Architecture

Theme “Design the world you want,” the program for Melbourne Design Week in 2021 is full of bold ideas from Australian design and architecture practices that could transform our lives. With more than 300 events, the program is the biggest to date and also includes an extensive virtual program. Here, we round of some of the program highlights to get your minds racing.
WaterfrontOrganized by Open House Melbourne, Waterfront is a 11-day program of events across Melbourne and East Gippsland that celebrates and reimagines out waterways. The events include boating, bathing, snorkelling and eating, as well as tours, talks and films.
Future Food System by Joost BakkerInstalled at Federation Square’s River Terrace, the latest Greenhouse by Joost Bakker is the ultimate in self-sufficient living, complete with a productive garden, aquaponics, solar power, microfarms and a charcoal tank. Chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett have taken up residence in the Greenhouse and along with Joost, they will be conducting tours, workshops and intimate dining experiences inside the house.
A New NormalThis bold and future focused exhibition proposes to make Melbourne a self-sufficient city by 2030. An initiative of Finding Infinity, the exhibition proposes 10 initiatives to transform Melbourne, including electrifying transport, solar and wind energy, energy storage, ending landfill, waste to energy and new, efficient architecture, all envisioned by some of Melbourne’s best architecture practices.
Fresh Eyes Robin BoydRobin Boyd’s famed Walsh Street House, now the headquarters of the Robin Boyd Foundation, is reframed through this photographic exhibition. Some of Australia’s best architectural photographers were asked to look that this house through fresh eyes. The prints are also available for purchase.
Designing a legacy liveComedian Tim Ross brings his popular show Designing a Legacy, which aired on the ABC, to a live audience for Melbourne Design Week. The show goes on an architectural adventure to some of Australia’s most significant modernist houses and merges insights, anecdotes and humour.
Broached RecallA collaboration of Broached Commissions and Elton Group, Broad Recall is an exhibition of 12 applied art objects made with new and heritage timber veneers. Each object represents a dialogue of the past and present.
Melbourne Design Week is presented by Creative Victoria in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria. See the full program here. More

Penrith City Council has unveiled the winning design for the redevelopment of its former chambers, a project touted as a catalyst for the revitalization of Penrith CBD.
A scheme by Woods Bagot was judged the winner of a design excellence competition. The commercial office proposal was described as “a highly advanced workplace [that] will feature a sustainable design, and activated public and retail spaces for the community,” Penrith mayor Karen McKeown said.
Woods Bagot’s design is a tripartite arrangement of distinct element, which can be programmed separately or as whole to allow the building to adapt to future needs.
The podium base mimics the scale and materiality of existing site, with a brick facade reminiscent of the former council chambers building. Reclaimed bricks from the existing building will be used to create ground-level planter walls in the proposed scheme.

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The winning scheme for the redevelopment 131 Henry Street Penrith by Woods Bagot.

The upper tower will be a rectangular form that cantilevers over the podium base. Its glass and materiality will express the colours of the Blue Mountains, in reflection of Penrith’s role as a gateway to the natural attraction.
The third component of the design is a timber pavilion which will be raised to allow a future park to flow through the site.
The design also includes a new forecourt which will be located at a prominent corner of the site. The forecourt will include a tree in a circular planter, terraced brick steps, a water feature and public art.
“Reinforcing its place in civic life by providing a multitude of public uses, green space will flow through the site and connect it with the future City park, creating a heart to the civic and education precinct,” said Woods Bagot principal Jason Fraser said.

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The winning scheme for the redevelopment 131 Henry Street Penrith by Woods Bagot.

