Architecture

A 14-metre-tall inflatable ball has been newly unveiled in the garden of the National Gallery of Victoria.
Designed by Nic Brunsdon and Eness, This is air, is the 2023 edition of the NGV’s annual architecture commission, which challenges architect-led teams to create a site-specific temporary installation.
The design competition for the 2023 commission asked entrants to consider the themes of the NGV Triennial: Magic, Matter and Memory.
Brunsdon’s winning entry responds conceptually to “matter” by capturing one of the most universal and primal elements on Earth: air.

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2023 NGV Architecture Commission, This is air, by Nic Brunsdon and Eness. Image:

Benjamin Hosking

The installation uses air as a building material and gives form to the invisible.
“Air is a universal common link that is [among] the defining features of life,” Brunsdon said. “The air we breathe, this thing that connects us. It can give us life, but it can also harm us.”
Conceived at the tail-end of a pandemic respiratory virus, the concept is, in part, a distillation of the collective anxiety about invisible dangers in the air.
“In a very broad sense, it was trying to find something [that] spoke of the human condition and made the invisible visible,” Brunsdon said.
The installation comprises an inner sphere and an outer sphere made from recycled PVC and a water ballast to keep it in place. Brunsdon explained it as three states. A fully inflated “hold” state, an exhalation state, and an inhalation state.
“It’s a machine for representing what is currently in place. Capturing, holding and redistributing the air in that place at that time,” he said.

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2023 NGV Architecture Commission, This is air, by Nic Brunsdon and Eness. Image:

Benjamin Hosking

The sphere also references the proposed The Fox: NGV Contemporary designed by a team led by Angelo Candalepas and Associates. “The size is comparable to the giant oculus that’s being carved into the main hall.”
Ewan McEoin, senior curator of contemporary art, design and architecture at NGV, said, “Air can be understood as part of our global economic, social and ecological realities. And yet, the quality of air we breathe varies depending on where and how we live. Air is universal, yet clean air is not.”
“This magnificent public artwork will, quite literally, breathe life and creativity into the NGV Garden and will delight and inspire people of all ages,” said Colin Brooks, Victorian minister for creative industries.
This is air will be on display at NGV International until June 2024. More

The proposed demolition of North Melbourne’s RMIT Village, a 12-storey student housing complex constructed just five years ago, has been recommended for approval, with plans for a new 19-storey student accommodation building to be constructed on the site instead.
On Tuesday 21 November, the City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Committee voted in favour of the $264 million knockdown and rebuild of 5-17 Flemington Road. However, councillors expressed reservation about the environmental impacts of “disposable” buildings.
The existing mock-Tudor-style building on site was retrofitted with the addition of upper levels in 2018. The application to demolish and rebuild on the site was submitted by Urban Planning Collective (UPCo) on behalf of the site’s owner Centurion Australia Investments in 2022, which went before the Melbourne Design Review Panel in March 2023 and was subsequently amended in August 2023 to ensure the building envelope no longer cast a shadow on the nearby Bedford Street Reserve and responded better to the surrounding context.
Architectus and Metier 3 have been appointed the design of the project with the amended development application proposing student housing in a 19 storey building facing Bedford Street (stage one) and build-to-rent apartments across two buildings of 19 to 22 storeys facing Flemington Road and Blackwood Street (stage two), as well as retail offerings, a medical centre and a through block link.
Andrea Zohar presented at the meeting on behalf of the permit applicant. “The site is currently looking pretty tired, grossly underutilized with a commercial carpark and dated student housing at a time when many international students are returning to Melbourne,” Zohar said.
“The proposal seeks to introduce a diversity of housing with purpose built student accommodation and a build-to-rent apartment scheme. The site offers an excellent location to public transport, including the new Arden Railway Station. It’s close to the CBD and many tertiary institutions. The housing offered in this project will contribute to the Victorian Government’s Housing Statement, recently released. Everything here supports a redevelopment opportunity in a strategic sense.
“The project also offers a net community benefit in its contribution to the immediate public realm by way of a 24/7 available through block link. This link will open up a currently uninviting laneway environment, activate it with passive surveillance and foot traffic.”
When questioned by Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece about whether alternatives for retrofitting or adaptive reuse had been taken into consideration, Zohar responded saying “all aspects of the redevelopment scheme for the site were considered,” and added that the “site was not fully redeveloped for the student housing that short while ago. It was retrofitted… it is not a newly built student accommodation that is being removed.”
Reece said while the project is compliant with planning codes and offers positive contributions to the area, demolishing a building in its infancy is a cause for concern.
“There is one aspect, which I do think is concerning and it does go to the demolition of what is a quite recently constructed new built form. In the midst of a climate emergency, in the midst of Australia stepping up its efforts to cut emissions, we are being asked to approve the demolition of a large 12-storey building that was constructed only five years ago. Yes, that construction did involve a new built form on top of the old tudor-style hotel, so there was some adaptive reuse there, but it’s still a very large 12-storey structure, which we’re now being asked, only five years later, to approve the demolition of,” he said.
“The truth is we cannot let Melbourne become a city of disposable buildings, a city where new buildings are built on the cheap to be knocked down every twenty years or so. We’ll end up with a throwaway city of junk buildings as well as the unacceptable environmental cost that comes with that.”
Despite his concerns regarding the “wastefulness” of the demolition, Reece said the project would see a low-grade building being replaced by a better quality built form with positive social benefits.
“As a result of going through the design review process we’ve seen improved architectural design of the development. I think there’s much improved solid architectural language in the design that is more fine grain detail, which is much more in keeping with the urban context of North Melbourne. The new through block link, I think that’s a really positive aspect of this development. There is a lot of people who are going to be living in this area… creating things like new through block links to allow more permeability through this area, greater pedestrian flow is a really positive thing,” he said.
“A low-grade building is being replaced with a much better one that has gone through a Melbourne Design Review Panel Process and the new building is not only better from an architectural perspective, it will also stand for many decades to come. We hope and expect. So, with those reservations outed, the proposed building does meet the planning controls and so the correct decision for us this evening is that a permit should be issued but please let the word go forth that the era of disposable buildings in Melbourne is well and truly over.”
City of Melbourne councillors resolved unanimously to advise the Department of Transport and Planning the council would not object to the planning application. More

