Architecture

This year’s focus in Milan has been on materials and detail, with outstanding new products inviting the sensation of human touch. Here, I have selected a number of pieces that stood out to me for their originality, including a few by Australian designers. I particularly loved imagining the slippery fingers of Faye Toogood’s Butter prototype (yellow seems to be the colour of the moment), the playfulness of the Gelato lamp, the texture of the Lava tiles, and the huge glass block that is the new Agape basin.
Butter sofa by Faye Toogood
This new super squashy sofa by UK designer Faye Toogood for Tacchini is enough to melt your heart. Originally modelled with slippery fingers from a block of Cornish butter, the form of the sofa and its soft yellow colour evoke an everyday beauty – the quotidian pleasure of butter on bread. Part of the Bread and Butter collection, which also includes a Bread console and side tables in timber, the Butter sofa is made of oversized modular pieces that can be rearranged to your taste. Delicious.
Solace light by Ross Gardam

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Australian Ross Gardam continues his success in lighting with Solace, a new form that is both simple and complex in form, derived from two overlapping geometric spheres. Like some of his other works, this one is made by blowing glass into a mould, but instead of being a rotating mould, it is static, and a faint imprint of the mould can be seen and felt on the surface of the glass. Stunning work.
Study TrulyTruly Big Glow light for Rakumba

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Another Australian lighting design making waves in Milan is the Big Glow light by Studio TrulyTruly for Rakumba. This oversized light is inspired by the designers’ experience living as Australians in Europe and reflecting on the difference in quality of light between the two. The light is made of non-woven wool blended with a plant-based fibre transformed under heat and pressure. They also stack inside each other to reduce shipping volumes. Smart.
Marmelade lounge chair by Rosa Ryhänen

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This strange chair exhibited as part of the Habitare: Materials and Objects exhibition of Finnish works at Alcova is called the Marmelade lounge chair. It is part of Finnish designer Rosa Ryhänen’s series called “Form Follows Intuition” and looks as if it might have been drawn in texta by a child. Rosa says on first sight you might ask yourself: “Is it magic that holds the piece together?”
Squash Mirror by Paul Cocksedge for Magis

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This series of mirrors by UK designer Paul Cocksedge explores the effect of compression on geometric shapes. It started with an experiment taking three-dimensional soft forms and compressing them, then interpreting them into 2D mirrors. In doing so they take on a sense of personality. “They evoke human connections – like friends greeting each other, a parent holding a child, or the warmth of an embrace,” says the designer.
Ranieri Lava tiles

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Ranieri had a large exhibit at Alcova in the ex-SNAI factory, a post-industrial space that has become a ruin over the years. Called “Under the Volcano,” it featured their Void tables and the Reborn chair, plus some volcanic rock carved with robot arms, but it is their tiles that caught my eye, all made from lava stone near Naples.
Gelato lamp by Established and Sons

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The Gelato lamp was originally designed in the 1960s by Italian designer and glass blower Carlo Nason and now has been redeveloped by Established and Sons, retaining and updating its style for a new generation. Originally wired, it is now a portable lamp and is available in an array of mouth-watering colours.
Massicci basin by Agape

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Made from 18 kilograms of solid glass, this basin retains the irregularities of its formation at 1200 degrees, creating textures that interplay with light and water. Designed by Marco Zito for Italian bathroom brand Agape, it is available in clear glass or ochre yellow.
Esmerelda Modular Cabinet by Bottos Design Italia for Artemest

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Artemest is a brand that champions Italian design and craftsmanship around the world, with a finely curated (and top end) selection of designer products. The Esmerelda Modular Cabinet is the perfect example of the brand’s attention to detail, with its spiral wooden design cut with precision into the timber, creating a unique talking piece that is also a functional storage cupboard.
Collette chair by Adam Goodrum

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With Collette chair, Australian designer Adam Goodrum was inspired by an abstract reference to the Vietnamese traditional script. And the shape of its back forms a collar (collette in French) giving it its name. Created in soft ash, the chair is manufactured by Vietnamese brand District Eight. More

Billy Maynard Architects has been announced the winner of a design competition for a new war memorial in Sydney dedicated to honouring the service and sacrifice of recent veterans.
The memorial will be located within the Domain, a large parkland that holds historical significance as the site of Sydney’s first Anzac Day service in 1916. According to a NSW government communique, the memorial is intended to provide a “contemplative” space for contemporary veterans and their loved ones, allowing them to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices of those who served in the Australian Defence Force from 1990 onwards.
The memorial is circular in shape, formed by two crescents that intersect and are partially embedded within the grassy landscape of the park. This simple composition of elements is intended to “symbolise gathering, protection and unbreakable bonds,” stated the communique.

