds that the museum will feature new and improved exhibition spaces and a new public square at the northern end of the Goods Line.
The development application for the modest renewal of the site was first exhibited in May 2024 and then again in September 2024 following the NSW government’s announcement that the Powerhouse Museum Ultimo complex would have its heritage listing broadened to include the 1988 Wran Building, the 1988 Galleria and the 1899 Harwood Building alongside the original power station. In November 2024, site establishment works commenced, with construction works anticipated to begin mid-2025.

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NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the redesigned museum will improve the visitor experience with more public space and better accessibility to surrounding streets. “The approval of the Powerhouse Ultimo Revitalisation project is an important step in seeing this cultural institution renewed for greater public use,” said Scully. More

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has unveiled the state’s plans for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which include a new Brisbane Stadium, a new National Aquatic Centre, a major expansion of the Queensland Tennis Centre and a dedicated para-sport facility for the city.
The state’s plan, titled “Delivering 2032 and Beyond” has been formed in response to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority’s (GIICA’s) 100-Day Review, which was delivered to the government on 8 March 2025. The plan involves a $7.1 billion capital works program of new and upgraded venues and infrastructure, as well as a $250 million investment into upgraded community clubs across Brisbane and greater Queensland.
According to Crisafulli, “Brisbane will be centre stage for the greatest show on earth and the benefits will last for decades after the Closing Ceremony.”
The heart of the games will be located 2 kilometres north of Brisbane’s CBD at Victoria Park. According to a release from the Premier’s office, the public parkland, which was previously home to a private golf course, will be transformed into “a thriving central games precinct spanning Spring Hill, Bowen Hills and Victoria Park.”
The new stadium will be built at an estimated cost of $3.785 billion, seating a minimum of 60,000 spectators during the Olympics events and up to 63,000 attendees after the games. According to the plan, “Victoria Park offers a unique opportunity to develop a world class stadium which will showcase Brisbane on the global stage. Its inner-city location, city views and ability to integrate within a masterplanned park make it an unparalleled choice for an iconic sporting and entertainment venue.”
“A new stadium will allow Queensland to attract sporting and music events and be the new home for AFL and Cricket,” Crisafulli said.

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The nearby RNA Showgrounds site in Bowen Hills will also be upgraded to deliver multiple games facilities. Within walking distance of the new stadium, the main Olympic Athlete Village will be built within the precinct and converted to permanent housing after the games. The Main Arena of the showgrounds will also be upgraded with a 20,000-seat outdoor arena, intended to serve the ongoing Queensland Ekka event.
Across the road, a new National Aquatic Centre will be developed to host the games’ swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming events at the site of the city’s heritage-listed Centenary Pool, designed by James Birrell and completed in 1959. The proposal is at odds with the GIICA’s recommendation to deliver a new High Performance Aquatic Centre adjacent to the current Brisbane Aquatic Centre in the city’s east.

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In keeping with the GICCA’s recommendation for the new main stadium at Victoria Park, the Premier has decided to abandon plans to upgrade the Gabba Stadium in the south of the city. The Gabba will be used to host cricket in 2032, “before being transformed as a vibrant new entertainment and housing precinct,” the release reads.
The government notes that plans for a new Brisbane Live arena at Roma Street will also no longer proceed. Instead, the Brisbane Arena Priority Area will be relocated to the vacant GoPrint site in Woolloongabba, “paving the way for a permanent legacy in addition to a new housing and entertainment precinct over the Gabba when it is taken down.” According to the Premier’s office, the move will also bring security to East Brisbane State School, ensuring it is not relocated.
“While a Brisbane Arena is no longer required for the games, the Queensland Government has taken steps today to allow Brisbane Live to be delivered by the private sector, providing the opportunity for the Federal Government’s contribution to be directed toward other essential Games infrastructure,” the release reads.
Further afield, the Queensland Tennis Centre in Tennyson, currently home to Pat Rafter Arena, will be expanded to include a new permanent 3000-seat show court arena and 12 new match courts.
Eastwards, the Chandler Sport Precinct will be upgraded to support the National Aquatics Centre and to include a dedicated para-sport facility, as well as the Brisbane International Shooting Centre, which will be upgraded to increase capacity of the indoor range. The Premier’s office also notes that a New Redland Whitewater Centre will be delivered within the future Birkdale Community Precinct.
The plan also includes new Indoor Sports Centres at Logan and Moreton, which the government hopes will “address the growing demand for indoor courts in some of the fastest growing areas of Queensland.”

