Architecture

A 26-storey hotel tower would be built on a 40-square-metre site at the southern end of the Brisbane CBD under a proposal before council. Designed by Buchan with landscape architecture by Arcadia, the development at 44 Roma Street is being pitched as “a unique corporate traveller hotel” development that would help revitalize this “abandoned” corner […] More

The Victorian government has announced four winners in the Future Homes competition, which sought exemplar apartment designs that could easily be replicated across Melbourne’s suburbs.
The competition is the first phase of the Future Homes project aimed at producing apartments that could become world leaders in design, sustainability and liveability.
The winning proposals deliver high quality living spaces, useable communal spaces that encourage interaction between neighbours and designs that could be adapted to suit the needs of a changing population.
Two winning schemes – from Spiral Architecture Lab and Lian (with Finding Infinity and Openwork) – propose modular systems that could be arranged in various ways to suit different household types.

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The winning proposal by Lian (with Finding Infinity and Openwork).

The proposal by Design Strategy Architecture in collaboration with Includesign creates two shared outdoor spaces connected via stairs to foster community connections.
McGregor Westlake Architecture’s winning entry proposes a landscape-first approach, which will generate a network of gardens across a suburban block.
The winners will now work with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) to refine their entries into design models.
“We are  planning  for a better Victoria by designing world-leading apartments that are more energy efficient and spacious, and have plenty of green space,” said planning minister Richard Wynne.
“These new designs will set new  benchmarks  in sustainability and liveability – helping create a new generation of apartment living that’s  better, smarter and healthier for the whole community.” 

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The winning proposal by McGregor Westlake Architecture.

The government also announced it will adapt one of the winner’s designs and construct a demonstration project in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services.
“This means one of the competition winners will receive further paid work during the construction of a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) building,” Wynne said in a letter to competitors.
The winning designs will also inform potential planning reforms and future social housing developments.
The competition jury comprised Jill Garner (Victorian Government Architect), Sadie Morgan (founding director, dRMM), Koos de Keijzer (principal, DKO), Jan McRedie McCredie (urban design manager, Urban Design Manager, City of Parramatta), Jennie Officer (director, Officer Woods Architects), Tony Isaacson (chair, Robn Robin Boyd Foundation and former director of Kane Constructions) and Matt Cohen (director, development approvals and urban design, DELWP).
The winning schemes and four other shortlisted schemes are on exhibition at the Melbourne School of Design until 24 May. They will also be part of the A new suburban ambition exhibition at Monash University until 5 April. More

An apartment complex designed by Jackson Clements Burrows will be one of the first build-to-rent projects to incorporate community housing under an agreement between developer Assemble and not-for-profit housing provider Housing Choices Australia.
The Melbourne-based developer says that for its future projects at least 20 percent of dwellings will be allocated for low-income tenants, with Housing Choices Australia managing these houses.
This community housing component will be delivered through a long-term lease arrangement across six Assemble development sites in inner- and middle-ring Melbourne, including the Jackson Clements Burrows-designed apartments at Carinish Road in Clayton, south-east Melbourne.
“We are proud to partner with Housing Choices Australia to deliver much needed long-term mixed-income rental housing,” said Assemble managing director Kris Daff.
“At a time that has been socially and economically devastating for Victoria, fuelled by uncertainty in housing tenure and barriers to home ownership, our communities need support now more than ever to ensure we do not reach crisis point.”
“Build to rent is a scalable model, and when executed to its best effect, it has the potential to meet our nation’s demand for secure-tenure affordable housing. We see mixed-income communities as a blueprint for the future of Australian housing.”
Housing Choices Australia and Assemble will co-invest alongside institutional equity investors in all projects. Both parties will jointly participate in the procurement, delivery and management of the mixed-income housing. Groups offered tenancy could include women experiencing domestic violence, young people living with disabilities, or key workers on low, fixed incomes.
Housing Choices Australia managing director Michael Lennon said the build-to-rent model had been widely adopted internationally: “The establishment of build to rent as an asset class reflects the growing maturity of the community housing sector in Australia,” he said.
“Build to rent recognises that there are very significant unmet housing needs in Australia coupled with a strong desire by institutional investors to diversify and to contribute solutions to the housing crisis. The community housing sector offers ideal partnership opportunities because of its depth of experience in managing tenancies and communities cost effectively.”
“International examples of build to rent offer a wider array of housing choices, enrich city communities, benefit local economies and most importantly, take pressure off the housing system overall.” More

