Architecture

The National Gallery of Australia in Kamberri/Canberra has announced that five design consortia have been shortlisted in its National Sculpture Garden Design Competition, with each team now progressing to the competition’s final stage. The five shortlisted teams are: CO-AP (NSW): comprising First Nations consultant Bradley Mapiva Brown (Bagariin Ngunnawal Cultural Consulting), landscape architect Johnny Ellice-Flint […] More

Kaolin Porcelain Surfaces and award-winning Australian designer Greg Natale have launched a collaborative collection called Dimora, featuring three new tile ranges – Villa, Grotta and Casa. The Villa collection features four brass and black coloured geometric designs each of which are applied to porcelain marble-look slabs in Calacatta Viola, Nero Antico, Rosa Levanto and Pink […] More

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City in the United States will soon launch an international architectural competition for the design of the museum’s expansion.
The museum’s collection comprises more than 42,000 art objects, including paintings, photography and sculptures from Asia, North America, Europe and Africa, as well as objects produced by Indigenous Native Americans. The museum also houses a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center.
Evelyn Craft Belger, chair of the museum’s board of trustees, said the competition follows several studies undertaken at the museum by Cooper Robertson, an urban design firm.
“We have spent several years weighing both the needs of the museum and the community and have given careful consideration to a number of studies performed,” Belger said. “Having explored several scenarios, the board wholeheartedly embraces the idea of an architectural competition.”
The museum’s strategic plan emphasises art as its central mission, supported by care for occupants of the museum, a commitment to community, and responsible and ethical actions that will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Nelson-Atkins.
Julián Zugazagoitia, director and CEO of the Nelson-Atkins Museum, said the competition will suit designers who appreciate art and culture, and who have a passion for cultural initiatives.
“At the second stage of the competition, we will be looking for designs that inspire community engagement and attract new audiences through exemplary design that will best position the Nelson-Atkins to serve guests for generations to come.”
Malcolm Reading Consultants (MRC) has been appointed to oversee the competition. The consultancy was also recently engaged to manage the Powerhouse Parramatta Sydney competition.
The competition is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2024. Check the MRC website for updates. More

Simultaneously familiar and exceptional, this collection of bathroom products elevates everyday rituals. Vola tapware Vola tapware Image: Supplied Since introducing coloured tapware in 1970, Vola now has tapware available in 28 colours. Along with its commitment to colour, Vola is committed to longevity. Replacement parts are available for every product the company has ever made. […] More

Hare and Klein founder Meryl Hare has been recognised in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours list with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her exceptional contributions to interior design. Hare, who founded interior design firm Hare and Klein in 1989, said she was shocked by the news. “I was in Darjeeling when […] More

It is so exciting to be back at the desk after a year away and to catch up on what I missed in the design and architecture world. What’s more exciting is a new project we are about to launch here at Architecture Media. For more than 20 years, Artichoke magazine has been a beacon […] More

The Architectus-designed Health and Medical Research Building (HMRB) at Flinders University in Adelaide is set to welcome students on campus, with the facility’s construction now complete.
Co-located with Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders Private Hospital on Flinders University’s Bedford Park campus, the $280-million HMRB will serve as a combined research, education and clinical expertise facility. The three co-located buildings all form part of a wider medical hub called Flinders Village.
The 22,000-square-metre HMRB accommodates wet and dry research laboratories, workspaces, seminar rooms and amenities. The design embodies principles and strategies for improving health and wellness. Personalised messages that encourage wellbeing and collaboration are inscribed on the internal staircase handrails, while floor-to-ceiling windows draw in natural light and establish visual connections to the outdoors.

