Architecture

Roca Group has launched a corporate venturing fund of 25 million euros. The company will invest in startups and entrepreneurial projects that develop in priority areas for the company, prioritizing those with environmental-friendly practices. Through Roca Group Ventures, the company plans to allocate between 0.5 and 2 million euros per project. Roca Group estimates that […] More

Following its acquisition by the Knauf Group, USG Boral Building Products Pty Limited is now known as Knauf Gypsum Pty Ltd, or simply Knauf in Australia. With transition to the new brand name underway, Tony Charnock, the managing director of Knauf in Australia, reassures existing customers, suppliers and partners: “Now we are part of the […] More

Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 10 to 12 February, 2022, Interiors Australia and Denfair was the architecture and design industries’ first trade exhibition in close to three years. With a full program of speaker sessions across three stages and more than 100 brands exhibiting, there was plenty to see for the thousands of attendees. Here, we pick some of our stand highlights from the 2022 Melbourne show.
E&S
Melbourne designers Studio Tate have created a stand for E&S that commands attention. Standing in prime position near the exhibition entry, the ruffled drapes suspended from the ceiling create a spatial and sculptural volume that encourages attendees to explore the stand further. The ethereal space offered champagne, coffee, and a chance to interact with the latest products from E&S.
Acustico Lighting

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Floor to ceiling acoustic panels contribute to the memorable and Instagrammable Acustico Lighting stand.

Floor to ceiling graphic acoustic panels helped to create a memorable and Instagrammable space at Acustico Lighting’s stand. With a small space to work with and a select range of products on show – nothing more nothing less – Acustico’s Musica II and Brutalis Linear pendants shined in the atmospheric space.
Cult Lounge

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The Cult Lounge was the perfect place for “meeting, reflection and conversation.”

The Cult Lounge was the perfect place for “meeting, reflection and conversation,” made even more comfortable by the new Mega Tulip sofa collection by Adam Goodrum for Nau, a stylish modular system suited to commercial settings.
Australia’s Next Top Designers

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The Australia’s Next Top Designers exhibit showed the work of emerging designers, makers and creatives from the Australian Design Centre, Workshopped, Craft ACT, NT-based Tactile Arts, JamFactory and Craft Victoria.

A showcase of Australia’s emerging talent, this gallery-like space took us on a tour around Australia, showcasing the work of emerging designers, makers and creatives from the Australian Design Centre, Workshopped, Craft ACT, NT-based Tactile Arts, JamFactory and Craft Victoria. From ceramics to chairs to lights to plates, the collection on show confirms that the future of Australian design is in safe hands.
Volker Haug

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Volker Haug’s stand was minimal, sophisticated and refined.

Melbourne lighting studio Volker Haug’s stand was minimal, sophisticated and refined. Lined with canvas panels, the stand created a room in which to journey through and explore the Volker Haug lighting collection, including the Anton series re-released in new materials.
Artichoke Lounge

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Artichoke Lounge, designed by Brisbane-based design studio Markian, took cues from Artichoke’s colourful covers.

Maybe I’m a little biased, but our Artichoke Lounge was the best spot to grab a coffee, put your feet up and read some of our fine titles from Architecture Media. The stand, designed by Brisbane-based design studio Markian, took cues from Artichoke’s colourful covers – the russet tan of issue 75, the eucalyptus green of issue 60, and the soft purple of issue 77. Markian collaborated with Dulux, Marblo, Fobro and Laminex to create the stand’s furniture and features – including a circular bench with a central pillar topped with a terrazzo-style finish, a half arch designed to be lounged on and an upholstered half circle for displaying our range of magazines. If the busy crowds hanging around the stand was anything to go by, the Artichoke Lounge was a colourful hit. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has announced that it has entered into a new partnership with the private sector, for-purpose initiative Housing All Australians (HAA), noting that the partnership recognizes the need to do more in the face of Australia’s worsening social and affordable housing crisis. The two organizations have executed a Memorandum of Understanding […] More

Designs have been unveiled for the 21st Serpentine Pavilion in London by Chicago artist Theaster Gates with architectural support from Adjaye Associates.
Named Black Chapel, the pavilion alludes to the “performative and meditative” qualities of a small chapel, and a working bell salvaged from the demolished St Laurence Church on Chicago’s South Side will be placed next to the entrance of the pavilion and used to announce performances.
A large oculus at the top of the pavilion will bring in light, contributing to a “sanctuary-like” environment for reflection and communion.

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Theaster Gates. Image:

Sara Pooley

The design also draws inspiration from the great kilns of Stoke-on-Trent and will pay homage to British craft and manufacturing traditions.
“The name Black Chapel is important because it reflects the invisible parts of my artistic practice,” said Gates.
“It acknowledges the role that sacred music and the sacred arts have had on my practice, and the collective quality of these emotional and communal initiatives. Black Chapel also suggests that in these times there could be a space where one could rest from the pressures of the day and spend time in quietude. I have always wanted to build spaces that consider the power of sound and music as a healing mechanism and emotive force that allows people to enter a space of deep reflection and/or deep participation.”
Gates used the name Black Chapel for another work, commissioned in 2019, which sought to bring black spiritual life to Haus der Kunst, a modern and contemporary art musuem in Munich originally built for the Nazi regime.
The Serpentine Pavilion selection for this year was made by Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist, CEO Bettina Korek, director of construction and special projects Julie Burnell, director of curatorial affairs and public practice Yesomi Umolu, and project curator Natalia Grabowska, together with advisors David Adjaye and David Glover.

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Black Chapel by Chicago artist Theaster Gates with architectural support from Adjaye Associates.

In a joint statement, Bettina Korek and Hans Ulrich Obrist said, “We are honoured to undertake this remarkable project with leading visual artist Theaster Gates. One of the most significant voices working today, Gates’ praxis combines formalism, conceptualism and powerful impact felt throughout the communities in which he works and beyond. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Black Chapel as a platform for engagement, spirituality and togetherness.”
The pavilion will open in Kensington Gardens in June. More

Collins and Turner has finalized designs for the transformation of an industrial warehouse in Alexandria into a recreation centre with four indoor multipurpose courts. The updated design for the Huntley Street centre includes a sweeping canopy facade that will provide shade in front of the building. The project will also deliver a gymnasium and a […] More

Cumulus has designed another series of prefabricated timber-clad tourist pods, this time along the banks of the Murray River at Wellington Marina, an hour out of Adelaide. The firm said the pods will combine simple designs, robust natural materials and a subdued palette to connect the pitched roof forms to the surrounding natural landscape. “From […] More

Stewart Architecture has designed Canberra’s first cross-laminated timber (CLT) office building. To be built within the Parliamentary Triangle, at 23 National Circuit, the six-storey office will sit within a precinct of innovative new offices, across the road from the Realm Precinct and Hotel Realm, also designed by Stewart Architecture, and next to Little National Hotel […] More