Architecture

The 2024 National Architecture Awards, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, has shined a spotlight on Australia’s most prestigious and respected projects of the year, with this year’s ceremony reflecting themes of connectedness and community.
Forty-six distinguished projects have earned an award or commendation from a pool of 62 shortlisted entries. Common themes among the projects include championing a strong sense of social and economic responsibility, offering innovative material solutions, and celebrating the preservation and adaptive re-use of existing heritage.

Jury chair and immediate past national president of the Australian Institute of Architects Stuart Tanner said the award-winning projects are evidence of the broad typological spectrum the Institute’s members are engaged in, further substantiating how architecture elevates society and enhances lives.
“Flying over the seemingly endless red plains and river lines of far-northern Western Australia, one realises a land of vast power and profound narrative. It is an environ that our profession is priveleged to practice within, which presents challenges of climate, community and locale, urban and remote and which fosters the innovative thinking that places our members at the forefront of design excellence,” Tanner said.

The 2024 jury comprised Yun Nie Chong, Naomi Stead, Stuart Tanner, Jemima Retallack and Paul Owen. You can read the jury chair’s overview here.
The winners are:

Public Architecture
The Sir Zelman Cowen Award
Powerhouse Castle Hill – Lahznimmo Architects

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National Awards
Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Parramatta Aquatic Centre – Grimshaw and Andrew Burges Architects with McGregor Coxall
Spinifex Hill Project Space – Officer Woods Architects
National Commendation
Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club – Adriano Pupilli Architects
Educational Architecture
The Daryl Jackson Award
River’s Edge Building, University of Tasmania – Wardle

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National Awards
Clifton Hill Primary School – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
The Cottage School – Taylor and Hinds Architects
National Commendation
St. Patrick’s College: Scientia Building – BVN
Commercial Architecture
The Harry Seidler Award
T3 Collingwood – Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

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National Awards
Sanders Place – NMBW, Openwork and Finding Infinity
The Porter House Hotel – Candalepas Associates
The Warehouses – J.AR Office
National Commendation
Campbell House Private Office – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer
Interior Architecture
The Emil Sodersten Award
Burnt Earth Beach House – Wardle

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National Awards
Cox Architecture Adelaide Studio – Cox Architecture
Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) – ARM Architecture
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
The Robin Boyd Award
Naples Street House – Edition Office

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National Awards
Burnt Earth Beach House – Wardle
Six Ways House – Kennedy Nolan
National Commendation
Maitland Bay House – Studio Bright
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
The Eleanor Cullis-Hill Award
High Street – Lineburg Wang

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National Awards
Aru House – Curious Practice
Mansard House – Studio Bright
National Commendations
Lee House – Candalepas Associates
Six Chimney House – Vokes and Peters
Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
The Frederick Romberg Award
Ferrars and York – Six Degrees Architects

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National Awards
Maggie Street – Curious Practice
Nungalinya – Incidental Architecture
National Commendation
Mari-Mari-Ba – Affordable Housing – Deicke Richards
Sustainable Architecture
The David Oppenheim Award
Campbell House Private Office – Tonkin Zulaikha Greer

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National Award
Powerhouse Place – Public Realm Lab
National Commendation
Ravensthorpe Cultural Precinct – Peter Hobbs Architects with Advanced Timber Concepts and Intensive Fields
Heritage Architecture
The Lachlan Macquarie Award
The Glass House – Cracknell and Lonergan Architects

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National Award
The Porter House Hotel – Candalepas Associates
National Commendation
St George’s Performing Arts Centre – Kneeler Design Architects
Urban Design
The Walter Burley Griffin Award
Parramatta Aquatic Centre – Grimshaw and Andrew Burges Architects with McGregor Coxall

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National Award
Powerhouse Place – Public Realm Lab
National Commendation
Hope Street Housing – Officer Woods Architects and MDC Architects
International Architecture
The Jorn Utzon Award
The Embassy of Australia, Washington, DC – Bates Smart

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National Commendation
Acticity Centre for Dance and Movement-based Arts – Gall and Associates (Gall és Társai Építésziroda)
Small Project Architecture
The Nicholas Murcutt Award
North Head Viewing Platforms – Chrofi and Bangawarra with National Parks and Wildlife Service

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National Awards
Dwaarlindjirraap Suspension Bridge – Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects and ARUP
LESS – Pezo Von Ellrichshausen, Oculus and Molonglo
Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture
Spinifex Hill Project Space – Officer Woods Architects
Enduring Architecture
C House – Donovan Hill
National Emerging Architect Prize
Jennifer McMaster More

