Architecture

The Australian Government Department of Social Services has terminated the competition-winning design for the National Memorial for Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse in Canberra by architects Jessica Spresser and Peter Besley, citing “complex construction challenges.”
Spresser and Besley said they were “blind sighted” by the decision to axe their design, after being informed by a journalist for The Australian in early February 2024.
The article had uncovered that the project had been secretly terminated in November 2023.
“We’re a little bit bewildered by what happened,” Besley said. “It just got axed in silence. We were just not expecting it to be honest.”
Besley and Spresser stressed that they had enjoyed a good working relationship with the government project team, but, in the months leading up to the revelation, they had stopped receiving responses to their repeated inquiries on project updates.
Since the publication of The Australian article, the Department of Social Services (DSS) has updated its website and outlined the reasons for the termination.
Spresser and Besley’s winning concept, “Transparency and Truth”, proposed a series of catenary arches to be made from glass blocks with a meandering path encircling a meadow of perennial grasses and wildflowers.

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‘Transparency and Truth,’ the winning design for the National Memorial for Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse by Jessica Spresser and Peter Besley. Image:

Courtesy National Capital Authority

The DSS website states that in 2022­–23, “The design concept underwent technical assessments, which revealed complex construction challenges. The department worked with the National Capital Authority, in consultation with Mr [Peter] McClellan [former chair of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse] and the advisory group to attempt to resolve this. It was agreed the design challenges were too complex to resolve.”
“Assessments of the selected design concept […] identified complex technical challenges due to the unique and innovative use of glass in the design,” DSS states.
“The department and the National Capital Authority worked closely to explore options to resolve the design challenges and engaged with the National Memorial Advisory Group on these options. This consultation determined the selected design had unacceptable technical risks and a protracted timeframe.
“In addition, the assessment was unable to determine whether the design would have long-term durability in Canberra’s climate.”
Besley and Spresser disagree with the assessment. “We had produced a detailed, proof-of-concept report,” Spresser said. “We were working with a structural and a facade engineer, and a lighting designer at the time, who have contributed to this report and delivered quite a technical set of documents, and cost analysis of the glass, and recommended within the report that the project go ahead.”
Spresser and Besley said their winning scheme had built in flexibility so that the number of catenary arches could vary in order to meet the budget.
“We had 49 paired arches, which is a lot. We made it very clear that we were not wedded to that number – we would have halved or cut it by two-thirds. We would have redone the site plan, reorientated it, redistributed those arches, and it would have reduced the cost massively, but we never went through that process,” Besley said.
“The timeframe is massively affected by the extent of work. If we were doing half or one-third the number of catenary arches, then clearly the effect on the program would be enormous.
“Let’s say it went down to 15 or 20 arches, it still would have been great. We’re really disappointed that we went to the effort of embedding that into the design and then no one reached for the lever to pull it.”
As to the long-term durability of the glass blocks, Spresser and Besley said they had already consulted with a manufacturer who supplies glass blocks to the world market.
“We were pretty confident about the glass that we got because it’s already used in the building industry. It’s not like it had to come from a glass manufacturer that we were adapting for construction,” Besley said. “[The manufacturer] were just going to make a new mould for us.”
The architects say they were never given the opportunity to review or respond to the government’s assessment of their scheme.
“We think it was pre-emptively cut,” Besley said. “What should have happened is we should have sat with them around a table with their concerns, and as designers have the opportunity to vary the works, which was part of our competition pitch. The cost and the time issues could have been solved very quickly.”
Spresser added, “Our feeling is it got axed because they felt like it was just too complicated, but I think that’s completely untrue in reality, it’s just that bespoke construction is complicated.”
DSS will soon begin a new two-stage design selection process that will require applicants to “have the required skills and experience to design and deliver a memorial” in stage one. “And in stage two shortlisted applicants will provide a detailed design submission that will be independently assessed for compliance (buildability, durability, timeframe, cost) by professionals, prior to final selection by a panel.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2025 with completion anticipated in 2026. More

