Architecture

Development WA has lodged a development application for a $100 million, 29-storey, mixed-use building in Boorloo/Perth, comprising 219 build-to-rent dwellings.
A previous housing scheme, designed by Klopper and Davis Architects, was proposed for the 3,099-square-metre site at 195 Pier Street, in 2019. Although development approval for the build-to-sell project was granted that same year, the current application is for a build-to-rent development instead.
The new proposal, designed by Hassell and Plan E Landscape Architects, would see the supply of mixed housing options, including 30 percent available for social housing tenants selected from the state government’s social housing waitlist, 20 percent would be made available to affordable housing tenants, and the other 50 percent would operate as market rate build-to-rent dwellings. Ten of 219 residences would be dedicated to specialist disability accommodation.
The design team have adopted a “blind tenure model” in designing the apartments, meaning that every apartment has been designed to the same specifications and finishes. This design strategy abolishes overt physical differences between housing types, in a move that seeks to eliminate potential stigma against social housing tenants on low incomes.

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The building features a landscaped podium on level seven and an activated ground level. Image:

Hassell Architects and Plan E Landscape Architects

The building will feature a landscaped podium on level seven, containing several communal offerings, such as a shared kitchen, workshop, laundry and outdoor area. An activated ground floor has also been proposed with a commercial tenancy, a cafe and a co-working space.
Hassell’s design report states the facade of the building has been designed to reference the precinct’s connection to print media as Pier Street was once the home of the Government Print Hall, and the nearby Stirling Street is where many esteemed newspapers such as The West Australian, The Sunday Times and The Australian, were printed.
“The tower form conceptually represents the printed media output part of the process and is therefore inextricably linked to the podium. The narrower east and west elevations are conceived as book or newspaper covers, complete with spine and paragraphs of text that run up the entire height of the tower,” the design report states.
“The transition into the broader north and south elevations is reinforced by the guilded page edges, which are expressed as vertical gold fins that are dense at the corners and increasingly spaced apart towards the centre of the main elevations. The north and south elevations are therefore conceived as pages between the covers and reveal the lives and stories of residents.”
In November 2019, the Western Australian Planning Commission granted approval to subdivide the land into two lots, with the approval valid until 4 November 2024. If the current application is approved, plans state the development will occur in two stages. The initial stage will concentrate on the proposed build-to-rent development on the northern block, which covers an area of 1,841 square metres. The remaining 1,258 square metre southern block will be allocated for future development.
The development application is on public exhibition until 5 February 2024. A decision regarding the development is anticipated to be announced in March 2024. If approved, construction will commence in mid-2024, with the project expected to be complete in 2026. More

A development application for Australia’s only theatre dedicated to local playwriting has been submitted for assessment. Designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, the proposed new Griffin Theatre will “create a new, nationally significant hub for Australian storytelling in the heart of Sydney’s Kings Cross / Darlinghurst cultural precinct.” Established in 1979, the Griffin Theatre is the […] More

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is accepting tenders from architectural design teams for the development of a “unique and bold” design of a permanent hospitality venue. The brief is to create a hospitality establishment that is not only complementary to the architectural style and language of the existing building, but also reflects the […] More

Cox Architecture has designed the refurbishment of a 1970s office building that will become the new Sydney headquarters of technology company Canva.
Located 8–24 Kippax Street, near to Sydney’s Central Station and an emerging technology hub, the office building was the original home of Canva when it was founded in 2013. The company acquired the building in 2022.
The proposed redesign aims to retain as much of the existing nine-storey building as possible, with the addition of a new rooftop terrace.
“The proposed additions will offer a benchmark model in the re-use and rejuvenation of an existing tired commercial building,” said Cox Architecture in a development application submitted for the project.
The rooftop will include additional planting to contribute to City of Sydney’s vision for a greener Sydney, as well as a green roof integrated with solar panels. Arcadia is the landscape architect on the project.

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The project will retain as much as the existing building as possible. Image:

Cox Achitecture

The project also includes a community cafe/restaurant on Sophia Street, laneway upgrades, public art on the northern and eastern facades, and the removal of all car parking to be replaced with a gym, bike parking and end of trip facilities.
The design also proposes to relocate the existing building core to create a floor plan more suited to a single tenancy.
“We’re taking a “do more with less” philosophy to the overall design of this new campus by aiming to reuse the existing building as much as possible, and only rebuild where necessary to meet current standards or optimize sustainability,” said Canva in a statement. “We’re disconnecting gas, powering all energy usage with renewable electricity, and introducing a green roof to foster biodiversity and generate green energy.”
Canva is also collaborating with Indigenous design consultancy Yerrabingin on incorporating First Nations principles to inform the design of the space.
Designs have been submitted to the City of Sydney for assessment. If approved, the project is expected to be completed in 2026. More