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“With major new venues and upgraded sports facilities, greater Brisbane will have high-performance venues attracting world events beyond 2032,” Crisafulli said.
A new stadium on the Sunshine Coast, along with new and upgraded venues on the Gold Coast will be supported by new Athletes Villages at each location. Venue upgrades in Toowoomba, Rockhampton and Cairns will also enable events across the state. More

Homes Victoria has announced the approval of the Bell-Bardia stage one development in Melbourne’s Heidelberg West, which will transform an existing public housing site at 322–328 Bell Street with new social and affordable housing.
Designed by Architectus with landscape architecture by Site Office, the proposed Bell-Bardia development is located near the recently completed Tarakan Street Social and Affordable Housing by NH Architecture and Bird de la Coeur Architects with Openwork and Tract. Both sites were originally slated for redevelopment as part of Victoria’s Public Housing Renewal Program back in 2017.
Stage one of the Bell-Bardia development will transform the eastern end of the site with 53 social and 51 affordable homes, replacing the 94 previous homes that Architectus claims “were no longer fit for purpose” and achieving a 10 percent net increasing in housing at the site.
Homes Victoria noted on their website that tenants who lived in the site’s previous housing will be the first invited to return to the new homes, with the remaining social housing allocated through the Victorian Housing Register. Affordable homes will be allocated through Homes Victoria’s Affordable Program, which is designed to give low to moderate income renters access to high quality and secure housing.
Associate principal at Architectus Liz Seuseu commented that the project’s design was led by a landscape approach “that aims to seamlessly blend the precinct with the surrounding neighbourhood.” Site Office’s landscape design for the site aims to integrate natural elements of the nearby Darebin Creek and create community connections through cross-links between Bell and Bardia Streets.

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The proposed one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments are spread across two L-shaped buildings. “By incorporating 4–7 storey buildings and using contextual colour palettes, it [the project] aspires to foster a village-like atmosphere within the suburb,” Seuseu said.
According to Architectus’s website, “The layout emphasises functional and inviting spaces, including a community garden, covered outdoor seating area and quality landscaped spaces. Thoughtful placement of entrances, windows, glazed louvres and breezeways optimises natural light and ventilation throughout living and shared spaces.”
The homes are designed to meet Livable Housing Design Guidelines Silver Level standards, and achieve a 5-Star Green Star and a 7-Star NatHERS rating. Architectus observes, “This means that every home will be easier to keep warm in winter and cool in summer, allowing renters to save money and stay comfortable.”
Their website notes that the proposed buildings feature robust materials that reflect Heidelberg West’s local character. Anchored by brickwork on the lower levels, the upper levels are articulated in muted tones, including green hues inspired by the foliage of wattles, with sloped roofs “creating a village-like silhouette.”
Construction will begin in mid-2025 and is expected to be completed by 2027. Homes Victoria noted on their website that “there are currently no confirmed plans for any other stages of development at the site.” More

The Premier of South Australia has unveiled updated designs for a new tower within Adelaide’s Festival Plaza, which will soon be lodged for development approval. The office of the South Australian Premier claims that, if approved, the tower will be the largest commercial building in the city.
Developed by Walker Corporation in partnership with architecture practice Johnson Pilton Walker, the updated proposal iterates the team’s previous tower proposal for the site, which is itself a revision of an earlier scheme for a three-storey retail building. The newly updated tower scheme comes after South Australian Minister for Planning Nick Champion approved a planning code amendment at Festival Plaza in January this year, enabling a maximum building height of 40 storeys.

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According to a media communique from the premier’s office, the code amendment also specified a minimum setback of nine metres from the new building to Parliament House’s heritage facade. As such, the new proposal creates a new laneway between the two buildings, which Walker Corporation envision as an activated hospitality and retail place.
Champion noted that regular design reviews between the state government and Walker Corporation have ensured that public space is maintained in Festival Plaza and that heritage protections are in place to complement Parliament House and surrounding areas.
“The code amendment stipulated strict development guidelines, with the independent State Commission Assessment Panel to have the final say over the development application,” he said.
Immediately to the west of the proposal, Festival Tower, also by Walker in partnership with Johnson Pilton Walker, opened in August 2024 and reaches 29 storeys in height. At 160 metres high, the 38-storey second Festival Plaza tower proposal includes nearly 50,000 square metres of floor space, with thirty levels dedicated to commercial offices.

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In their release, the premier’s office notes that “a major drawcard of the new building will be a rooftop bar and restaurant to take in panoramic views of the riverbank, Adelaide Oval and the Adelaide Hills.” At its base, the tower design features a podium with a raised outdoor space, lower-floor restaurants, cafes and bars, and access to end-of-trip facilities and parking within the multi-storey basement.
CEO of Walker Corporation David Gallant commented, “The building will set a new benchmark for sustainable commercial development in South Australia. Its world-class diamond-shaped facade will create a striking visual identity, while a signature rooftop bar and restaurant will offer unparalleled views of the Riverbank, Adelaide Oval, and the Adelaide Hills.”
The premier’s office claims that, once complete, the tower “will be one of the most sustainable office buildings in Australia and will be Adelaide’s largest all-electric commercial building, with the largest solar array on a commercial building in the city.”

