Architecture

Melbourne has welcomed the Australian-first instalment of an international exhibition on the design of playgrounds. Charting what the exhibition’s organisers describe as a “a unique chapter” in art, design, urbanism and activism from the late nineteenth to the early twenty-first centuries, The Playground Project is aimed at bringing to life the history of the playground from the 1930s to the present day.
The newly opened exhibition, commissioned by Moonee Valley City Council (MVCC), guest curated by Swiss urban planner and political scientist Gabriela Burkhalter, and designed by Melbourne-based practice Board Grove Architects, is located at Incinerator Gallery in the city’s west.
Mayor of MVCC Ava Adams said, “Playgrounds are the setting of formative childhood experiences, and we are proud to spotlight the creative and social forces that shape them.”

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The travelling show comes directly from the Kunsthalle Zurich, following several major presentations abroad, including at the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, the Baltic in Newcastle, the Garden of Unaccompanied Children at Serra dei Giardini in Venice, the German Museum of Architecture in Frankfurt and Konsthall in Lund.
Burkhalter said this iteration of The Playground Project is set to be uniquely Australian. “At the beginning of the playground movement, community groups in countries such as the US, England, Germany and Australia responded to the challenges of growing urban environments. Playgrounds were introduced to offer children safe spaces for activity, learning, and social connection and increasingly linked to creativity, nature, and the benefits of unstructured exploration.”
“The Playground Project in Melbourne celebrates the importance of children’s play while reimagining the design of our public spaces and neighbourhoods,” she added.
Large-scale playground installations located inside and outside the Incinerator Gallery space are designed to immerse young visitors in an art and design experience, while older attendees are encouraged to examine how designers, educators and planners collaborate to create public spaces, where children can gather, learn and grow.

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Exhibition designers Holly Board and Pete Grove commented, “Through the design of the exhibition, we aimed to make a captivating experience for children and adults alike that complimented the sensibility of childhood play and imagination – fun, surprise, curiosity and otherworldliness.”
“The story of the playgrounds is displayed at varying scales from billboard size to small images. Large format images create occupied backgrounds to playgrounds with children playing and are democratic in that they are visible for all ages. Other images are hung low and scaled to the size of small children making them feel connected and immersed in the exhibition. There is an intentional lively colour presence to the exhibition, with the tones shifting through the exhibition to connect the imagery and historical play periods to the wider spatial experience.”
The project presents a creative collaboration by Australian visual artist Simon Terrill and UK-based architecture studio Assemble, titled The Brutalist Playground, which was originally commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects to be “part sculpture, part architectural installation, all play,” the release notes.
An instructional artwork with a modular social seating element, titled Round Table, also features. Conceived as a gathering space and a play sculpture, the work is a collaboration by interior designer Mary Featherston and artist Emily Floyd, the latter of whom also presents a selection of screenprints from her Ripple series.

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Outside, Board Grove Architects’ The Ringtales Playground offers a site-specific and yet relocatable playground exploring nature play while paying tribute to the architecture of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, designers of the original incinerator.
Board and Grove note that their concept celebrates sand and water – elements that “have a long history in children’s play spaces, dating back to the 1800s when Fredrich Frobel, widely considered the creator of the kindergarten, promoted the benefits brought by playing with sand in the open air. Then in the early 1900s the coupling of water with sand play was embraced in Scandinavia with many landscape playgrounds appearing.”

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The resulting playground combines three tales, each from different historical periods and conceptual positions, to comprise a sand and water-based experience inspired by the character of the Maribyrnong River.
Incinerator Gallery notes that one of the highlights of the exhibition is the Lozziwurm Playground by Swiss artist Yvan Pestalozzi, which has been acquired by the gallery as a permanent work that will remain for children to play on after the exhibition concludes. MVCC has also commissioned a First Nations playable public art sculpture by Edwina Green that will take up residence alongside the Maribyrnong River in September.
The exhibition is open from 28 June until 12 October, and includes a variety of public programs. More

In partnership with the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), the village of Marou in Fiji has proudly announced the joint winners of the LAGI 2025 Fiji Design Competition. According to their communique, the two projects are “artworks in the landscape […] designed to generate energy and water while reflecting the hopes of Marou residents for a future grounded in environmental stewardship and cultural identity.”
The global competition invited designers from around the world to respond to the challenges of this remote South Pacific village. From 205 submissions representing 45 countries, two winning proposals were chosen by a local and international jury for their ability to listen to the land, climate and community.
Australian architect Young Kang was awarded joint winner for a submission titled Ligavatuvuce (Hands that Offer and Uplift). The project draws from Fijian tradition, rising from the landscape as a gesture of open palms offering yaqona (kava). Designed to be built collectively from local craftsmanship, the structure would generate 120 megawatt hours of electricity and provide 4.5 million litres of water annually if built. The proposal also includes a shaded ceremonial space, which is designed to support both community life and sustainable tourism in Marou village.
The joint prize was also awarded to The O, by Italian-born, Danish architect Alberto Roncelli – a 40-metre wide pavilion that is designed to generate 150 megawatt hours of electricity and 1.2 million litres of filtered water annually while providing a flexible space for cultural gathering beneath a timber canopy.

