Architecture

Aboriginal designer and curator Alison Page, together with Breville, has announced a partnership between First Nations People and the National Museum of Australia to create products that celebrate contemporary design and reflect 65,000 years of ongoing Australian Indigenous culture.
A decade in the making, these products combine ancient stories with contemporary design. Breville’s profits will go towards the National Indigenous Culinary Institute’s work to create employment opportunities for aspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander chefs; the “Indi-Kidi Program” by the Moriarty Foundation to support childhood nutrition and sharing Indigenous Food Culture; and Indigenous scholarships and initiatives at the University of Technology Sydney to create pathways for employment in engineering, technology and design.
The limited series of six Breville products features works by Western Desert artists and members of the original Pintupi Nine, Yalti Napangati, Yukultji Napangati, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri and Sydney-based artist and Yuwaalaraay woman Lucy Simpson.
Curator Alison Page is a Wadi Wadi and Walbanga woman of the Yuin nation. Page is an adjunct associate professor in design at the University of Technology Sydney, founder of the National Aboriginal Design Agency and a member of several cultural boards, including the National Australia Day Council, The Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Australian Maritime Museum.
“An Aboriginal Culinary Journey is an ambitious initiative to tell stories of our country using products as canvas. The artists had the brief of combining ancient artistic techniques with current design acumen and an eye toward the future. Our artists, Yalti, Yukultji, Warlimpirrnga and Lucy, embraced this project so effortlessly and intuitively and imbued so much story and meaning to each piece. I am so proud to be part of this rich and important chapter in Australian design and culinary history,” said Page.
The National Museum of Australia will feature the limited series in an exhibition – An Aboriginal Culinary Journey: Designed for Living – focusing on the continuity of cultural mark-making associated with Indigenous food culture. The exhibition will pair First Nations traditional tools for living alongside the six modern kitchen objects richly marked with signs of Country and culture.
“Living in the heart of people’s homes these once-everyday objects, now wrapped in Country, become cultural ambassadors. This is what makes the Aboriginal Culinary Journey collection so significant – it’s more than just a product, it’s a piece of our culture and Country in the same way we buy art on canvas for our homes. We have always made marks of meaning on our tools for living, so this idea is just keeping up with the times,” added Margo Ngawa Neale, head of the centre for Indigenous knowledge, senior Indigenous curator and advisor, The National Museum of Australia.
To ensure that the project had the highest cultural and legal integrity, Breville partnered with Dr Terri Janke, a Wuthathi/Meriam woman and international authority on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property who is known for innovating pathways between the non-Indigenous business sector and Indigenous people in business.
“As an Australian company, we are proud to share these stories belonging to the world’s oldest living culture and to weave them together with our own 90-year history of innovation,” said Jim Clayton, CEO of Breville Group. “An Aboriginal Culinary Journey is more than just a collection of products; it’s an invitation to immerse yourself in a deep and vibrant culture, and we’re honoured to provide this unique opportunity to bring these art objects into your home.”
The exhibition will run from May 27 to August 7 at the National Museum of Australia – before a global exhibition tour to London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Toronto and Los Angeles.
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Planning approval has been awarded for a proposed 51-storey tower in Box Hill, making it the tallest building in the state outside of Melbourne’s city centre.
Whitehorse City Council approved plans for stage one of a 10-year masterplan to revitalize the Box Hill Central shopping centre and improve public spaces. The application was submitted by developer Vicinity Centres and designs were developed by architect Bates Smart.
In considering the application, the council said the plans would “help create a space for people to work and live while boosting the local area for visitors, shoppers and commuters.”
The masterplan intends to transform 5.5 hectares at Box Hill Central into a mixed-use and retail precinct with a partially enclosed public plaza, with a combined total investment of around $700 million.