A design competition is calling on architecture students and graduates to envision a safe and welcoming maternity centre in southern Senegal, Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Kaira Looro 2024 Architectural Competition has been launched to address the life-threatening health complications that pregnant women in Senegal and the wider region are prone to experiencing. The competition brief states that “every year, [in Sub-Saharan Africa] more than 200,000 women lose their lives due to a lack of basic care” subsequently “resulting in more than 1 million orphans each year.”
“In Africa, one in 16 women risks dying giving birth to a new life, while in other parts of the world, thanks to prenatal care and specialised assistance during childbirth, this risk affects one in 35,000 women,” the brief reveals. “This issue is often the result of complications that could be prevented or treated with access to basic medical care.”
The competition objective is to generate a design for a humanitarian-operated facility that provides health services to pregnant women. The jury will be seeking a scheme that is innovative, comfortable, emblematic, professional, promotes sanitary conditions and emanates a feeling of safety among women.
The structure or structures must be able to be self-constructed by local community members, without the requirement for qualified tradespeople, construction companies or heavy vehicles. A sustainable architecture model must be adopted and the scheme must incorporate local materials. The design will be required to accommodate a reception area and waiting room, an operating area for caesarean sections, a reserved area for healthcare personnel, a neonatal observation area, a medical examination and consultation area and a labour and delivery area.
The international jury comprises Kengo Kuma of Kengo Kuma and Associates, Benedetta Tagliabue of EMBT Architects, Mario Cucinella of Mario Cucinella, Agostino Ghiradelli of SBGA – Blengini Ghirardelli, Tosin Oshinowo of Oshinowo Studio, Urko Sanchez of Urko Sanchez Architects, Raul Pantaleo of TAM Associati, Emmanuelle Moureaux of Emmanuelle Moureaux Architecture, Driss Kettani, Saad El Kabbaj and Mohamed Amine Siana.
Competition winners will be rewarded cash prizes and internships. First prize winners will receive €5,000 and an internship with Kengo Kuma and Associates in Japan; second prize winners will receive €2,000 and an internship with EMBT Architects in Spain; third prize recipients will be presented with €1,000 and an internship with SBGA – Blengini Ghirardelli in Italy.
Registrations close on 14 May 2024 and the submission deadline is 11 June. The jury will evaluate the submission until 29 June, with winners expected to be announced on 9 July.
The competition is run by an independent not-for-profit organization Balouo Salo and is aimed primarily at students, young architects, designers and engineers. Awarded designs will be donated to the organization and may be used to construct a charitable project.
To find out more, visit the Kaira Looro competition website. More

The New South Wales Productivity Commission has thrown its weight behind affordable, higher density housing in inner-Sydney suburbs, after it identified a mass exodus of younger residents due to high housing costs.
A new paper published by the commission, “What we gain by building more homes in the right places,” found that 70,000 people aged between 30 and 40 left Sydney in the period between 2016 and 2021, and only gained 35,000 people.
The report blames restrictive planning and heritage rules in the inner city “are freezing young people out.”
“45,000 extra dwellings could have been built between 2017 and 2022, with no extra land, by allowing higher buildings,” said productivity commissioner, Peter Achterstraat.
“High housing costs work like a regressive tax, with the burden falling disproportionately on low-income earners.
“New apartments and townhouses in inner suburbs will let young families live near their parents and their children’s grandparents. The social benefits of abundant well-located homes are major.”
The report found that large swathes of inner city Sydney, including North Sydney Newtown, Edgecliff and Redfern are covered by Heritage Conservation Areas, which reduces the amount of land available for new housing near the city.
Achterstraat urged planning authorities to rein in NIMBYism and considered the long-term benefits of density near the city.
“We know from overseas that density done well provides benefits for households, communities, and the economy,” Achterstraat said.
“The key to progress from here is to listen to the opponents to change but also give due weight to the benefits of density and the views of the broader community.”
“High housing costs work like a regressive tax, with the burden falling disproportionately on low-income earners,” he continued. “Sydney is losing its 30–40-year-olds; if we don’t act, we could become known as the city with no grandchildren.”
Read the full report here. More