From appliances and surfaces to finishing touches, these pieces will ensure you find the perfect balance of form and function in your kitchen and bathroom.
Enova cooktop from Fulgor Milano
Enova is a minimalist induction cooktop with an eye-catching and intuitive control panel. Made by Italian brand Fulgor Milano and now available in Australia, Enova is an innovative and elegant glass cooktop with customisable finishes for the dashboard and dials. Visit website.
Corian solid surface

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This striking bathroom at La Casa Curvilínea by Dan Van Architects and Doherty Building Group showcases the versatility of Corian. A singular surface incorporates a curving benchtop and integrated washplane, ensuring a visually calm bathroom space. Photograph: Dave Kulesza. Visit website.
Santos vanity from Timberline

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The Santos vanity is an elegant, coastal-inspired piece from Timberline. With its curved ends, countertop basins and distinctive fluted profile, it offers a soft, sophisticated look – perfect for those in search of both aesthetics and practicality. Visit website.
Raster from Earp Bros

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Inspired by the Bauhaus, the Raster collection celebrates the visual appeal of simple, repeated geometric forms. Four tile profiles – grids and lines, small and large – in eight shades can be composed in ordered yet playful patterns. Contrasting grout accentuates the effect. Visit website.
Evaanna Handles

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Budapest-born designer Eva Anna Gulasci has turned her jeweller’s eye to the home, creating organic-shaped handles using traditional metalsmithing techniques. Her brand, Evaanna, produces brass hooks, knobs and handles that are as beautiful to look at as they are to hold. Visit website. More

From a pool of more than 40 shortlisted Australian projects, seven are among the winners and commendations from the first day of the World Architecture Festival and Inside World Festival of Interiors Awards.
Australian projects dominated the School category, with Darlington Public School by FJC Studio taking out top honours and St Patrick’s College: Scientia Building by BVN earning a high commendation.

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Elsewhere in the completed buildings awards, Nightingale Village by Architecture architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball and Kennedy Nolan won the Housing supported by GROHE category. Parramatta Aquatic Centre by Grimshaw and Andrew Burges Architects with McGregor Coxall won the top gong in the Sport category.
As to future projects, the Greenline Project Master Plan by ASPECT Studios, TCL and City of Melbourne won the Masterplanning category, while Minerva by Woods Bagot located was highly commended in the Leisure-led Development category.

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CSL Global Headquarters and Centre for Research and Development by Cox Architecture was the only Australian project that was successful in an interiors category on day one, earning the top accolade for Workplace (Large).
Day two will see another set of category winners revealed at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Category winners will then compete against one another on the final day of the festival, 8 November, for the titles of World Building of the Year, Future Project of the Year and Interior of the Year. More

A new survey collecting anonymous data on the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment and bullying in the Australian architecture and built environment sector has launched.
The Stop Harassment and Bullying Survey was announced by Parlour on 5 November. The survey objective is to discern the extent to which occurrences of bullying and sexual harassment may be prevalent within built environment professions, as well as the types of proactive and reactive support available. It is the first industry-wide scholarly survey to examine harassment and bullying among built environment professions in Australia.
The launch of the survey comes after the Positive Duty legislation was introduced into Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act in December 2022. Under the legislation, every employer is obliged to prevent workplace sexual harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation through proactive measures, rather than simply reactive actions.
Co-founder of Parlour Justine Clark stated that one incident of harassment or bullying was “one too many.” She added, “At the moment we have little data about the extent of the problem, but an increasing number of stories have been reported to Parlour over time, across many communication channels. These swell whenever there is a discussion of harassment or bullying on Parlour’s social media or editorial program.”
“Informal individual stories – while heard – are not enough to effect change and, understandably, few individuals are prepared to discuss these issues publicly. There is also plenty of evidence in other fields that those who make a complaint most often bear the cost. This is borne out by the experiences of those in the built environment professions who have spoken with us.”
Current or historical architectural and built environment professionals are eligible to take part in the survey, which comprises four sections: demographic questions; general enquiries about current prevalence of sexual harassment and bullying within the broader built environment profession; a section for sharing specific (current or historic) harrassment and bullying experiences, and lastly, questions concerning workplace and industry policies, procedures and the support available before and and after an event is reported.
“There is strong interest from key professional bodies to work together to develop industry-wide strategies to prevent sexual harassment and bullying and to support those experiencing it. This survey is an important start,” Clark said.
The anonymous survey will be conducted by both Parlour and Dr Gill Matthewson of Melbourne’s Monash University, with results to be collated and published.
The Stop Harassment and Bullying Survey will close on 22 November 2024. Visit here to access. More