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“We never imagined that people from across the world would be designing with us in this way,” said acting chief (sau turaga) of Marou village Ilisari Naqau Nasau. “These solutions for energy and water systems will not only benefit us today, but will also support our future, and the futures of our children and grandchildren.”
Kang reflected, “LAGI 2025 was an incredible opportunity to create something deeply connected with the Marou community, while advancing sustainability-focused art through concepts rooted in cultural traditions that link present and future generations.”
Kang holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from the University of Tasmania, and has worked globally in Melbourne, Taipei, Beijing, New York, London and currently in Dubai. Kang notes that, throughout his work, he drives a “commitment to architecture that inspires and serves the greater public interest.”
Each winner will receive $100,000 USD to create prototypes of their ideas that will be exhibited in Suva in early 2026, with one project ultimately selected for full-scale construction in Marou village.
“These projects establish a new model for the co-creation, implementation, and operation of renewable energy and freshwater systems,” said LAGI co-founders Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry. “Once operating, the pilot project will provide electricity and water, generate economic opportunities, and serve as a replicable model for other coastal communities across the Pacific.” More

With gas supplies on Australia’s east coast steadily declining, the Victorian government and the City of Sydney have introduced a series of reforms aimed at transitioning to electrification, primarily targeting residential use of gas.
The Victorian government, via its Victorian Gas Security Statement, announced that from 1 January 2027, all new homes and the majority of new commercial buildings (excluding industrial, manufacturing and agricultural buildings) will be built all-electric. This builds on the existing policy that, from 1 January 2024, all new homes that need a planning permit must be all-electric.
Additionally, starting from 1 March 2027, gas hot water appliances in existing residences will need to be replaced with electric alternatives once they reach the end of their service life. However, existing gas units may still be repaired if they malfunction, and can be temporarily removed and reinstalled during renovation works.
The new reforms come after the Victorian government’s earlier proposal that households would be required to replace broken-down gas appliances with electric alternatives as part of its broader electrification agenda. However, in response to public criticism, the government clarified that gas cooktops would be excluded from the initially proposed mandate.
According to the latest announcement, there are still no policies mandating the replacement of existing gas cooking or heating systems with electric alternatives at the end of their service life.
Also under the new Victorian reforms, rental properties will be required to meet higher energy efficiency standards. From 1 March 2027, hot water systems must be replaced with efficient heat pumps at end of life; gas heaters at end of life must be replaced with reverse-cycle air conditioners; shower heads that achieve a minimum 4-star Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) rating must be installed at the start of a new lease; minimum R5.0-rated ceiling insulation must be installed at the start of a new lease where there is no ceiling insulation already in place, and draught sealing, including weather seals on all external doors, windows and wall vents, must be installed at the start of a new lease.
In addition to the announcement from the Victorian government, the City of Sydney also announced that any new residential developments in the city will be required to install electric cooktops, ovens and space heating from 1 January 2026.
Additionally, the council has endorsed proposed planning amendments that would require large commercial buildings and hotels to operate fully on electricity by 1 January 2027. The public can have its say on the proposed changes from 30 June to 28 July 2025 via the City of Sydney website.
Across the wider state of New South Wales, the NSW government is working on a Gas Decarbonisation Roadmap, with a pledge to deliver it by late 2026. More

The doors to ten architect-designed residences will be open to the public as part of the Brisbane Open House 2025 program. In the city’s north, Blok Stafford Heights by Blok Modular and Vokes and Peters will be open for ticketed tours, as will Floating Gable House by Phorm Architecture and Design. Towards Mt Coot-tha in the west, both Birdwood by Peter Besley and House of Birdwood by Marc and Co will host guided tours, also to be booked in advance. John Ellway Architect’s Twin Houses is also open for pre-booked tours on the south side of the city.
Complementing the Brisbane program is a fringe event called the Stradbroke Island Edition, which invites attendees to step inside six residences on Stradbroke Island. These houses include Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular and Vokes and Peters; Billa Street by Conrad Gargett; Minokō by Conrad Gargett; One Mooloomba by Paul Butterworth; Skyline by O’Neill Architecture, and Surfscape by Anna O’Gorman Architects.