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Billy Maynard Architects’ design was selected from a design ideas competition between small and emerging architectural practices organised by the NSW Office for Veterans Affairs, with support from the Government Architect NSW. Other participants in the competition included Breakspear Architects, Kaunitz Yeung Architecture, Other Architects, Retallack Thompson and Trias.
Architect Billy Maynard said the memorial was envisioned as a place for collective and individual healing. “It fosters remembrance and reflection through simplicity of form combined with finely resolved and caringly crafted detail,” said Maynard.
“The unifying thread through the individual stories of loss in conflict is one of remembrance. This memorial creates an accessible place of gathering and recollection by combining site, seating, artwork and new plantings in a considered ensemble.
“It is a distillation of form to create a singular space, simple and appropriate, which above all honours the service of contemporary veterans and recognises the sacrifice of families. In this process we remember the enduring dialogue and connection that resonates between Australia and the places of service – between people and place.”

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Internationally acclaimed artist Khadim Ali, based in Sydney and belonging to the Hazara ethnic minority of central Afghanistan, also contributed to the design.
The memorial will be located nearby the NSW Police Wall of Rememberance and south of the Art Gallery of NSW. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. More

Newly opened at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, the Australia Pavilion is now welcoming visitors. Designed by global architecture practice Buchan, this year’s pavilion responds to the exposition’s banner of “Designing Future Society for our Lives” with a design themed “Chasing the Sun.”
The practice noted in a media release that the design draws inspiration from the eucalyptus tree and gumnut, whose bloom is “a powerful symbol of new life and the boundless potential of future generations.”
According to Buchan, the pavilion’s colourful facade represents the gumnut bursting into flower. It is made from a soft, tensile fabric that the practice envisions as “a canvas for sharing Australia’s stories, innovation and creativity.” In addition, the light-permeable fabric is intended to capture changing shadows across the day to connect visitors with nature as part of the pavilion experience.
Underneath the fabric shell, the pavilion’s structure reuses a steel framework that was previously used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Buchan noted that the pavilion’s use of minimal construction materials and light-permeable building envelope together minimise the pavilion’s waste and energy use. For lead architect architect on the pavilion Nataly Ernst, these moves “showcase our nation’s design ingenuity” in the World Expo context, which she noted is “a great opportunity for architects to experiment and exchange ideas.”

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A cultural forecourt precinct outside the pavilion’s entry, designed with landscape architecture practice McGregor Coxall, is intended as a welcoming gathering point with music, theatre, dance and screen programming situated alongside a yarning circle for gathering.
The landscape idea continues as a “bush walk” within the pavilion’s exhibition. According to Buchan, this format “captures the experience of walking on Country” and was developed alongside Indigenous advisors Karrda as a way to amplify Indigenous culture and ways of knowing.
Buchan creative lead on the pavilion Dong Uong commented that the exhibition is an interactive journey that engages all the senses. “The experience ‘chases the sun’ across land, sky and sea Country, based on the structure and flow of the song lines that traverse the land and have shared knowledge between Indigenous people for millennia.”

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Throughout the exhibition, visitors are invited to engage with Australia’s natural environment and society. The exhibition aims to spotlight First Nations Australians’ connection to Country over tens of thousands of years, and how this ancient knowledge can help build a future society.
Alongside the exhibition, a special event zone features four function spaces, whose “colour and materials reflect Australian landscapes, and Australian design, art and craft features,” Buchan noted. The design of these spaces is intended to support the economic, cultural and social imperatives of Australia’s Expo participation, which include deepening Australia’s relationship with Japan, creating new opportunities for Australian businesses and showcasing contemporary Australia to the world.
“Our team is immensely proud of the Australia Pavilion, which showcases our unique country on the world stage and supports the enduring friendship between Australia and Japan,” Ernst said.
World Expo 2025 Osaka runs for six months from 13 April to 13 October 2025. More

A proposal for a mixed-use residential development is currently on exhibition on the NSW government’s state significant applications portal. Designed by A+ Design Group, the project involves the demolition of existing low-density, detached housing across 18 individual lots, and the construction of two new residential towers and two mid-rise apartment buildings in its place.
A total of 615 residential units are proposed on the site with 169 apartments (15 percent floor area) allocated as affordable housing, making the project eligible for increased height and floor space ratio bonuses under the State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) (Housing). At its tallest point, the development is approximately six storeys above local council’s Development Control Plan (DCP).