The 2024 Eat Drink Design Awards were announced on 31 October in Melbourne, with the winning projects spanning a wide range of styles and types, from a tactile, otherworldly Brisbane restaurant to a delightfully playful gelato shop in Western Australia.
“This year’s winning designers are to be commended for their high level of craftsmanship, bold choices and attention to detail,” said the jury.
“The jury observed multiple venues where the designers transport guests to somewhere they’ve never been before, whether it is a slightly alien landscape or a new country. The jury delighted in the restaurants, bars and cafes that look far from the traditional and make a big impact,” said the jury.
Winners and commendations of the 2024 Eat Drink Design Awards were announced along with this year’s inductee into the Hall of Fame, an accolade that acknowledges enduring excellence in the design of a hospitality venue that is of more than ten years standing. Designed in the late 1970s, Berowra Waters Inn by Glenn Murcutt showcases his distinctive Australian vernacular style, with its corrugated tin roof, glass louvre windows and sandstone rubble set amongst the eucalypts. Read the story here.
The winners are:
Best Restaurant Design
Gerard’s – J.AR Office
Best Bar Design
Bar Besuto – Tom Mark Henry
Best Cafe Design
Top Tea, Clayton – Wall Architects
Best Hotel Design
The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne – BAR Studio
Best Retail Design
Chicho Gelateria and Production Lab – Bosske
Best Identity Design
Madeleine de Proust – Principle Design
Hall of Fame
Berowra Waters Inn – Glenn Murcutt
Commendations
See the 11 commended projects here.
The 2024 jury comprises Di Ritter (jury chair and former Eat Drink Design Awards winner), Greg Lamb (co-founder, Hogg and Lamb), Matiya Marovich (principal, Sans-Arc Studio), Pat Nourse (creative director, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival) and Rebecca Yazbek (co-founder, Nomad Group).
See the full gallery of winning and commended projects on the Eat Drink Design Awards website.
The Eat Drink Design Awards are organized by Architecture Media (publisher of ArchitectureAu). The 2024 awards’ principal partner is Laminex.
The Eat Drink Design Awards are endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Design Institute of Australia. More

The Sydney Olympic Park draft masterplan 2050 is now on exhibition for public comment, with the plan detailing a long-term vision for an area encompassing 650 hectares.
If approved, masterplan 2050 would supersede the previously approved masterplan 2030. A communique released by the NSW government stated that the new masterplan takes greater advantage of “opportunities created by new transport infrastructure,” including Sydney Metro West and the proposed second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail.
The draft masterplan 2050 proposes to deliver up to 13,000 homes with 5–10 percent dedicated to affordable housing, new school education facilities, new community sports, and leisure centres, a new cultural centre, a new library, retail amenities and a car-lite precinct.
According to the masterplan, “events will remain an integral aspect of Sydney Olympic Park’s identity,” however, this will be “bolstered by a range of land uses and diverse housing options.”
The draft plans envision Sydney Olympic Park as Sydney’s “beating green heart,” a place that is “energised with everyday life, is Country-first and nature-positive.” The proposed landscape design includes a network of green corridors connecting 430 hectares of recreational parkland, seven new public spaces, four new sports fields and hard-paved areas of public domain.
A substantial number of sites across the masterplanned area would be subject to architectural design competitions if the draft masterplan were granted approved.
SJB led the design of the draft masterplan 2050, in collaboration with Turf Design Studios (landscape architecture); Yerrabingin (Connecting with Country); SGS (economics and planning); Cred Consulting (social and community); Atelier 10 (sustainability); WSP (transport and movement) and Mark Gerada (artistic renders).
The Sydney Olympic Park Draft masterplan 2050 is on exhibition until 25 November. More

A century ago, on 7 November 1924, Victoria’s first large moving picture palace opened its doors with a spectacular launch. The years ensuing would see the opulent theatre draw thousands of spectators for silent film screenings. Throughout these years, the single-screen theatre has endured a volatile history, marked by threats of demolition, changes in ownership and periods of closure. Despite these challenges, the century-old theatre continues to stand as a significant landmark in Melbourne’s cultural and architectural landscape.The Capitol House, which comprises a tower and the Capitol Theatre, was designed by renowned architects Marion Mahoney Griffin and Walter Burley Griffin. The concept was highly progressive for its time as it accommodated mixed uses through the inclusion of a theatre and shops at ground level, along with a ten-storey office and residential tower above.

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The Capitol Theatre is regarded as one of the Griffins’ most impressive interior architecture projects, with the expressive auditorium ceiling the pièce de résistance. Designed with intricate crystalline geometry made from horsehair plaster, this elaborate ceiling conceals coloured lights that synchronise with orchestral and visual elements, introduced to create a richer sensory experience during the silent film screening era. The ceiling once had the capability to open, allowing cigarette smoke to filter out of the theatre, but this feature ceased operation in the 1960s.
A radical departure from the typical architectural styles of the era, the ceiling has often been described as being emblematic of the Chicago-Gothic style, while others suggest it may have been inspired by sacred Indian architecture, influenced by the Griffins’ trips to India.