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A development application for the early works stage of the project was approved in 2024. The preparatory works have already commenced at the site, with the new development to be constructed by Built, who was also the major construction partner for Festival Tower.
Walker Corporation noted that the development application consent process will soon be finalised with their submission of the updated design to the independent State Commission Assessment Panel. The Premier’s office anticipates that a decision will be made in the coming months. More

A state significant development application proposing the establishment of the new two-hectare Bradfield Central Park in Sydney has been approved.
Located adjacent to the upcoming Bradfield Metro Station, the park is intended to be the welcoming point for visitors to the forthcoming Bradfield City Centre and the main civic space for future residents and workers of the new city.
A design consortium led by Aspect Studios and comprising architect Collins and Turner, cultural consultant Jayne Christian (Baramadagal woman of the Dharug Nation), curatorial collaborator Emily McDaniel (Wiradjuri), artist Janet Laurence, structural engineer Eckersley O’Callaghan, and lighting designer Steensen Varming, won a two-stage design competition for their conceptualisation of the park in December 2023.
Final designs were later unveiled to the public in July 2024.
The standout feature of the design is a “Sky Ring,” which will frame the sky while simultaneously providing shelter, directing rainwater and supporting misting water technology systems.

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According to a NSW government communique, more than 550 mature trees and 70,000 species of native plants will be contained within the park, and there will be 65 percent tree canopy cover across the park. The statement noted that the park will additionally feature public art, as well as “active learning and gathering spaces, […] a multigenerational interwoven play area and a gathering green for major community events.”
With the design now approved, a construction partner will be appointed to deliver the park.
The approval of the new Bradfield Central Park follows the completion of the first building in the new Bradfield City Centre, the filing of a development application for a second building and the approval of the Bradfield City Centre masterplan. Bradfield City Centre will develop in tandem with the new Western Sydney International Airport. More

Construction has commenced on a forthcoming museum dedicated to celebrating Vietnamese culture and preserving stories of Vietnamese migration.
Located in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine, the three-storey building, designed by Konzepte Melbourne, will accommodate a resource centre for educational purposes, a hospitality offering and a function centre with the capacity to host events with up to 450 guests. Additionally, the museum will house a collection of more than 280 cultural artefacts.
According to a design concept statement, the precast concrete facade features curved, wave-like forms that symbolise the journeys embarked on by many during the Vietnamese diaspora. The statement added that the curved tops and repetitive rhythm of the facade are inspired by the shape of bamboo, while the earthy red colour chosen for the exterior references the Australian landscape.

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In 2022, the Department of Home Affairs reported that 281,810 people born in Vietnam were living in Australia. This makes the Vietnamese-born population the sixth largest migrant community in the country.
Member for St Albans Natalie Suleyman stated that 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese settlement in Australia. “What better way to acknowledge the important contribution of our Vietnamese community than by investing in Australia’s first Vietnamese museum,” said Suleyman.
The proposed project has encountered significant delays and a change of location since its unveiling in 2020. Original plans listed 222 Barkly Street in Melbourne’s Footscray as the nominated site for the development. In mid-2022, the Maribyrnong City Council granted a planning permit for the Footscray site with the condition that the museum and an adjacent landowner to the south come to an agreement regarding the location of loading facilities. The Vietnamese Museum of Australia (VMA) committee subsequently lodged an amendment application to remove the condition, which was refused by the council in 2023. Plans for the museum to be sited at 222 Barkly Street were later abandoned by the museum.
In December 2023, the Brimbank City Council entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the VMA to investigate a possible new site for the cultural building in Sunshine, Melbourne. After a phase of community consultation, the Brimbank City Council announced in early 2024 that a council-owned parking lot had been sold to the VMA for the development of the museum.
The Victorian government has contributed $8.7 million to the project. The expected completion date for the project has not yet been confirmed. More

The City of Sydney is advocating for the inclusion of three new heritage places on the state’s heritage register. According to a study undertaken by the council, each of the Oxford Street venues are historically significant places for LGBTIQA+ communities.
The three sites in the City of Sydney’s proposal include the Oxford Hotel at 134 Oxford Street, Palms at 124 Oxford Street and the Universal nightclub at 85–91 Oxford Street. The council believes that these additions will grow the collection of LGBTIQA+ sites already recognised for their significance, including the Darlinghurst Police Station, Stonewall Hotel and the Mardi Gras parade route.