The proposed building will accommodate 8,000 square metres of commercial space, ground floor retail, on-site parking.
Fraser also said the design of the commercial building was informed by rapid changes in workplace design and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is also designed to be flexible and adaptable to changing needs of users.
“This building is fundamentally different from commercial buildings of the past. It will offer a diverse range of experiences where people can work one day in a garden in the sun, the next at a quiet indoor location and the following at a rooftop overlooking the park,” he said.“Commercial buildings of the future need to overcome the tendency to be uniform – uniform lighting, uniform air quality, uniform spatial experience. Woods Bagot’s proposal for Penrith’s new community workplace deliberately moves away from this model.“Deep analysis of both the progressive changes underway in workplace design and the impact of COVID-19 on how people work has generated Woods Bagot’s scheme for a diverse and adaptable, breathable workspace that promotes different ways of working for different people. The design also responds directly to post-COVID workplace conditions by providing a porous, activated ground plane with multiple entry points to prevent bottlenecks of people using the space. There are also diverse and adaptable spaces, natural ventilation and access to greenery.”
Competition judge Kim Crestiani,”The Woods Bagot scheme envisions the future of commercial workplace design, and also responds carefully to the surrounding context, in particular the climate and public domain outcomes. Beyond providing local employment opportunities during construction and on completion, the supporting retail offering and public spaces will help create a vibrant destination next to City Park which can be enjoyed by all. It is a pleasure to be involved in such a great project and I look forward to its realisation.”
The design will undergo further development and refinement. A development application is expected to be lodged by the end of 2021. More

A proposal to relocate and revamp houses earmarked for demolition has won Lake Macquarie City Council’s design ideas competition for innovative housing.
Designed by Curious Practice, the winning scheme, “House 186.3,” repurposes ageing housing stock while also maintaining traditional aesthetics of suburban homes.
“One of the big ideas for our project was about reusing existing houses and not necessarily building new houses as a sustainable model,” said Curious Practice director Warren Haasnoot.
He added that the design is also responsive to the natural environment with passive design, cross flow of ventilation, good solar protection and minimizing need for air conditioning. The design also includes flexible indoor spaces, “so [it’s] not necessarily being prescriptive with what the rooms are, but how they can be adapted and changed to suit different families’ needs,” he said.
The competition entrants were challenged to design two dwellings on a council-owned vacant block of land on Ocean Street in Dudley.
Curious Practice’s design also includes communal outdoor spaces and prospective neighbours to come together.

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Professional winning entry: House 186.3 by Curious Practice.

“The winning entry was really a stand out. It had comprehensively looked at issues of sustainability,” said University of Newcastle Head of Architecture Chris Tucker, who was a member of the judging panel.
“These houses are around 170 and 100 square metres so they are smaller than the average but they are more spacious. They have higher ceilings, they use outside spaces, and draw them inside the house to make that house feel larger.”
The judges also awarded a student prize to Natalie Keynton, Riley Sherman and Robert Snelling from the University of Melbourne. Their design “InBetween House” comprises two modular dwellings with separate levels, which can be adapted for use a home office, multi-generational housing or as dual occupancy housing.

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Student winning entry: InBetween House by Natalie Keynton, Riley Sherman and Robert Snelling.

“The dWELL contest aimed to shed light on innovative new housing design that put wellness and sustainability before simply maximizing a developer’s profit per square metre,” said David Antcliff, manager property and business development at Lake Macquarie City Council.“We wanted to draw on the creativity and passion of professional architects and tertiary students from across Australia to see what their vision was for the next generation of housing in Lake Macquarie and other urban areas.”“It has shown us what might be possible, and provides valuable insight as we work towards our housing strategy.”
The council said on its website, “The winning entries showcase what is possible, what is practical and what is affordable in providing next-generation housing for all Australians. We will work closely with the winning team to determine if we will refine and progress their designs to construction, and if so where.” More

One of Adelaide’s original hotels would be partially demolished under plans to build a $200 million, two-tower development across the road from the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. GHD Woodhead is the architect behind the scheme, which would deliver 401 apartments from levels three through 23. On the ground floor would be retail and hospitality tenancies, […] More

A whispering wall sculpture designed by Perth architects working overseas has received a $30,000 sculpture award. Designed from a distance by architects Georgia Taylor-Berry and Jesse Taylor, Interacting Fences was installed at Cottesloe Beach in Perth as part of the Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe exhibition. It received the inaugural Sculpture by the Sea Artists […] More