The South Australian government has announced the former West End Brewery site in Thebarton, Adelaide, will be redeveloped into a $1-billion mixed-use sustainable community comprising more than 1,000 new homes.
Renewal SA purchased the land from brewing company, Lion, in September 2023. The government department has since initiated an open market tender process to secure the services of an urban design consultant who will be responsible for creating a master plan to transform the site.
Renewal SA’s early concept planning for the community envisions a combination of more than 1,000 homes, comprising a mix of worker apartments, build-to-rent housing, and privately owned medium-to-high density dwellings. Of the total residences, at least 20 percent will be allocated for affordable housing.
Improved connections to public transport services and the Adelaide Riverbank Park Lands, as well as the adaptive reuse of heritage buildings such as the Walkerville Brewery have also been proposed. The proposal will also feature landscaped public open spaces, driven by best practice in sustainability standards, including water and biodiversity-sensitive urban design.
The appointed consultant will be responsible for determining the final land use and configuration of the 8.4-hectare site, in dialogue with the community and stakeholders. Additionally, the consultant will be required to coordinate the input of sub-consultants engaged for the project, including planners, civil engineers, services engineers, cultural heritage advisors, quantity surveyors, and sustainability and heritage advisors.
Renewal SA executive director property and projects, Todd Perry, said the tender was an invitation for the sector to take part in a project that goes beyond construction – one that will help shape the city. “The former West End Brewery site is an unparalleled opportunity, it is a project of immense significance so we are seeking an urban design partner with global thinking and best-in-class capabilities to deliver a vision and a master plan that will benefit generations of South Australians.”
To be appointed as the successful design consortium, the team must include a consultant from South Australia that can provide a comprehensive understanding of the distinct characteristics of the state and its communities.
Renewal SA will be seeking delivery of the master plan by June 2024, enabling construction to begin on schedule in 2025. Tender submissions can be made until 30 January 2024. To find out more visit tenders.sa.gov.au More

The New South Wales government has revealed it will reinstate the North Sydney MLC building on the state heritage register after years of back and forth deliberations.
The building was originally designed in 1956 by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon. Upon its completion, it was Australia’s first large-scale commercial office development, the first free-standing office building, and the first example of a deliberately decorative curtain wall. In 2021, the building was the recipient of the Award for Enduring Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Chapter awards.

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In 2021, the building, designed in 1956 by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon, was the recipient of the Award for Enduring Architecture at the Australian Institute of Architects’ NSW Chapter awards. Image: Supplied

The high-rise has been at the centre of a heated conflict between those who want to see it bulldozed and those who want to preserve it for historical significance. The battle to save the structure has been long-drawn-out, tumultuous and full of twists and turns. Numerous proposals have been submitted by property developer Investa Property Group to have the building demolished and replaced with a new high-rise commercial structure, also designed by Bates Smart.

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Proposed North Sydney tower designed by Bates Smart. Image:

Bates Smart

When demolition was first proposed in 2020, the property was only listed on the local heritage register. A petition to save the tower from being razed ensued, which ultimately resulted in demolition being denied and the building being added to the state heritage register. Then, in 2022, the dispute was reignited when the state heritage listing was overturned and Investa Property Group submitted a new development application, which the NSW Land and Environment Court rejected in May 2023 – again sparing the building from the wrecking ball.
In the latest chapter of the saga, the NSW Environment and Heritage Minister, Penny Sharpe, announced, in December 2023, that the 14-storey tower would be replaced back on the state’s heritage register. But, according to Docomomo, the battle may not be over yet. The new Victoria Cross Metro Station is situated adjacent to the MLC building, and the NSW government intends to rezone land within 1.2 kilometres of metro stations to increase housing supply, which would effectively switch off heritage provisions within the area.
In September 2023, the proponents submitted a proposal to convert the building into 340 build-to-rent apartments. More

Project entries are now able to be submitted for the 2024 Houses Awards, a residential architecture awards program that celebrates and rewards the creation and understanding of not just beautiful spaces, but functional and liveable Australian homes. Awards categories include: Australian House of the Year; New House under 200 m²; New House over 200 m²; […] More

Carlo Ratti, an esteemed architect, engineer, and academic, has been appointed by La Biennale di Venezia to curate Venice’s International Architecture Exhibition in 2025.
Architects and designers from across the globe will convene once again in Venice, Italy, for the 19th edition of the distinguished architecture event, which is set to take place between 24 May and 23 November, with a pre-opening preview scheduled for 22 May and 23 May.
Ratti has co-written more than 750 publications and is now considered as one of the top ten most-cited urban planning scholars in the world. A presenter for TED Talks, he regularly publishes opinion pieces in international media publications, including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, Project Syndicate, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, and El Pais.
He presently holds professorial teaching positions at two educational institutions: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Politecnico di Milano. He is the director of the Senseable City Lab, a research initiative at MIT, which explores and anticipates the rapid transformation of the urban environment. Ratti is also the founder of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, an architecture firm, with offices established in Torino, New York City, and London. He also serves as co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization.
Ratti’s curatorial experience is also extensive and wide-ranging. He was assigned the role of program director at the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow, he curated the BMW Guggenheim Pavilion in Berlin, and took on the role of curator at the Future Food District pavilion at Expo 2015 Milan. He was the chief curator of the 8th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen (UABB) in 2019, a co-curator of the second Porto Design Biennale in 2021, and the creative mediator responsible for the award-winning Urban Vision at the European Nomadic Biennale Manifesta 14 Prishtina in 2022.
Ratti’s own designs have been exhibited at eminent galleries and museums around the world, including New York City’s MoMA The Museum of Modern Art, the Venice Architecture Biennale (International Architecture Exhibition), the Design Museum in Barcelona, the Science Museum in London, MAXXI in Rome. Three of Ratti’s projects – the Digital Water Pavilion, the Copenhagen Wheel, and Scribit – have been named in Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of the Year list.
On being appointed curator of the Venice Architecture Biennale, Ratti said, “We architects like to think we are smart, but real intelligence is everywhere. The disembodied ingenuity of evolution, the growing power of computers, and the collective wisdom of the crowd. To face a burning world, architecture must harness all the intelligence around us. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to curate the Biennale Architettura 2025.”
The 2023 Biennale was curated by Ghanaian-Scottish architect and novelist Lesley Lokko. More