The ACT government has initiated a six-week consultation period to collate input on how to transform Canberra’s City Hill park – dubbed the “roundabout rabbit warren” – into a more inviting public space. The five-hectare landscaped hill, known as City Hill, was a key component of Marion Mahony and Walter Burley Griffin’s design for Canberra […] More

The establishment of a 71-storey, mixed-use building has been proposed in Brisbane, following the filing of a development application with Brisbane City Council.
The proposed building would be erected at 25 Mary Street and bordered by Margaret Street. The site previously obtained development approval for a 46-storey office tower, designed by BVN. Reworked plans by Koichi Takada Architects have led to a 25-storey height increase, a greater setback distance, modifications to the building’s form and a change in use from commercial to mixed-use, predominantly residential.
“The design draws inspiration from nature – the height of the proposal naturally invokes the impression of a tree trunk extending up into the sky, with the recreation levels as ‘nests’ that are inserted vertically throughout the height of the building,” said the architects in a design statement. “The materiality of the building seeks to emphasize this connection by making use of warm timber tones to the slab soffits.”
If constructed, the building would comprise one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, wellness amenities such as a gym, yoga rooms, basketball court and sauna, barbeque area, a lobby, and retail tenancy.
The tower features elevated urban parks that are visible from the street. These curved recreational areas have greenery spilling out from within and cascading down the building’s facade, breaking up and softening the hard, robust appearance of a conventional tower.

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A “timber waterfall” feature reveals itself on the podium, with greenery cascading down. Image:

Koichi Takada Architects

The building stands on a podium and is set back from the surrounding structures up to the 42nd level, as beyond this point, the skyline remains relatively unobstructed. The building is shaded on every floor with slab projections that provide protection from harsh weather.
Planning documents state the podium design “references the horizontality of the tower above at a more fine-grained scale.” A “timber waterfall” feature reveals itself on the podium, with greenery once again cascading down. Green walls are located on both sides of the podium to “soften the edges of the building.”
A retail tenancy on the ground level provides street-level activation. The lobby, also located on the ground floor, is a double height volume with a glazed entrance, creating “the opportunity for passive surveillance of the street,” plans state.

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Elevated urban parks are visible from the street. Image:

Koichi Takada Architects

The design team has integrated passive design strategies to maximize the flow of breeze and optimize natural light within the building through the incorporation of balconies, a primarily glazed facade, postioning of windows and the curved profile of the urban parks, which provide wind breaks for wind to pass through the tower rather than flowing straight up or down the building.
The tower has been design in accordance with Brisbane City Council’s Buildings that Breathe design guide. The upper level provides occupants with the ability to adjust and control ventilation intensity on their balconies through “highly engineered” ledge detail. These “breathable” balconies are sheltered and have been inspired by verandahs typically associated with traditional Queenslander houses. Natural ventilation slots have also been integrated into every floor, with wind sensors providing control over operation.
A synagogue that currently exists on the site would be retained.
Planning documents can be viewed on the Brisbane City Council development portal. More

Construction will soon be underway on the fit out of the Cutaway at Barangaroo in central Sydney.
The project, designed by FJC Studio, will create a new cultural facility over three levels and a new facade adjacent to Nawi Cove.
The Cutaway is located at the south end of Barangaroo Reserve, and has been a large concrete shell, partially open to the elements, since it first opened in 2015.
It had always been intended that it would be fit out to improve function, operations and visitor experience and reduce the noise impacts on neighbours.
In August 2022, FJMT (now FJC Studio) was appointed project architect for the fit out.

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Wound and healing are central to the design concept for the fitout for the Cutaway at Barangaroo by FJC Studio. Image:

FJC Studio

The project will enclose the open ceiling void with sound-proof glass skylights, create new event and gallery spaces, a dedicated First Nations education centre, an improved entry, as well as offices, on site amenities and back-of-house facilities, including a commercial kitchen.
FJC’s design is inspired by the concept of wound and healing – the wound being the damaging cut made in the headland to create a dock for container ships on the site in the 1970s, which has since been transformed into Barangaroo. The architects worked with a number of Aboriginal designers, including Dharawal Knowledge Keeper Shannon Foster; Bangawarra head of design Jake Nash, master of architecture graduate Matte McConnell (Wiradjuri), and Juliette Guadalupe-Foster (Guanani, Dharawal, Dharug, Gadi, Eora, Worimi), who participated in conversations with the Elders.
The design embraces the Aboriginal culture that was erased from the site, through a series of elements that will soften the harsh concrete shell.