They are spaces for reading, study, inspiration and community – and they can also be sites of great architecture.
The best libraries in Australia have been recognized in the Australian Library Design Awards, announced at the Changing Spaces Library Design Conference on 18 March.
Organized by the Australian Library and Information Association, the awards celebrate innovation and excellence in contemporary library interiors and exteriors.
‘‘The award submissions showed an impressive array of innovative, creative and forward-thinking designs of new and refurbished libraries,” stated Janine Schmidt, judging panel chair. “Each of the winning, and commended, libraries represent some of the best architectural design in Australia.
“Each library prioritized user needs established through consultation, and created spaces which are inspiring, beautiful, fit for purpose and loved by their communities.”
The winners and commended entries are:
School Libraries
Winner
Ormiston College Centre for Learning and Innovation, QLD – BSPN Architecture
Highly Commended
Monmia Primary School Library, VIC – AOA Architects
Special Libraries
Highly Commended
Jerzy Toeplitz Library (Australian Film, Television and Radio School), NSW – Ingrid Weir
Academic Libraries
Winner
UTS Library, NSW – FJMT
Highly Commended
QUT Peter Coaldrake Education Precinct, QLD – Wilson Architects
St Benedict’s Library, University of Notre Dame Australia, NSW – CK Design International
Public Libraries
Winner
Marrickville Library and Pavilion, NSW – BVN
Highly Commended
Green Square Library, NSW – Studio Hollenstein in association with Stewart Architecture
Karalee Library Pod, QLD – Collectivus
Ruth Faulkner Library, WA – Bollig Design Group
Commended
Payinthi – Prospect Public Library, SA – JPE Design Studio
Salisbury Community Hub Library, SA – Hassell
Commended
Wentworth Point Community Centre and Library, NSW – CK Design International Project
National Exemplar Award
Winner
State Library Victoria, VIC – Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Members’ Choice Award
Winner
Marrickville Library and Pavilion, NSW – BVN
ArchitectureAU is the media partner for The Australian Library Design Awards. The program is run by The Australian Library and Information Association the State Library of Queensland. ALIA will be running the awards again in 2022-2023. More

Plans have been submitted for another major development in Sydney’s burgeoning “Silicon Valley” tech hub around Central Station.
Designed by Fender Katsalidis and New York firm SOM with landscape architecture by Aspect Studios, the two-tower Central Place Sydney project would be built adjacent to the Atlassian headquarters designed by Shop Architects and BVN.
The scheme is the result of an invited design competition held between March and July 2020 and features two commercial towers of 37 and 35 storeys tall, with the larger tower appearing as two independent forms wrapping around the smaller tower. They are woven together by a low-rise “attractor” building anchoring the development and enlivening the precinct at street level. The “attractor” building is subject to further design refinements. Altogether the development will house around 155,000 square metres of office and retail space.
“The sculptural towers are shaped by the movement and civic connections at ground level and extend vertically into a ‘fine-grained’ skyline, orientated to address key vistas in a gateway configuration,” state the architects in planning documents. “The towers’ distinct shapes read as a family, while each retains its own identity in terms of height and scale, the dynamic forms emphasized by the articulated ‘smart awnings.’”

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Central Place Sydney by Fender Katsalidis and SOM with landscape architecture by Aspect Studios.

In selecting Fender Katsalidis and SOM’s design, the competition jurors praised the scheme’s “urban proposition” in opening up the ground plane to create a simple contiguous space with Railway Square, Broadway and the adjoining sites. They also noted that the placement and configuration of the towers to the south and east of the site would reduce the apparent bulk and scale around Henry Deane Plaza, while the “attractor” building would contribute to activation and mediate the scale of the towers.
A City of Sydney Design Advisory Panel, considering the design in December 2020, supported the competition jury’s comments but also raised concerns about the design of the towers. The panel found there wasn’t a coherent design approach and “the proposed buildings do not exhibit design excellence.”
The design has been refined since then, with smart awnings and integrated louvres contributing to a passive shading strategy. “Each of these architectural features have been optimized for their location and orientation on the three tower forms, creating dynamic textures to the wall that change relative to the angle that they are being viewed, and their relationship to the adjacent tower forms,” state the architects.