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The proposal’s stepped architectural form ranges from 5 to 25 storeys in height and is situated above a landscaped podium. At the site’s centre, a terraced through-site link intended to enhance the site’s connectivity to its surrounds is also envisioned as a green corridor.
According to the design report authored by A+, this link “emphasises the immersive experience of nature […] with water playing a vital role in activating the garden space. As water flows through the site, it introduces dynamic changes in elevation, guiding movement and enriching the visitor’s connection with the landscape.”
Narratives around water have also informed the architectural articulation of the proposal. A+ notes that the interplay of vertical tower forms with the podium’s “rhythmic arrangement of vertical brick blades … reflects both the land’s movement and the fluidity of water, seamlessly merging architectural form with the natural world.”

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Developed in collaboration with Dharug artist Leanne Redpath, the proposal’s Connecting with Country strategy is, according to A+, “embedded in the development” through a visual language of “patterns and textures inspired by Dharug cultural motifs.”
Commercial and retail tenancies are proposed along the site’s north-eastern and north-western edges, totalling just over 8,000 square metres of floor area. Beneath the buildings, four levels of basement car parking are proposed.
The project is envisioned as a staged development, with the eastern tower and through-site link to be completed first, followed by the second tower and the communal open space on the west of the site.
The proposal is on exhibition and open to public comment until 22 April. More

Entries are now open for the Tapestry Design Prize 2025, a competition that challenges architects and interior designers to conceptualise a site-specific tapestry.
The competition, presented by the Australian Tapestry Workshop, invites architects and interior designers, either as individuals or as part of a team, to design a tapestry for a given site. This year’s chosen site is Boyd House II in Melbourne, designed by Robin Boyd for his family in 1957. Applicants will have the opportunity to create designs for five distinct spaces within the residence, with one finalist selected for each space.
The competition is open to architects and interior designers who live and work in Australia. The 2025 jury comprises director of design and product development at Nexus Designs Sally Evans; principal of Kennedy Nolan Patrick Kennedy, and the editor of InteriorsAu Cassie Hansen.

The most recent Tapestry Design Prize competition in 2023 was awarded to Beth George and Emerald Wise for their tapestry proposal titled Solstice, a design that was conceptualised for the hypothetical site of Bundanon Art Museum by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Other past sites include the National Gallery of Australia by Col Madigan, and Phoenix Central Park by John Wardle Architects and Durbach Block Jaggers.

Entries close 19 May 2025, followed by an announcement of five finalists in July. The finalist designs will be woven into tapestry and exhibited at the Boyd House II in November 2025. All five finalists will receive an artist fee of $1,000, while the people’s choice winner will earn an additional $1,000. The overall winner, announced on 13 November, will be awarded $5,000.
To find out more about the competition, visit the Tapestry Design Prize website. More

Gold Coast Open House (GCOH) will return on 27 and 28 September 2025. The free, annual program opens the doors to some of the Gold Coast’s most iconic buildings, inviting locals to discover the city’s architectural heritage alongside newly-complete projects.
Last year’s lineup included the Warehouses by J.AR Office, which won an Award for Commercial Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects 2024 National Architecture Awards. Winner of the Institute’s 2022 Queensland Architecture Awards, HOTA Gallery by ARM, and winner of the 2024 Gold Coast and Northern Rivers Chapter Regional Project of the Year Prize, Tallowwood Cabin by Fouché Architects, were also among the 2024 highlights.
Ahead of the September weekend, GCOH invites submissions from organisations and individuals, including building owners and custodians, architecture and design practices, urban and landscape designers and community groups who wish to communicate the importance of good design.
GCOH notes that community input helps them to curate a program that showcases the most intriguing and inspiring aspects of the Gold Coast’s built environment. Nominations can take the form of building submissions, or guided tour suggestions and pitches for panel discussions.
Expressions of interest can be made via the GCOH website until Monday 28 April. More