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Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore noted that these places constitute a significant part of the social and physical fabric of Oxford Street.
“We know how important it is to our LGBTIQA+ communities to protect, preserve and recognise the rich cultural history along Oxford Street,” the Lord Mayor said. Speaking of the three proposed sites, she commented, “Each of these venues has been strongly associated with the community since the late 1970s and early 1980s.”
In a media communique, the City of Sydney noted that the Oxford Hotel has been associated with liquor trade since the 1850s. After several iterations as a pub and hotel, it officially opened as a gay venue on 16 July 1982, when it was promoted as “the latest gay pub on the Strip, restaurant, the Oxford Café upstairs.”
As one of the city’s oldest continually operating LGBTIQA+ venues, the hotel has been site of significant community events. These have included the annual fundraiser from the Australia’s longest running HIV charity, the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, titled the “Boys Own Bake-off.”

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Next door, on a site with buildings dating back to 1855, the gay venue of Palms opened as an underground cabaret venue around 1977. According to the City of Sydney, “it became known as a safe and supportive environment for those rejecting the gender and sexual norms of the period.” Trading as Scooters Bar and Diner from the late 1980s, the site readopted the Palms moniker when it reopened in 2000, aiming to be inclusive of women as well as gay men.
Further down the street, a two-storey inter-war building from the 1920s, now known as Universal, first opened as a licensed restaurant and gay disco in 1978. Originally trading as Tropicana, it reopened as Club 85 two years later, advertising itself as a “man’s disco.” After being damaged by fire just a few months later, the site reopened once more as a “disco for guys” called Midnight Shift in 1980, which remained operational until 2017. A result of declining trade associated with new lockout laws led to the bar’s closure and ultimately to new ownership under Universal Hotels in 2018.

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The proposal to nominate the three venues for individual heritage status was unanimously endorsed by council members at the end of 2024. The council further requested investigations into heritage listings for three other venues: 273 Crown Street, Surry Hills, which was designed in the 1920s and opened as Ruby Reds – allegedly Sydney’s first lesbian bar – in 1979; 40–42 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, a popular late-night venue from the mid-1950s known as the Taxi Club; and 207 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, which opened as a bookshop for LGBTIQA+ communities in the 1980s and still operates today.
Once submitted, the council’s nominations for the three venues will be reviewed by the NSW government, after which they will be open for public feedback. More

The City of Sydney is advocating for the inclusion of three new heritage places on the local heritage register. According to a study undertaken by the council, each of the Oxford Street venues are historically significant places for LGBTIQA+ communities.
The three sites in the City of Sydney’s proposal include the Oxford Hotel at 134 Oxford Street, Palms at 124 Oxford Street and the Universal nightclub at 85–91 Oxford Street. The council believes that these additions will grow the collection of LGBTIQA+ sites already recognised for their significance, including the Darlinghurst Police Station, Stonewall Hotel and the Mardi Gras parade route.

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Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore noted that these places constitute a significant part of the social and physical fabric of Oxford Street.
“We know how important it is to our LGBTIQA+ communities to protect, preserve and recognise the rich cultural history along Oxford Street,” the Lord Mayor said. Speaking of the three proposed sites, she commented, “Each of these venues has been strongly associated with the community since the late 1970s and early 1980s.”
In a media communique, the City of Sydney noted that the Oxford Hotel has been associated with liquor trade since the 1850s. After several iterations as a pub and hotel, it officially opened as a gay venue on 16 July 1982, when it was promoted as “the latest gay pub on the Strip, restaurant, the Oxford Café upstairs.”
As one of the city’s oldest continually operating LGBTIQA+ venues, the hotel has been site of significant community events. These have included the annual fundraiser from the Australia’s longest running HIV charity, the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, titled the “Boys Own Bake-off.”

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Next door, on a site with buildings dating back to 1855, the gay venue of Palms opened as an underground cabaret venue around 1977. According to the City of Sydney, “it became known as a safe and supportive environment for those rejecting the gender and sexual norms of the period.” Trading as Scooters Bar and Diner from the late 1980s, the site readopted the Palms moniker when it reopened in 2000, aiming to be inclusive of women as well as gay men.
Further down the street, a two-storey inter-war building from the 1920s, now known as Universal, first opened as a licensed restaurant and gay disco in 1978. Originally trading as Tropicana, it reopened as Club 85 two years later, advertising itself as a “man’s disco.” After being damaged by fire just a few months later, the site reopened once more as a “disco for guys” called Midnight Shift in 1980, which remained operational until 2017. A result of declining trade associated with new lockout laws led to the bar’s closure and ultimately to new ownership under Universal Hotels in 2018.

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The proposal to nominate the three venues for individual heritage status was unanimously endorsed by council members at the end of 2024. The council further requested investigations into heritage listings for three other venues: 273 Crown Street, Surry Hills, which was designed in the 1920s and opened as Ruby Reds – allegedly Sydney’s first lesbian bar – in 1979; 40–42 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, a popular late-night venue from the mid-1950s known as the Taxi Club; and 207 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, which opened as a bookshop for LGBTIQA+ communities in the 1980s and still operates today.
Once submitted, the council’s nominations for the three venues will be reviewed by the NSW government, after which they will be open for public feedback. More