Eight thousand tennis balls will line the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria in a special, participatory exhibition by British artist David Shrigley, inviting visitors to swap their pre-loved tennis balls for fresh ones. Shrigley’s Melbourne Tennis Ball Exchange installation will make its Australian debut in January 2024 as part of the free, late-night […] More

Artek has teamed up with research-based design studio Formafantasma to re-evaluate its rigorous wood selection standards and develop a more environmentally friendly furniture range made from wild Birch Trees.
Stool 60 Villi will be the first piece to drop as part of the wild birch range, in celebration of 2023 being the 90th anniversary of Stool 60, designed by Alvar Aalto and manufactured in Finland.

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Stool 60 Villi will be the first piece to be released as part of the wild birch range, in celebration of 2023 being the 90th anniversary of Stool 60, designed by Alvar Aalto. Image: Supplied

Prior to the introduction of the new range, Artek prioritized using regularly grained wood, which does not display any natural wood markings or characteristics. Each piece underwent a strict selection criteria process, with the production of furniture based on market expectations for aesthetic consistency and perfection.
Stool 60 Villi will instead celebrate individuality and the beauty of natural imperfections of raw wood materials. The new collection will enable more of the tree to be used, rather than end up as waste. Wood knots, insect trails, colour fluctuations and a darker wood core will be visible on the stool’s legs, with all of these features contributing to the one-of-a-kind quality of the range.

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Wood knots, insect trails, colour fluctuations and a darker wood core will be visible on Stool 60 Villi’s legs. Image: Supplied

The objectives behind the new range, according to Artek, include “promoting a more responsible usage of raw materials in the manufacturing of products,” to “instigate a new aesthetics of sustainability,” and to “provide insights into the changing conditions of Finnish forests in the light of industrialization and climate change.”

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The process of making Stool 60. Image: Supplied

A spokesperson for FormaFantasma said to obtain the level of flawlessness that Artek achieved in its previous furniture ranges, only a small percentage of the birch tree could actually be used, despite the quality of wood being the same.
“It is important to mention that there are also marks in the wood left by insects that have now expanded into Finnish forests because of climate change. So, for us, accepting those flaws in production also means not neglecting what is actually happening in the world.
“The changes we are trying to achieve with Artek are also a way to make the culture of the forest become the culture of the company. This means, for instance, making these shifts in the quality control of the wood and accepting certain things that are considered flaws. First of all, this will mean that you will need fewer trees to produce the objects. And second of all, wood that in the past would probably have ended up producing lower-quality products – such as paper pulp – is now applied to something much more durable. Consequently, this will also mean less CO₂ emissions because the CO₂ will remain in objects for longer.
“All these changes we’re talking about are rather invisible in the product. They are definitely visible in the production, and in the end they will also be visible in some details of the product. But I think that the most interesting changes you can do now, in architecture and design, are rather invisible. It’s behind the scenes where you can do the most.”
Artek has announced Stool 60 Villi will be apart of their permanent collection in 2024, with the collection available exclusively in Australia at Anibou. More