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The new precinct is designed to transform Box Hill Central into a world-class mixed-use and retail precinct. Image:

Bates Smart

The Victorian government has earmarked Box Hill as a “metropolitan activity centre.” As it stands, there are no building height limits in place in Box Hill, and the proposed development is in line with local and state planning policies.
The council held a consultation forum to ensure the opinions of residents were taken into consideration prior to planning approval. Forty local residents objected to the project, identifying issues such as building height, the ensuing increased traffic and parking issues, and impacted bike access.
The 51-storey tower included in the development – which will house around 600 residents and 2,000 workers – is 42 percent higher than any other building in the municipality.
Whitehouse concillor Ben Stennett, who voted against the proposal, said that while there is no mandatory heigh limits in the area “not all development is appropriate in Box Hill.” In a Facebook post, he said the proposed built form was “excessive in its scale” and failed to respond to the surrounding context.
Vicinity’s chief development officer Carolyn Viney said the masterplan would “reflect the site’s rich history” and respond to the community’s aspirations for the Whitehourse council suburb.
Box Hill Central is set to become one of Melbourne’s largest private mixed-use developments. More

The ACT government has signed a contract with Lendlease Building to design and construct the new Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) campus in the Woden town centre. The announcement was made on 26 May, and Lendlease has selected Gray Puksand as the architect to deliver the design for the new campus, which is set to […] More

Located 200 metres from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston Private Hospital has been completed in Brisbane’s Bowen Hills.
In recent years, the city’s aging and expanding population has placed greater strain on its healthcare facilities. With public and private operating theatres booked to near capacity, a new private hospital was needed to address lengthy waiting times and an under-availability of beds.
Designed by Thomson Adsett, this ten-storey, $100-million development incorporates innovative green design features, and achieves five stars on the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).
The new hospital is located within a Queensland government priority development area. “The trade-off from the state government was it had to be an innovative building, which it is,” said senior architect David Lane.
“It’s a building built for tomorrow: there are two skins to the building, the inner waterproofing skin and then an environmental skin to reduce air conditioning load and support the exterior greenery.”

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The vertical garden called for strong quality control on concrete density and reinforced steel. Image:

Thomson Adsett

The vegetation sits outside of the waterproof outer skin, and Lane said the design for the vertical garden called for strong quality control on concrete density and reinforced steel to cope with the weight.
At night, a distinctive fluid lighting pattern on the facade, which comprises a series of aluminium hexagons, is designed to partially obscure the five-level car park onto the top floors.
Solar panels have been installed on the rooftop to generate a quarter of the building’s energy needs, and rainwater harvesting facilities will supply 80 percent of the hospital’s non-potable water.
According to Lane, the project required some complex solutions to drill footings into the tough volcanic rock foundation, which is reportedly 226 million years old. But ultimately, the architect was satisfied with the building process and outcome.
“It’s a fantastic location and most innovative to the Herston Precinct and we are very proud of how it turned out,” said Lane.
As the largest tenant in the mixed-used development, Herston Private Hospital was awarded naming rights over the building. Designed to host a day hospital and specialist medical suites, the building is now 70 percent leased, with fertility clinic operator Genea being another major tenant.
The hospital is expected to be operating by mid-July, with other tenants to follow shortly after. More

The Andrews Labor government is delivering 114 energy-efficient prefabricated modular homes to provide housing for those at risk of homelessness across Victoria.
Designed by prefabricated architecture practice Arkit, the sustainable modular homes will be concentrated in regional areas, where construction shortages and supply issues can often impact the building of new houses. Homes are currently being dispatched across Warrnambool, Horsham, Glenelg, East Gippsland, Swan Hill, Mildura and the Colac Otway shire.
The state government has committed $30 million to Arkit to build the 114 homes, which are currently under construction, in the process of being assembled onsite, ready to move into or already tenanted.
A spokesperson for the premier said a modular method was selected because homes can be constructed quickly, easily transported, and permanently placed on vacant or underutilized land to immediately address housing shortages and reduce reliance on emergency accommodation and transient housing.
To ensure comfort and reduce costs for the tenants, the houses have been fitted with solar panels, heat pumps and energy-efficient appliances. They are also oriented to capture the northern light for effective passive heating.
“Modular homes are addressing a need to provide housing for those who need it across Victoria, while also employing both local and non-local businesses,” explained housing minister Richard Wynne.
“These homes will provide hope, dignity and stability for people living here so they feel part of a community and get ahead and thrive.”
The 114 homes are part of the 1,000 new public housing properties promised under the state’s Building New Homes to Fight Homelessness program. In addition, the government’s $5.3 billion Big Housing Build is set to deliver more than 12,000 new social and affordable homes. More