View gallery

An internal staircase anchors the design as part of the wayfinding strategy. Image:

Shannon McGrath

Architectus principal and project principal Andrew Schunke said they conceived the building as a machine and a tool for research. “Beyond that, we wanted to design a building that spoke to the university’s legacy steeped in a commitment to advancing science and research, and reflecting Flinders’ core values of courage, integrity, innovation, and excellence,” Schunke said.
“We envisioned the HMRB as a connective environment, a vessel for creative ideas and collaboration. Anchored in place and nature, the building and public spaces are designed to facilitate opportunities for the diverse cohort of scientists, researchers and academics to learn from each other and work together – casting a spotlight on human-centred outcomes.”
Consultation with the Cultural Narrative and Indigenous Art Advisory Panel, including Uncle Lewis Yarlupurka O’Brien, explored local Indigenous narratives, including Rainbow Country, and identified important Kaurna landmarks, such as Patawalonga, Tjilbruke Springs, Mount Lofty and Mount Bonython. These narratives and cultural landmarks were represented through the building’s form, visual connections and colour palette. Each level’s interior is distinguished by a different colour scheme, symbolising the multicoloured sands of Rainbow Yarta (Country). The blades on the facade follow the building’s contours, guiding occupants’ eyes toward those distant Kaurna landmarks.

View gallery

Each level’s interior is distinguished by a different colour scheme, symbolising the multicoloured sands of Rainbow Yarta (Country). Image:

Shannon McGrath

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the opening. “I’m incredibly excited to see history being made at the HMRB – whether it’s better understanding neural pathways to control chronic pain, unravelling the secrets in our DNA to address debilitating genetic conditions, supporting the health of mothers and babies – there are endless possibilities to what the 600 researchers here will be able to achieve,” said Albanese.
Colin Stirling, Vice-chancellor at Flinders University, added, “Flinders is redefining healthcare. This … facility will drive collaboration and empower our researchers and students to push the boundaries of medical innovation.” More

The proposal to establish Ngurra, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural precinct, on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Kamberri/Canberra has been shelved, despite a design competition for the site having been won.
The federal government has confirmed that the precinct, initially slated for construction between the Old Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial, will instead be built at the Acton Peninsula.
The earlier precinct proposal featured a new location for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) building, along with a centre for knowledge and culture, and a national resting place for repatriated ancestral remains. The new plans would see the National Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Centre and the National Resting Place still built, but with the current AIATSIS building (named Maraga) to be renovated and expanded instead.

View gallery

Winning Ngurra concept design, Kamberri/Canberra, designed by Djinjama and COLA Studio, and Hassell and Edition Office in collaboration. Image: Hassell

Djinjama and COLA Studio, and Hassell and Edition Office in collaboration won a 2022 design competition for the previous site. Stage one of the design competition was launched on 4 March 2022, with a total of 25 responses received from across the country. The winning consortium was selected over three shortlisted teams, including BVN Architecture with Greenaway Architects and Nguluway DesignInc as Blak Hand Collective; Denton Corker Marshall with Yhonnie Scarce and Kat Rodwell; and Peter Stutchbury Architecture with Allen Jack and Cottier Architects.
Neither this successful concept or any of the shortlisted designs will be carried over to the new site, necessitating the recommencement of a new design process.
The winning scheme depicted the National Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Centre taking shape as a large, organic canopy elevated above a central plaza and supported by timber columns. In contrast to the strong visual presence and obvious discernability of the centre, the National Resting Place was more discreet, embedded within the rolling hills. The jury said the winning concept was “bold, yet elegant” in its integration with the landscape, further applauding the design team’s “commitment to rehabilitation of the site as a statement about the environment and First Nations connection to Country.”

View gallery

A team comprising Peter Stutchbury Architecture with Allen Jack and Cottier Architects was shortlisted in the design competition for the previous site. Image:

Peter Stutchbury Architecture with Allen Jack and Cottier Architects

A spokesperson for the Ngurra Project Team said a new design process will be undertaken shortly, where there will be opportunities for all four shortlisted design teams to submit interest in progressing a design concept.
The next phase of the project is yet to be disclosed.
A collection of the finalist’s renders can be found in the gallery. More