A collaboration between office seating designer and manufacturer Humanscale and Danish textile company Kvadrat sees the introduction of nine new upholstery offerings. Aligned through shared values of innovation, longevity and sustainability, the collaboration combines colour, texture and pattern with ergonomic, functional and efficient design. Image: Supplied Each textile variation is manufacted from quality raw materials […] More

Aodeli’s Mirror Aluminium Panels (MAP) make their Sydney debut at the W Hotel in Darling Harbour. The mirrored panels are showcased on the ceilings above eye-catching installations in both the rooftop bar and reception area of the new hotel. Since launching in July 2021, MAP has been used in projects including the KDV Sport Centre […] More

The newly opened South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Bega Valley, New South Wales, designed by Sibling Architecture, has doubled the size of the former Bega Valley Regional Gallery.
The reimagined gallery has been built within the existing footprint of the former gallery. Comprising 500 square metres of exhibition, archive, storage and workshop spaces, the expansion of the gallery will enable two exhibitions to run simultaneously.

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The cultural hub is double the size of the former gallery building. Image:

David Rogers

The public building features a contemporary perforated steel facade with a steel screen on the building’s exterior offering an opportunity for exhibitions to extend beyond the gallery’s interior.
The integration of windows in the gallery provides visual access to the surrounding landscape, Biamanga (Mumbulla Mountain) and the community garden across the street.

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The redevelopment was funded as part of the Bega Valley Cultural and Recreational Infrastructure Project. Image: Supplied

SECCA director, Iain Dawson said the vision for the project was to create a space where people could visit to “experience art and free expression, to learn about different cultures, and above all, be inspired.”
“The gallery has earned a place on Australia’s cultural calendar through its dynamic setting and a long history of engaging exhibitions as the Bega Valley Regional Gallery. This is a testament to the quality of our new space and our commitment to supporting contemporary art,” said Dawson.
The redevelopment was funded as part of the Bega Valley Cultural and Recreational Infrastructure Project, which received around $2.47 million in funding from the federal government to transform the arts space, construct the Pambula Squash Courts (completed in 2022), and upgrade the Eden Skate Park – expected to begin construction November 2023.

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The newly expanded South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) in Bega Valley, New South Wales, has opened, designed by Sibling Architecture. Image:

David Rogers

Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Kristy McBain, and Bega Valley Shire Mayor, Russell Fitzpatrick attended the gallery on 17 November to cut the ribbon and declare the arts space officially open.
McBain said the new cultural hub will have a significant, positive impact on the region.

The first exhibition, the Archibald Prize 2023, will be on display until 7 January, 2024. To find out more about the gallery, visit the SECCA website. More

Danish architect and urbanist Jan Gehl, of Gehl Architects, has returned to Sydney, 16 years after submitting his vision for transforming the city into a greener and more livable metropolis.
Gehl was commissioned by the City of Sydney in 2007 to undertake a study – Public Spaces Public Life Sydney – that would form the basis for the city’s long-term strategic plan, Sustainable Sydney 2030. Gehl’s recommendations resulted in the revitalization of George Street, the establishment of the Sydney Light Rail through the CBD and 20,000 square metres of open communal space.
“A good city is like a good party – people stay longer than really necessary because they are enjoying themselves,” Gehl said.
“After being invaded by cars and traffic for 50 years we’re now seeing many examples of cities being reconquered for people. Sydney is an example of this, where the transformation of George Street is a great change.”

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Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore with architect Jan Gehl on the Light Rail. Image:

Courtesy Clover Moore

In 2017, Gehl was presented with a Key to the City of Sydney by lord mayor Clover Moore, following in the footsteps of his fellow Danish predecessor Jorn Utzon. The key to the city is the highest honour a city can present an individual or organization.
During Gehl’s latest visit, Moore reiterated just how vital his contribution to the Sydney has been, calling it “unparalleled.”
“We have come a long way since 2007 when Jan Gehl said Sydney had turned its back on the harbour, and that it was at breaking point, unable to cope with traffic volumes and gradually being choked in fumes and noise. Back then I was in my first term as lord mayor and Sydney had had a history of ad hoc interventions rather than considered long-term planning. I wanted to change that and transform Sydney with a vision and strategy to achieve it,” Moore said.
“When we saw Public Spaces and Public Life, featuring George Street as a 2.5 kilometre pedestrian boulevard with light rail as its centrepiece and three large civic squares, pedestrian and cycling networks, green connections and revitalised laneways, I knew we had our vision.
“Once a noisy, polluted traffic jam, Sydney’s central spine is now the people-friendly, tree-lined boulevard you’d expect in an international city.”
Gehl reviewed and updated Public Spaces and Public Life Sydney in 2020, while the City of Sydney has extended its strategic Sustainable Sydney 2030 initiative out until 2050, with plans for a public square at Central Station and another overlooking the harbour at Circular Quay. More