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Central Place Sydney by Fender Katsalidis and SOM with landscape architecture by Aspect Studios.

The facades would also be enlivened through extensive planting. “Planters are integrated into the end walls of the tower, providing self-shading, a biophilic connection to the workplace, and vertical landscapes of planting further emphasise the towers’ sculptural forms.”
The developers behind the $2.5 billion project in the government-backed tech hub are Dexus and Frasers Property Australia.
Central Place Sydney project director Kimberley Jackson said the project would be a key part of shaping Tech Central as Sydney’s tech and innovation hub.
“Central Place Sydney is a city-shaping development that will attract some of the best innovation and technology businesses to Sydney,” she said.
“The connectivity of the site to Australia’s busiest interchange, Central Station, and links to the neighbourhoods of Surry Hills, Chippendale, Eveleigh, Haymarket and Darling Harbour will contribute to a vibrant destination supporting Sydney’s 24-hour economy.
“The precinct will define the future of work and workplaces, incorporating the latest healthy building initiatives and powered by 100 percent renewable energy.”
Subject to approvals, the development is scheduled for completion in 2025. More

Two architects more defined by what they don’t do than what they do have won the 2021 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal of Lacaton and Vassal, the winners of architecture’s most prestigious prize, have built a reputation for doing as little as possible. They live by the maxim “never demolish” and through projects in their native France and abroad have demonstrated that, by understanding and respecting what already exists, it is possible to enrich space and human life with only subtle architectural intervention.

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The most extreme example of this approach could be seen when they told a prospective client that nothing but some new gravel was needed to improve a public square in Bordeaux, but the ethos is present in everything they do – from social housing to cultural and academic institutions.
“Good architecture is open – open to life, open to enhance the freedom of anyone, where anyone can do what they need to do,” said Anne Lacaton, on winning the prize. “It should not be demonstrative or imposing, but it must be something familiar, useful and beautiful, with the ability to quietly support the life that will take place within it.”
A typical move of theirs, in working to improve housing, is to add greenhouse-like balconies to existing apartment buildings to improve thermal performance and increase living space.
At La Tour Bois le Prêtre in Paris in 2011, for instance, their firm transformed the experience of living in the 17-story, 96-unit city housing project originally built in the early 1960s via a few simple moves. They increased the interior square footage of every unit through the removal of the original concrete façade, and extended the footprint of the building to form bioclimatic balconies. Once-constrained living rooms now extended into new terraces, with large windows offering new views of the city.
The judges were impressed by the Lacaton and Vassal’s novel approach to sustainability and their commitment to improving lives through architecture.

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Latapie House

“Not only have they defined an architectural approach that renews the legacy of modernism, but they have also proposed an adjusted definition of the very profession of architecture,” the jury said in their citation. “The modernist hopes and dreams to improve the lives of many are reinvigorated through their work that responds to the climatic and ecological emergencies of our time, as well as social urgencies, particularly in the realm of urban housing. They accomplish this through a powerful sense of space and materials that creates architecture as strong in its forms as in its convictions, as transparent in its aesthetic as in its ethics.”
Lacaton and Vassal met in the 1970s studying at École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et de Paysage de Bordeaux and competed their first project together (a straw hut) in Niger, where Vassal was practising urban planning. They established Lacaton and Vassal in Paris in 1987 and have since completed more than 30 projects throughout Europe and West Africa.
“Our work is about solving constraints and problems, and finding spaces that can create uses, emotions and feelings,” said Vassal.
At the end of this process and all of this effort, there must be lightness and simplicity, when all that has been before was so complex.”
Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal are the 49th and 50th Laureates of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
In March 2020, Lacaton and Vassal were appointed the inaugural Garry and Susan Rothwell Chair in Architectural Design Leadership at the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning. More