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At the heart of the 2025 Open House Melbourne program is the assortment of residences open to the public on 26 and 27 July. A diverse mix of new and refurbished homes, including the national award-winning Naples Street House by Edition Office features in this year’s program. Also scheduled to open to the public is Melbourne’s first turnkey Passivhaus development, Echo.1 by C Street Projects with Neil Architecture, along with No Rezzavations House by Sarah Lake Architects, the Merri House by EME Design and Northcote House by LLDS Architects. Bills Street Social and Affordable Housing by Hayball in collaboration with Tract Landscape Architects is one of several multi-residential buildings that will usher people in this year.

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Decor and Design is an annual event for architects, designers, decorators, retailers and design media to connect and be inspired by the latest in furniture, home decor, textiles and art. The 2025 Melbourne exposition marks the 21st edition of the event, which will tap into the theme of Elements. Visitors can expect to see a unique mix of heritage and emerging brands, plus innovations from 16 to 18 July.

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The State Library of New South Wales has launched The Masters Project, a five-part in-conversation series featuring some of Australia’s most awarded architects. As part of the series, on 2 July, Richard Johnson will share personal stories with architect and series host Tim Horton, reflecting on early lessons, influential mentors and key takeaways from iconic architectural projects. Johnson is associated with some of Australia’s most significant public projects, including the National Portrait Gallery, Art Gallery of New South Wales New Asian Wing and the Sydney Opera House, on which he collaborated with Jørn Utzon and his son, Jan Utzon. Johnson was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal for Architecture in 2008. Other architects to feature in the series include Louise Cox in August, Peter Stutchbury in October, Richard Leplastrier in November and Penelope Seidler in December.

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The program for Open House Melbourne 2025 has been announced, with more than 200 experiences scheduled to take place across 26 and 27 July.
At the heart of the 2025 program is the assortment of residences open to the public. A diverse mix of new and refurbished homes, including the national award-winning Naples Street House by Edition Office, which earned the Australian Institute of Architects 2024 Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New), feature in this year’s program. Also scheduled to open to the public is Melbourne’s first turnkey Passivhaus development, Echo.1 by C Street Projects with Neil Architecture, along with No Rezzavations House by Sarah Lake Architects, the Merri House by EME Design and Northcote House by LLDS Architects.
Bills Street Social and Affordable Housing by Hayball in collaboration with Tract Landscape Architects is one of several multi-residential buildings that will usher people in this year.

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Other program highlights include a tour of Kangan Institute’s Health and Community Centre of Excellence by Architectus, a tour with Kennedy Nolan of their newly opened project Balam Balam Place in Brunswick, and a photography exhibition that responds to the 2025 program theme: Stories of the City. A kayak tour called What’s Good for the Birrarung is Good for Everyone will take attendees down the Birrarung/Yarra River, offering insights into the river’s ancient ecology.
Open House Melbourne’s executive director and chief curator Tania Davidge explained that the Stories of the City theme aims to shine a light on Melbourne’s hidden gems.
“’Stories of the City’ underscores that idea that the city is more than just bricks and mortar—Melbourne is about people and place. Every building, street and public place in our city has a unique story to uncover, and the Open House Melbourne Weekend is the best time to explore the secret histories of our city hidden behind closed doors.”
Tickets released from 2 July 2025. To view the program, visit the Open House Melbourne website. More

Plans have been lodged to build Australia’s tallest building in Southport, Gold Coast.
Located within a low-density, priority development area, the project is proposed on the site of an approved 60-storey building called the Au Tower, designed by Cox Architecture (formerly Cox Rayner Architects).
The revised proposal for One Park Lane – initially prepared in 2022 by BKK Architects – has been further developed by Cottee Parker for a development application lodged by a Melbourne-based consortium, led by developer Tony Goss and development partner Baracon. Their application to the Gold Coast City Council outlines plans for two buildings: a 60-storey commercial office tower and a 101-storey, 197-apartment residential tower that would reach nearly 400 metres high.

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The proposed pair of towers are connected via a skybridge on the twenty-second floor that includes dining spaces and landscaped areas that, according to the project’s architectural statement, offer “spectacular 360-degree views, creating a unique communal experience for residents.”
At the ground level, the towers are perched on an elevated, splayed podium structure that draws inspiration from the root structure of the Moreton Bay fig tree. Landscape architecture practice TCL has contributed to the design of the project’s landscaping, which includes a landscaped forecourt beneath the podium canopy that links together the ground floor entry atriums of both buildings.
Likewise, landscaping has been employed across various amenity levels, designed to break the massing of the taller of the two buildings into quadrants that are defined by distinct apartment types. According to the design statement, these amenity floors “are conveyed as ‘slices’ through the building, expressing the sculpted trusses.”