Young architects and students with a vision for a more sustainable future are encouraged to apply for a range of bursaries and mentorship opportunities thanks to the charity branch of Swarovski, the Austrian crystal glass company.
The Swarovski Foundation announced this month the launch of a new global grant program delivered with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, which will aim to “identify and accelerate the next generation of creative leaders in sustainability.”
The Swarovski Foundation Institute: Creatives for Our Future program will offer grants to people aged 18 to 25 across creative disciplines including architecture, design, engineering, fashion and art.
Applications for the grants opened on 9 March and will be accepted until 9 April.
According to the foundation, successful applicants will have a keen interest in, demonstration of, or exemplary potential to use the creative process to accelerate awareness, technologies or solutions for sustainable development.
Selected grantees will receive financial support to further their practice and “design new pathways for a better world.” They will also take part in an educational program in collaboration with a number of international institutions, and be given the opportunity to take part in tailored mentorship and industry networking programs.
Nadja Swarovski, chair of the Swarovski Foundation, said the program was part of the organization’s ongoing mission to foster education, creativity and a sustainable future.
“This ground-breaking program will empower the next generation of creative talent to unlock innovative new approaches to our global sustainability challenges and drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
Annemarie Hou, acting executive director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships noted the importance of the creative sector.
“In 2021, the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, we must work together to amplify the creativity and talent of young leaders,” she said. “The Creatives for Our Future program by the Swarovski Foundation Institute is a trailblazing initiative that is keeping the promise of the SDGs [sustainable development goals].” More

A Western Australian architecture firm has won an international competition to design an architectural landmark for Silicon Valley in California.
Smar Architecture Studio’s design – selected from a pool of 963 submissions from 72 countries – will see 500 dynamic rods erected on the Arena Green at Guadalupe Park and Gardens in San José. Forming a tower that will soar to 200 feet (61 metres), the rods will sway in the wind, giving a dramatic visual effect while also generating enough power to light up the structure.
Dubbed “Breeze of Innovation,” the kinetic structure will incorporate multiple levels of walkways and a dramatic viewing platform at its top.
“Silicon Valley is not about replicating the past; it’s about shaping the future,” said Smar founding partner Fernando Jerez. “Our goal from the beginning was to capture the ever-changing magic of Silicon Valley while also creating a deep connection with the San José community.”
Jon Ball, board chair of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley, said the design was destined to have a profound impact on the local community. “We are extremely excited to announce ‘Breeze of Innovation’ as the winner of our design competition,” he said. “This entry stood out because of its elegant and sophisticated visual style, representing Silicon Valley through vibrant motion and singular grace on an imposing scale.

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Breeze of Innovation by Smar Architecture Studio. Image:

Smar Architecture Studio

The Urban Confluence Silicon Valley ideas competition is organized by the San Jose Light Tower Corporation and supported by philanthropy. Despite the organization’s name, the San Jose Light Tower Corporation is keen to stress that the structure it plans to build is not a light tower itself, but rather, a tribute to the San Jose Electric Light Tower, built in 1881, which was a pioneering experiment in electricity-powered municipal lighting.
“…we came up with the idea of designing a dynamic landmark, one that is alive, moving with the wind and light, a magical space that includes a tribute to the San José Electric Light Tower of 1881,” said Jerez. “We want visitors to enjoy a unique experience on their ascent, connecting with the memory of the Valley while dreaming about its future possibilities.”
The goal of the project is to create something that embodies the “spirit of innovation” of the Silicon Valley, attracting tourists and locals alike.
More than $2.5 million has been raised for the project so far. The designs are expected to be submitted to the San José City Council in May 2021 for planning approval. More

City of Sydney councillors have cleared the way for a $726 million project that will occupy nearly half a city block in Sydney’s mid-town precinct.
The development at 338 Pitt Street, designed by an FJMT-led team, will include two interconnected 80-storey towers by FJMT at its centre, along with six podium buildings accommodating retail and hotel uses designed by four different architecture practices.
Councillors voted unanimously on 25 March for the final decision on the project’s approval to be delegated to the council’s CEO, effectively giving it the green light.
In stated reasons for the decision, councillors noted that the project was consistent with the city’s strategic planning as a high-quality mixed-use development.
“The slim tower design, materiality and siting contribute to the skyline and relate positively to the surrounding context,” the agreed upon motion states. “Sufficient separation is provided to maintain a good standard of amenity for adjoining properties and the public domain. The fine grain, varied podium designs and through site links will improve the quality and amenity of the public domain.”