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The upper foyers – including the former salon and smoking lounges – remain today as exceptional aspects of the building. Decorative columns and translucent square ceiling panels feature prominently within this space.
The ground-floor foyer was yet another grand feature; however, it was removed in the 1970s due to the operational costs of the theatre outweighing revenue.
The sacrifice of the lavish foyer was an unfortunate trade-off to prevent an even worse outcome: the complete demolition of the theatre, a proposition tabled by political leaders in 1964. The proposed razing ignited public outrage, as well as one of Melbourne’s earliest conservation campaigns, spearheaded by the Institute of Architects, the National Trust and esteemed architect Robin Boyd. The campaign led to a compromise – the theatre auditorium and upper foyers would be saved, but the grand foyer and theatre stalls would be converted into an arcade.
The removal of original stall seating decreased the theatre’s capacity from 2,137 to 574.

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The theatre has seen various ownerships over the years, but is currently owned by RMIT University. The institution acquired the theatre in April 1999 to accommodate large student lectures and conferences that it was previously unable to host. Outside of class hours, the venue was available for public event hire.

In 2014, the ninety-year-old structure had deteriorated and aged to the point where it was considered unfit for use, and was closed until 2017 when RMIT University appointed Six Degrees Architects to undertake the restoration and refurbishment of the theatre.
A significant concern was accessibility, as the lift on the arcade level only reached the first floor, leaving levels two to four inaccessible except via stairs. Furthermore, the theatre was almost invisible from the street due to the foyer being removed, which created a sense of the theatre being buried within the building instead of having a prominent street presence.
The project’s progress was entirely contingent on whether a lift could be inserted, as contemporary building codes necessitated universal access. Although Peter Malatt, co-director of Six Degrees, once remarked that locating an appropriate spot for the lift in the theatre was akin to “threading the eye of a needle,” the firm ultimately discovered a viable solution. This involved carving out concrete slabs — an especially challenging task within the building’s heritage fabric — to establish a hanging shaft, as the lift could not be anchored to the ground- and first-floor slabs due to their inability to withstand the load of the lift.
The refurbishment saw the installation of hundreds of LED bulbs in the auditorium’s sparkling ceiling, which previously featured only four coloured globes in red, yellow, blue and green. This enhancement has allowed for an almost infinite number of colour combinations and customisations. Additionally, the auditorium seats were replaced, the stage was extended and electrical cables were discreetly hidden behind decorative elements on the stage.
Elsewhere in the theatre, a small piece of original carpet was discovered and sent to India for reproduction. Once recreated, the carpet was laid throughout the building as a sentimental reminder of the theatre’s former condition.

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RMIT University Professor and associate deputy vice-chancellor of engagement in the College of Design and Social Context Martyn Hook elaborated that the 18-month refurbishment was quite extensive, as various sections of the building possess differing levels of heritage status.
The key achievements of the 2019 update is that the theatre now visually connects with the street, facilitated by appropriate glazing and illuminated signage on the first floor. Furthermore, internal accessibility has been improved, allowing ingress to all.

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Currently, the university is fundraising for the repair and return of the original Wurlitzer organ, allowing the cinema to once again screen films with synchronised ceiling lights and organ music. Hook noted that to have the organ and ceiling once again play together in harmony will be a “globally unique experience.” More

The federal government has released energy-efficient and climate-resilient home plans in a new Design For Place initiative on the Your Home website. Designed by an architect in collaboration with an energy assessor, the plans target up to a 40 percent reduction in energy required to heat and cool a typical new Australian home.
There are five house plans accompanied by sub-designs and specifications tailored for nine locations in different climate zones, including Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

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Each of the designs meets the new minimum 7-star NatHERS energy-efficiency requirement of the current 2022 National Construction Code. In calculating a home’s energy-efficiency, this rating also includes the annual energy consumed by its major or fixed appliances – including heating, cooling and hot water systems – offset by the energy provided by, and stored in, household solar batteries.
Assistant minister for climate change and energy Josh Wilson noted that many of the Design For Place houses in fact exceed this minimum, with ratings up to ten stars. “The cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use in the first place. Providing free, practical and thorough design examples through Design for Place is about making new homes cheaper to run and more comfortable at the same time.”
“A home built to the new Design For Place specifications will reduce household energy bills and put downward pressure on the cost-of-living, while reducing emissions,” Wilson said.
In their media communique, the federal government suggest that Australian households “work with a builder to construct a Design For Place home, or work with a designer or architect to refine the plan to meet their needs and preferences.”

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The free plans can be accessed from the Your Home website. More