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Round one of the Alastair Swayn Foundation grants program has launched, offering funding opportunities to individuals and organizations in the architecture and design community. The Alastair Swayn Foundation is a not-for-profit intended to advance Australian architecture and design culture. The late Alastair Swayn, one of Canberra’s leading architects, bequeathed his estate to establish the foundation. […] More
The Sutherland Shire’s principal performing arts venue has officially reopened following a major redevelopment of the existing arts and cultural centre.
The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre Sutherland reimagines the previous Sutherland Entertainment Centre, preserving aspects of the former building while creating a contemporary new public venue with ameliorated functions to cater for a diversity of cultural and technical needs.
The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre held a soft launch for the completed project on 28 January with a performance by Bangarra Dance Theatre as part of the 2023 Sydney Festival, while the building was officially opened with a gala concert on 4 March.
Designed by Chrofi and NBRS Architecture, the structure is composed of a grid of mass laminated timber, mirroring the geometry of the existing masonry building. The original building was designed and built in the 1970s as a music venue for the local community, and the architects retained the bones of the existing centre in the redevelopment.
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All acoustics, accessibility and back-of-house functions have been revitalized to provide a venue with broad appeal for audiences and performers alike. Image: Supplied
Features of the $41-million renovation include a 686-seat theatre, additional rehearsal spaces, a new entry court and foyer, and upgrades to the surrounding Peace Park. The reimagined internal space includes a glass foyer, conceived as a “park pavilion” with abundant natural light and park views, serving as a gathering place before performance times and doubling as a performance space in its own right.
A new verandah along the northern edge of the building is designed as an interface and a “connective threshold” to help mediate the level of change between park and building. The architects have provided a new through-connection between Merton and Eton streets, which was previously only available through the centre itself. The centre features a more open outlook than the former, inward-oriented auditorium and narrow public address to Eton Street.
Chrofi said that the new centre “reaffirms Peace Park as the civic heart of Sutherland,” fostering stronger connections to the established civic institutions, with additional connections to future developments within the Sutherland town centre.
The northern side of the existing building has been adapted to form a cafe and administrative spaces. The auditorium has also retained much of the existing envelope, but the original flat floor has been transformed into tiered seating, with refurbishments carried out for acoustics, accessibility and back-of-house functions. More
Designs by Plus Architecture for Ballarat Station Southside Precinct have been unveiled. The project is set to deliver a new community destination for hospitality, retail, childcare, work and leisure.
The 22,000-square-metre precinct will form a link between Ballarat Station and the Ballarat CBD via Lydiard Street and Coffee Palace Lane. The developer said the precinct will “stitch together” a previously disconnected section of the city with new pedestrian pathways, arcades, and a proposed bridge from the South Station Plaza.
“Conceptually we aspired to physically bridge this arm of the city to the CBD, and to visually link the nuances of Ballarat’s historic chapters in a considerate way, that would provoke thought to its potential future,” a spokesperson for Plus Architecture said.
Plus Architecture director Ian Briggs said the development would be underpinned by principles of community, sustainability, and First Nations histories, acting as a community conduit for the translation and a destination in its own right.
“With such a pivotal site location, we saw this as an opportunity to create a progressive design that is truly tailored for the needs of the growing and increasingly diverse population of Ballarat,” Briggs said.
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Curved archways are repeated throughout the precinct. Image:
Plus Architecture
“Referencing heritage while delivering a 21st-century transport gateway and ‘destination station,’ the project will act as a gateway to Ballarat – a place that celebrates coming together, encouraging people to visit, stay, and engage with what the city has to offer.”
Plus Architecture said the development will create a “visual tapestry” of Ballarat’s diverse history, with a sloping form inspired by the surrounding Victorian silhouettes. Reviving some of the existing renaissance-style buildings will acknowledge the site’s Victorian heritage, with added references to the area’s industrial history through its relationship to the historic train station.