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The 338 Pitt Street development, with lead design by FJMT.

Surrounding the towers will be the podium building designed by a number of different firms. Trias will design the 249 Castlereagh Street building, Polly Harbison Design will design the 241 Castlereagh Street building, Aileen Sage Architects will do Pitt Street Hotel, and Jerde will do the retail spaces. US-based Martha Schwartz Partners and FJMT Landscape will be in charge of the public domain architecture.
Altogether the buildings would accommodate 592 apartments, 158 hotel rooms and associated facilities, retail tenancies and new through-site links and a plaza.
According to the council, the application is “generally consistent” with a concept approval granted by the Central Sydney Planning Committee in February 2018. The FJMT-led team had won a design competition for the project that year.
The City of Sydney publicly exhibited the application for 28 days in July and August 2020, receiving eight submissions from government and statutory agencies – none of which objected to the proposal. More

Architecture – Apollo Magazine

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Keep cool: the concrete castles of Louis Kahn
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Fri, 12 Mar 2021 18:53:37 +0000

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Louis Kahn (1901–74) was an architect who designed buildings that looked like castles; this was true whether they were small Philadelphia villas or vast institutions such as his parliamentary complex in Dhaka. His style – which he arrived at only in his fifties – is characterised by what look like thick fortified walls of massive masonry pierced by simple geometrical shapes and sometimes topped…
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An architectural frieze is the icing on the cake, for a building
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Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:14:12 +0000

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If you have ever approached Termini station in Rome, you may have noticed a frieze on the edge of the slender canopy. It is quiet and subtle, a discreet touch of abstract ornamentation on the leading edge of a slice of otherwise unadorned and exquisitely mid-century modernism. Think back to The Godfather Part II, and you may remember a silent, unsettling character who acts as bodyguard and hitman…
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The school that gave us starchitecture
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Thu, 18 Feb 2021 19:47:55 +0000

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From the January 2021 issue of Apollo. Preview and subscribe here. Given the ancient character of the craft, architecture school is a comparatively recent cultural phenomenon. Emerging from a soup of pupillage, guild-based apprenticeships and enthusiastic amateurship, the idea that you could train architects away from the building site only really took form in 17th-century France, when the…
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From the Apollo archives – Gavin Stamp on the sorry saga of Edinburgh’s Royal High School
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Thu, 11 Feb 2021 18:07:10 +0000

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Edinburgh City Council recently announced plans to reconsider the future use of Thomas Hamilton’s Royal High School on Calton Hill, ending a deal with developers who had pledged in 2009 to find a sustainable purpose for the building. The High School, a masterpiece of the Scottish Greek Revival, has long lain empty; in 2015 plans to transform it into a luxury hotel were widely condemned by heritage…
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Making an appearance – architectural copies and cover versions
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Tue, 01 Dec 2020 17:32:39 +0000

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What is a fake building? Unlike artworks, buildings aren’t faked for short-term or financial gain; they cost too much and take too much time to build for that. And for the most part they are highly visible, so their provenance is much harder to hide. To speak of fakes in relation to buildings is to talk about a lack of authenticity rather than deliberate deceit. Authenticity can imply a number of…
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From Buxton to the Barbican – the enduring appeal of the crescent
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Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:41:21 +0000

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This article was published in the November 2020 issue of Apollo. The Pump Room and visitor experience at Buxton Crescent are currently closed due to Covid-19; visitors are advised to check the venue website for further updates. The 5th Duke of Devonshire was a man with little self-doubt. His vast wealth from the local copper mines bankrolled the transformation of a small town in the Derbyshire…
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Why are Berlin’s new buildings so intent on looking backwards?
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Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:16:36 +0000

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There is a category of houses so famous that they can no longer be used as houses. Such buildings exist outside the practical needs they were built to address and are preserved much as works of art are. Victor Horta’s house in Brussels is one. The Maison & Atelier Horta were designed by Victor Horta in 1898 to be both a family home and an architecture studio. Today they are home to the Horta…
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Charles Eamer Kempe – the stained-glass designer who kitted out England’s churches
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Tue, 30 Apr 2019 09:00:13 +0000

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Anyone who enjoys visiting British churches and cathedrals will soon learn to identify stained glass by Charles Eamer Kempe (1837–1907). Helpfully, he often placed a wheatsheaf in one corner of his windows, a device taken from his family’s coat of arms, but in any case his fastidiously luxurious style is unmistakable. Swathed in robes of cloth of gold and damask, figures derived from late medieval…
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Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
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