Works are now underway on a major upgrade to one of Melbourne’s favourite piers.
Designed by Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB) Architects, the new St Kilda pier will feature a spectacular curved design across a 400-metre length of Australian timber sourced from a First Nations certified company, extending to Catani Gardens.
The new pier and boat landing will feature a wider, more accessible walkway, a communal seating terrace and pavilion, additional toilets, and a new community space near the existing kiosk.
Stage one will also include the construction of a new penguin viewing platform, designed to better protect the famous local colony and enable visitors to view the birds’ return to their burrows each evening.
“The new community pavilion offers an arrival point and gateway to the Little Penguin platform, with its subtle curves referencing the kiosk architecture,” said JCB.
“Timber offers warmth and comfort for sitting and reclining, mesh is used at the platform so visitors can almost feel the action underfoot as waves crash against rocks, while concrete enables a more tactile experience for climbing.”

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The curves of the new design reference the architecture of the existing kiosk. Image:

JCB Architects

The Andrews Labor government has dedicated $53 million to the redevelopment to ensure the pier’s longevity in the face of a changing climate, while also preserving its quintessentially St Kilda heritage elements.
JCB has worked closely with Site Office landscape architects and AW Maritime to deliver the designs, which were developed through extensive collaboration with Parks Victoria. The architect has carefully considered environmental and ecological factors as well as heritage integration.
Barge and excavator works are about to begin, including the installation of the first of more than 220 steel pipes that will make the pier more resilient to rising sea levels and reduce its impact on the sensitive marine habitat over the next 50 years.
A “wave wall” is designed to respond to wave and climate change modelling and to better ensure the safety of pier users.
Minister for ports and freight Melissa Horne said that this is one of the biggest projects of its kind in Melbourne’s history, and demonstrates the government’s commitment to preserving St Kilda’s beachfront character.
“St Kilda Pier is one of Melbourne’s most recognizable landmarks and this project will transform the much-loved bayside icon, providing an even better experience for the hundreds of thousands of Victorians and tourists that visit each year,” said Horne.
Where possible, the existing pier will remain open during construction until the completion of the new pier in 2024. More

Planning approval has been awarded for a $200 million transformation of three heritage blocks in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, at the original heart of Sydney’s gay community.
The development, to be overseen by architecture firm FJMT, was approved by the City of Sydney on 18 May.
It will be the first major refurbishment for the area in 25 years, transforming the tired strip at the intersection of Kings Cross, Hyde Park, Paddington and Surry Hills into an office, retail, hospitality and creative precinct.
Sydney investment house Ashe Morgan purchased the three blocks in 2019. The trigger for the investment was a plan by the City of Sydney to reactivate the area, which has been steadily declining in popularity since the introduction of the NSW government’s controversial lockout laws in 2014, and preserve its place as a focal point for LGBTIQA+ culture.
“To ensure LGBTIQA+ culture and communities are visible and reflected across the precinct, public art, positive messaging, flags, banners and other creative concepts for public spaces will be explored,” said a spokesperson for the City of Sydney.

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Designs by FJMT will restore the heritage buildings and retail frontage along Oxford Street. Image: FJMT

FJMT’s plans for the development will retain the heritage facades fronting Oxford Street, overlooking the Sydney Harbour, while enhancing the precinct for the community.
“Our concept is to create a carefully crafted interplay between the beautiful turn of the century heritage buildings and a new dynamic series of glass and metal forms that hover above,” FJMT design director Richard Francis Jones said upon preparation of the designs back in 2020.
“This composed integration of heritage and advanced architectural form will create sustainable and inspiring places to work, while reinvigorating the street life of Oxford Street and the authenticity of its laneways.”
Developer Allan Vidor said the revival will “pay homage” to the historic buildings and preserve their LGBTQI+ legacy, while promising to bring new vitality to the precinct. A new shared laneway between the buildings will feature a prominent public art installation alongside restaurants, bars and boutique shopping.
“The proposed redevelopment has already created a lot of qualified interest from well-regarded local and international commercial, cultural and retail tenants alike, and this approval will now allow us to progress the rejuvenation of the Oxford Street precinct with confidence,” Vidor said.
The completion of the Oxford and Foley precinct is earmarked for 2023, in preparation for Sydney to host the WorldPride Festival in February. More