The Victorian government has launched the Great Design Fast Track – in their words, “a streamlined planning process for apartments and townhouses that demonstrate great design” – along with a nominations process for exemplar developments to be included in a State Design Book of “future homes.”
Both initiatives are part of a plan to support townhouses and apartments that, according to Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny, “stand the test of time in quality, design, aesthetics, sustainability and cost.”
On their website, the state government notes that Great Design Fast Track (GDFT) is a new planning pathway intended to improve the approvals process for “well-designed apartment and townhouse developments that include eight or more homes between two and eight storeys, depending on the zone.”
Projects must meet seven distinct design criteria to qualify, “ensuring they are high-quality, long-lasting and good value for residents,” a communique from Premier Jacinta Allan’s office reads. According to the premier, “the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) will review applications to confirm they meet these high standards.”
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate that their designs are good value – “this could be through innovative delivery models, modern methods of construction, or considering ways to minimise operational costs for the long-term,” the communique reads.
The designs must also target above-standard sustainability credentials, with apartments meeting an average 8-star rating on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) and townhouses achieving 7.5 stars.
According to the premier, applying projects “also need to accommodate well thought-out community spaces, consider green space and landscaping, and cater to the needs of different kinds of households.”
The premier’s release states that locals will retain their right to have their say on advertised developments under the new pathway, but the fast-tracked process means there will be no third-party appeals. Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny will be the authority responsible for approvals.
Kilkenny commented, “We know we need more homes, and we need them now – that’s why we’re making sure high-quality and well-designed townhouses and apartments get the green light sooner.”
Coinciding with the GDFT, the government has announced a State Design Book initiative to showcase exemplary housing projects across the state.
The first part of this book, which is published on the state government’s website, includes the seven principles of the GDFT and gives guidance about how they can be applied. In consultation with the public, the next part of the guide will comprise a collection of completed housing projects that the government deems “great designs” according to the criteria.
Eligible developments for inclusion in the State Design Book fall into three categories:

Townhouses (two to three storeys)
Low-rise apartments (up to five storeys)
Mid-rise apartments (up to eight storeys)

Victorians can nominate outstanding examples of well-designed homes through the Engage Victoria website. Applications close on 8 June, with the complete State Design Book expected to be published late this year. More

Construction is underway on a 50-storey tower that will soon rise above Sydney’s 127-year-old former City Tattersalls Club building on Pitt Street.
The $800 million project involves refurbishing three existing state heritage-listed buildings designed by Sheerin and Hennessy – including the former Tattersalls Club building (1891) – and establishing a contemporary tower above. The development, named Sydney House, will accommodate 241 residential units in the tower, as well as a 135-room hotel, commercial spaces, retail tenancies and “high-end” dining offerings in the podium.
BVN and FJC Studio have collaboratively handled the project design. BVN was engaged to design the new 50-storey tower after winning a design competition for the project in August 2020, while FJC Studio was appointed before the competition began to oversee all heritage design aspects of the redevelopment.

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As highlighted in a communique detailing BVN and FJC Studio’s design vision, the new tower is intended to have a distinct yet complementary identity to the three heritage buildings. The statement notes that the cantilevered form of the residential tower creates the impression that the tower is “hovering effortlessly above the hotel podium.” According to the designers, the decision to position the new structure with an offset to the existing buildings allows each new volume to develop its own character while ensuring that the heritage facades remain the primary focus at street level.
The tower features a scalloped fenestration inspired by the arched windows on the existing heritage facades. Principal of BVN Phillip Rossington said the contemporary reinterpretation of these arched details “subtly links the forms while also delineating new from old.”
“This complementary approach enriches the reading of the heritage buildings, so they’re appreciated in a new light.”

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As part of the project, FJC Studio will restore and adapt the interiors and facades of the three heritage buildings. Additionally, they have designed a new contemporary infill building, which will sit between the existing buildings and “complete the Pitt Street composition,” according to the communique.
Design director of FJC Studio Richard Francis-Jones said, “The new infill facade is distinctly modern with a depth, compositional character and material richness that complements the exceptional detail and beauty of the three [Victorian and Interwar Palazzo style] heritage facades.
“New entrances, awnings, and shopfronts are refined contemporary designs inspired by the geometry and grandeur of the restored Art Deco rooms within. This integrated architectural approach extends to the interiors where the restored late Victorian and Art Deco spaces are complemented by a new grand staircase and public artworks, creating a cohesive and enriched experience for occupants and visitors in a unique multi-era, mixed-use Sydney House.”
The development application for Sydney House received approval in November 2021. The excavation and demolition process is complete, with the structural form works now set to proceed. Construction is anticipated to be complete in late 2027. More