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“Planting has been selected that is found within both the immediate area and wider Queensland, and which can work with both indoor and outdoor environments to provide a sense of scale, shelter, shade and vibrancy to the scheme,” the statement notes.
At each level, apartments are afforded balconies and wintergardens that are designed to capture easterly summer breezes. The statement notes that “the shallow footprint and spacious nature of the building footprint means that many apartments benefit from dual facade access and cross ventilation. On the levels where wind conditions allow, balconies are intended to be fully operable to maximise the temperate climate on the Gold Coast.”
In an attempt to minimise solar heat gain, both of the proposed buildings have been designed with high-performing glazed facades that are dark blue-grey in colour, except at public levels, where the envelope is more transparent. Building-integrated photovoltaic panel technology is planned for the western facades and at each spandrel level.
According to the architectural statement, the “modern design creates a sleek, elegant appearance, reflecting the natural surroundings and seamlessly integrating into the coastal landscape.” More

The NSW Independent Planning Commission has approved an application from Mirvac for public domain works surrounding the company’s redeveloped Harbourside Shopping Centre project at Tumbalong/Darling Harbour in Sydney. The decision follows the commission’s approval for construction of the mixed-use residential and commercial tower, designed by Snøhetta and Hassell, which was granted in December 2023.
The $63.5 million overhaul of the public domain, which spans 11,200 square metres across the greater 20,500-square-metre site, includes various public walkways, pedestrian bridges and an elevated park.

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Along the Darling Harbour foreshore, the approved redevelopment of the Waterfront Promenade will comprise a wide, planted walkway with several seating areas adjoining the podium’s retail tenancies. Also on the ground floor, the approved works include two through-site links and an arrival point located on Darling Drive.
On the first floor, a new 3,500-square-metre public Waterfront Garden with grassed areas and tree planting will be connected to ground floor via steps to the waterfront and to Pyrmont Bridge, and also linked with the existing elevated pedestrian bridge to the north of the site, which will be reinstated. A second, new, elevated walkway will pass over Darling Drive, connecting the site to Bunn Street to the west.

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A presentation prepared by Mirvac for the commission noted that their vision for the site “is a living waterfront that connects the threads of time, place, Country, and neighbourhood to return to Tumbalong, where all are welcome.”
The developer described the design as a “layered and tactile terrain […] that harbours inspiration and a heightened sense of belonging.” Connecting with Country, designing for dignity and community engagement have been the guiding principles for the public domain.
The design team collaborated with cultural design and research consultant Danièle Hromek (Djinjama) and Indigenous planting specialist Clarence Slockee (Jiwah) to embed Wangal and Gadigal ways of thinking and narratives into the design.
The commission’s decision to approve the public domain works is conditional on account of various concerns voiced by members of the public, who lodged more than 50 objections during the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s assessment of the project. Sixteen written submissions were received by the commission during public consultation.

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According to a statement published by the commission, “key issues raised by the community […] include the project’s consistency with the concept approval, reinstatement of the north bridge (pedestrian bridge) and potential associated impacts, view loss, operations noise, events and security and lighting.”
As a result, the commission’s conditions include an Events and Operational Management Plan for the Waterfront Garden, an updated landscape plan and a requirement to verify compliance with the project’s Wind Impact Assessment.
The project is set to open in the latter half of 2027. More

A 35-storey hybrid timber tower has received development approval from the City of Perth’s Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel.
The proposed tower will deliver 351 built-to-rent dwellings, 64 short-term accommodation units, retail and dining tenancies, and 3,000 square metres of communal amenities. Designed by Rothelowman, the tower features a hybrid construction system that combines cross-laminated timber (CLT) with a concrete core and mass timber columns. The planning and landscape design for the project was undertaken by Urbis.
A communique from Rothelowman stated the hybrid timber system was selected to minimise the carbon footprint of the high-rise. The release noted that the project is targeting a five-star Green Star rating through the inclusion of timber, rooftop photovoltaic panels, “strategic landscaping to combat the urban heat island effect” and convenient access to public transport, walkways and bike paths.

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In its statement, Rothelowman highlighted the generously planted ground plane as a defining feature of the project. This area features native trees and landscaped pedestrian links, which are intended to contribute to “a walkable and vibrant precinct.” Existing trees lining Stirling and Aberdeen streets will be preserved, helping to maintain the urban canopy cover of the precinct.
Principal at Rothelowman Kylee Schoonens explained that the inclusion of accessible green space at the ground plane helps integrate the precinct into the city’s fabric by “creating a natural pause point that invites people in, encourages movement and supports a more connected, walkable Perth.”
“It’s [the project is] a meaningful contribution to Perth’s Urban Greening Strategy – expanding inner-city bushland and using low-impact materials to ensure the project treads lightly while giving back to the city,” said Schoonens.
The project is expected to reach completion in 2028. This approval follows that of another hybrid timber tower approval in Perth in 2023 – a 51-storey building designed by Fraser and Partners, reportedly on track to become the tallest hybrid tower in the world. More