Plans include the restoration of a renaissance revival bluestone building on Lydiard Street, as well as the adjacent triple-front commercial terrace row, with each reimagined as hospitality and wellness amenity.
The architects consulted local Wadawurrung Traditional Owners through the design phase, and plans include the integration of local history through interactive learning opportunities on the future site.
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The project will regenerate some existing renaissance-style bluestone buildings. Image:
Plus Architecture
A 104-room hotel will be built facing Coffee Palace Lane, south of which a 600-square-metre commercial building will cater for new workspaces.
The project coincides with the regional city’s preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, anticipated to provide a $3 million boost to the Victorian economy.
The development is targeting a 5-star NABERS rating for the hotel, as well as a 4-star Green Star rating along with carbon neutral and fossil fuel free certifications. The project will be achieved using locally sourced materials and high-performing glazing, with integrated photovoltaic and solar panels to generate green power.
Plans have been submitted to the City of Ballarat for assessment. More
Construction has begun on a new 14-storey paediatric services building at the Children’s Hospital in Westmead, western Sydney.
Designed by architects Billard Leece Partnership (BLP), the new 14-storey building is part of the $619-million stage two redevelopment of the Westmead Children’s Hospital. The new facility will house the largest critical care unit for children in the country, housing cancer services, operating theatres, intensive care, inpatient units and more, all within one building.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead is located on the corner of Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, around 3 kilometres northwest of the Parramatta CBD. The hospital is currently the main paediatric referral hospital for the west, providing care for around 80,000 sick children each year.
The new facility will be located adjacent to the Central Acute Services Building on the site of a decommissioned carpark. The paediatric services building will connect with the new emergency department, medical imaging, and short stay unit delivered through stage one of the redevelopment. Stage two entails the construction of the facility.
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The design of the Paediatric Services Building by Billard Leece Partnership uses biophilic design principles to create a stress-free, non-threatening environment for patients. Image:
Billard Leece Partnership
BLP’s designs were unveiled in 2022, showcasing a calming hospital environment, incorporating biophilic design and interactive play areas.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet marked the construction milestone on 22 February, describing it as a “vital” and “world-class” health facility promised to care for the country’s sick children.
“This project will future-proof health care in Western Sydney and help staff treat, care and support children and their families from across the state and around the country,” Perrottet said.
Health minister Brad Hazzard added the expanded hospital will also increase the capacity of neonatal intensive care units, and enable parents and carers to stay with their children and babies “when they need them most,” he said.
The redevelopment also includes a multi-storey car park; more access to redeveloped green spaces; improved spaces for families, and new and accessible playgrounds. The project is slated for completion in 2025. More
A third iteration of plans have been revealed for a new cultural precinct in Adelaide Hills, now awaiting approval from Planning SA. The operators of Hans Heysen’s Cedars property at Hahndorf have submitted an application to open an art gallery following two previous versions of the project in 2018 and 2021. Designs for the two-storey […] More
The Australian Institute of Architects has announced that Stuart Tanner has been elected by National Council as the new national president. Tanner will begin his term following the 2023 annual general meeting, to be held on 31 May. Tanner is the president of the Institute’s Tasmanian chapter, and he is also a member of the […] More
Brisbane’s newest over-river connection between South Bank and the CBD has reached a significant milestone, with final steelworks now installed.
The Neville Bonner Bridge, designed by Grimshaw with WSP, has touched down at Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane to improve the city’s connectivity and accessibility ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Following two years of construction, the final deck section of the 320-metre pedestrian bridge was installed, making 27 February the official completion date.
The Neville Bonner Bridge was named after Australia’s first federal Indigenous parliamentarian, and it has already become an important cross-river connection linking the South Bank arts precinct with the future Queen’s Wharf precinct.
The bridge completion marks a milestone in the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf development, which is expected to open later this year. The bridge itself is likely to open around July or August 2023 following the installation of lights, pavers and shades.