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The improved entry to the Cutaway at Barangaroo by FJC Studio. Image:

FJC Studio

A Gibbagunya (stone cave shelter) will create a protective form within the space; Damun (Angophora and Fig tree-like structures) will rise from the rocky base; and Gunya (tree branches) will create protective canopies over the space and a focal point for gatherings. Patterns and markings on the Gunya will also reflect the skeletons of fish, a sign of Dharawal Salt Water ceremonies.
The Damun will also reach high above the Cutaway to mark the entrance to the space.
The development application for the project was approved in December 2023. FDC Construction has since been awarded the contract for the fit out. The works are expected to be complete in 2025. More

The Hawthorn Hawks Australian Football League (AFL) team will soon flock to a new home ground, with construction now underway at Kennedy Community Centre in south-east Melbourne’s Dingley Village.
Named in honour of Hawthorn icon, John Kennedy, the centre, designed by Peddle Thorp Architects, will house facilities for both the mens and womens teams. The new facility will serve as a permanent home base for Hawthorn, who have played majority of their home matches in Frankston with additional games in Box Hill and Cairns.

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The new facility will serve as a permanent home base for Hawthorn, who have played majority of their home matches in Frankston with additional games in Box Hill and Cairns. Image:

Peddle Thorp Architects

The 28-hectare site will comprise a AFLW home ground oval with a dedicated match day pavilion with a 500-seat grandstand, team change rooms, umpire change rooms, media facilities, coaches’ boxes and a function space. The centre will also include the Harris Elite Training and Administration Facility for all Hawthorn players, as well as an additional MCG-sized oval, a gymnasium, an indoor training facility and wet and dry recovery facilities.
The Kennedy Community Centre will not just be for present players, but for past players, members, fans and local community members. Hawthorn Football Club president, Andy Gowers, said the new sporting facility would “not only safeguard our football club’s future, but also create a long-term home for the entire Hawthorn family and local community.”

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The Kennedy Community Centre will not just be for current players, but for past players, members, fans and local community members. Image:

Peddle Thorp Architects

Hawthorn will be the only club in the league to own its own facility and the land on which it is situated.
The project was allocated $30 million by the Victorian and federal governments, with additional funding received by Hawthorn Football Club, Kingston City Council and the Australian Football League.
With construction now in progress, the project is expected to be completed in 2025. More

The Western Australian government has announced it will develop a new Urban Green Strategy for Perth and Peel to enhance greening and cooling of backyards, streets, open spaces and neighbourhoods.
The proposed strategy will complement the Western Australian Climate Policy and Climate Adaptation Strategy, as well as a $3.75 million urban greening grants program for local governments in the Perth and Peel areas.
“There are many benefits of green spaces for liveability, health, biodiversity, and climate resilience, and we are creating a strategy that will encourage, facilitate and enhance our urban green environment across all areas of government,” said environment and climate action minister Reece Whitby.
“Not only do trees improve our neighbourhoods, they can help with the cost of living – a tree that provides shade to your home can help to reduce your electricity bills.”
The strategy will explore elements such as measuring and reporting on tree canopy coverage, education and awareness, identifying and mitigating urban heat, and green linkages.
The strategy will also build upon existing policies to incentivize tree retention in the Design WA guidelines and the newly reintroduced medium density code.
The state government will work with local governments and other stakeholders to create urban greening projects.
“Urban greening is part of our strategy to create liveable, healthy communities while attracting viable infill development that balances the need for housing with quality of life and amenity,” said WA planning minister John Carey.
“We understand the impacts of climate change and the importance of green neighbourhoods, however, our ‘Urban Greening Strategy’ must be implemented without compromising the critical delivery of new housing supply that we desperately need.
“The strategy will focus on an incentive-based approach, rather than a punitive approach.”
The state government is inviting community input on the strategy until 7 June 2024. More