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Render of Neville Bonner Bridge, Brisbane’s most recent over-river crossing between South Bank and the CBD. Image: Grimshaw
The sweeping bridge, designed to be “lightweight yet dramatic”, peaks at 75 metres above the river and is made from more than 1,000 tonnes of fabricated structural steel. Grimshaw said the design was influenced by the surrounding parklands context, with the structure engineered to create an “elegant and efficient outcome”.
“Shaped as an elegant and sinuous ribbon reaching out from South Bank towards the city centre of Brisbane, the carefully composed hybrid mast and arch design achieves a lightweight yet dramatic form which serves as an elegant landmark for the Neville Bonner Bridge,” said Grimshaw partner Neil Stonell.
A suspended deck is designed to offer views over the river, city and parkland while providing protection from the subtropical sun.
Consortium partner Star Entertainment has forecast the bridge will accommodate 10,000 pedestrian crossings per day when it opens to the public as part of the precinct-wide staged opening later this year. More
Completed in 2022, the new Fig Tree Galleries in Yeppoon, Queensland, by local practice Design+Architecture, delivers an arts precinct for the coastal community that celebrates the site’s unique history.
The project was commissioned by Livingstone Shire Council for a narrow, sloping block, nestled behind two historic fig trees and situated beside Yeppoon’s original post office. The gallery had to deliver the much-needed art precinct while celebrating the legacy of the site.
“Despite the presence of a strong artistic community, Council did not have any public gallery at that point,” said Colin Strydom, director of Design+Architecture. “Our mission was to design a brand-new exhibition space while completing restoration and renovation works on the existing buildings, making it something of a community hub.”
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Yeppoon post office was opened on 11 August, 1883. Image:
Courtesy of Capricorn Coast Historical Society
The existing building on the site was that of the original Yeppoon post office, opened in 1883, which the architect converted into a workshop and community art shop that connects with the new gallery building through an interactive pathway.
Incorporating Queensland’s coastal vernacular, the new gallery features a simple, lightweight weatherboard structure painted white, with a gabled roofline housing 68 square metres of indoor exhibition space. Perforated drywall is designed to dampen sound while softening the visual uniformity of the raked ceilings.
“We wanted to preserve and respect the existing building without copying it,” Strydom said. As a result, the gallery has been designed to be more contemporary in its expression, without detracting from the other buildings on site.
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The gabled roofline houses 68 square metres of indoor exhibition space. Image:
Cam Murchison
“Yeppoon was a popular postal holiday destination you would take the train to from Rockhampton and Morgan in the old days, when there was a lot of money here because of the mines,” said Strydom. “Our new building reflects those original beach huts you would see 100 years ago.”
“The art precinct is a street away from the main street, with a park in between,” Strydom explained. “We wanted to give the building a humbleness and simplicity, but we also wanted to give it some presence from across the road or from a distance, for visitors and holiday makers to identify it.”
The architect resolved to design a screen made from multicoloured blades “to ignite curiosity”. The screen also serves to conceal some of the building’s functions, such as the accessible ramp built into the entrance.
The screen’s blades, which differ in colour and shape, create a barcode-like pattern that spells out the word “gallery” in Morse code, referencing the site’s history as the town’s nucleus for communications.
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To “ignite curiosity,” the architect resolved to design a screen made from multicoloured blades. Image:
Cam Murchison
The pitch of the gallery roof angles away from the heritage-listed fig trees, which line the street down towards Anzac Parade in front of the building. The gabled roof angles to work with the trees by sloping away to accommodate future canopy.
The project was achieved with less than half a million dollars in funding, and the galleries will offer exhibitions, programs and events throughout the year.
The architect said the concept for the gallery was based on “the rich history of communication, pineapples, and bathing boxes,” integrating Morse code to represent the 1883 post office; yellow to incorporate the town’s produce export history; and beach shack typography to reference the architectural style characteristic to Yeppoon. More
