Architecture

The president of La Biennale di Venezia Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and exhibition curator Carlo Ratti have jointly announced the theme for the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.
“Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective.” will be the theme for the 19th edition of the International Architecture Exhibition. The curator of the 2025 exhibition, Carlo Ratti, explained the title of the theme is usually announced both in English and in Italian. However, this time it has been combined into a single word for both languages via the Latin phrase: intelligens.
“The title Intelligens is linked to the modern term “intelligence,” but it also evokes a wider set of associated meanings. In fact, the final syllable, “gens” is Latin for “people”. A new, fictional root emerges, suggesting a future of intelligence that is inclusive, multiple, and imaginative beyond today’s limiting focus on AI,” said Ratti.
As always, the built environment and the disciplines that shape it will be at the heart of the biennale program but it will not be the only field that is explored or presented. Various works and concepts related to the fields of art, engineering, biology, data science, social and political sciences, and planetary systems will also be exhibited – with each presentation linking to the materiality of urban space.
The objects, installations and plans to be displayed will be arranged into categories of natural, artificial, collective and combinations thereof.
A published communique announcing the 2025 theme states “The built environment is one of the largest contributors to atmospheric emissions, placing architecture among the main culprits in the degradation of our planet. As the climate crisis accelerates, must we resign ourselves to this role, or are we still able to offer solutions, substantial and non-cosmetic, effective and quick to achieve?”
“The exhibition will search for a path forward, proposing that intelligent solutions to pressing problems can take many forms. It will present a collection of design proposals and many other experiments, exploring a definition of “intelligence” as an ability to adapt to the environment with limited resources, knowledge, or power,” it adds.
The biennale will be held across various locations in Venice between 10 May and 23 November 2025, with a pre-opening preview scheduled for 8 and 9 May. To find out more, visit the La Biennale di Venezia website. More

The University of New South Wales has unveiled the draft concept design for the first stage of its Canberra City campus development. Designed by Hassell, the first stage comprises two multi-storey buildings for teaching and research areas, retail, cultural and student-focused spaces, and facilities for new and existing industry partners. The buildings will be located […] More

The debut of Darwin’s Larrakia Cultural Centre, comprising a museum and art gallery, edges closer as construction begins on the bird-inspired structure.
The main function of the facility will be to store and exhibit cultural objects, artefacts and artworks originally from Larrakia and repatriated from other museums. The centre will also accommodate educational rooms.
Northern Territory firms Rossi Architects and Susan Dugdale and Associates unveiled their design for the centre in 2021, at which point they revealed that the building form had been inspired by an ancestral bird in flight. The roofline is a key feature of this narrative, resembling a bird with sprawled wings hovering above the landscape.
The building will be divided into two wings – northern and southern – with a central double-height breezeway in between.
The centre will be sited within walking distance of a sacred site of the Larrakia people on the Stokes Hill waterfront. The landscape will feature three main habitats typically found on Larrakia Country – a monsoon rainforest, a savanna and coastal.

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The main function of the facility will be to store and exhibit cultural objects, artefacts and artworks originally from Larrakia and repatriated from museums. Image:

Rossi Architects, Susan Dugdale and Associates and the Larrakia Working Group

Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Joel Bowden said the facility will become an important place for cultural gatherings, as well as a site for education about the land and its Traditional Custodians. “A place for Larrakia people to share, celebrate and showcase Larrakia Country, language, culture and knowledge with the world,” he said.
“Aboriginal tourism is a significant drawcard for international and domestic visitors and the Larrakia Cultural Centre will boost the opportunity for Territorians and visitors to learn more and experience Larrakia culture and history firsthand.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney echoed those sentiments stating that the centre would not only be a place to showcase culture and history, but a site that the Larrakia people can continue caring for. “A […] building with a bird-shaped roof will hover over this site – place for people from across the territory and across Australia to recognise and celebrate Larrakia culture,” she said.
The project has been initiated and managed by the Larrakia Development Corporation, with the construction tender awarded to local construction company Sunbuild. Throughout the project, the Larrakia Working Group – comprising Larrakia community members – has provided centre design and operational feedback.
Construction is expected to be finalised in early 2026. More

From benchtops to joinery pulls, these final touches and appliance must-haves will elevate the at-home cooking and dining experience. Wolf induction range For the serious home cooks, the Wolf induction range pairs a ceramic glass cooktop with a 10-mode Dual VertiFlow convection electric oven. Available in widths of 76 centimetres or 91 centimetres, the range’s […] More

A newly launched Italian cooking surface combines functionality and style, allowing every level of chef to infuse a touch of Italy into their home. On the gas stove, six burner positions are protected by heavy-duty cast iron grates. The grates have been designed to be completely flush against one another to ensure safety and efficiency […] More

Cox Architecture has been selected as the lead design consultant for the $715 million multipurpose stadium in Hobart’s Macquarie Point, following a market testing process.
The firm’s history in designing Australian and international stadia – including the Adelaide Oval, Perth’s Optus Stadium and the Allianz Stadium in Sydney – was seen as complementary and advantageous to the project, stated the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC).
The MPDC CEO Anne Beach said the design team also includes Tasmanian architecture practice Cumulus Studio, along with specialist engineers and technicians AECOM, Cova, Aldanmark, and Pitt and Sherry, as well as international partner Schlaich Bergermann Partners (SBP).
“This partnership brings national and international expertise and excellence, which will not only deliver this exciting development, but leave a lasting legacy in our local industry,” Beach said. She added Cumulus’s local knowledge will greatly benefit the project, with the practice able to lean into its understanding of Tasmanian services and materials.
Cox designed the preliminary draft precinct plan, however, a stadium concept design is yet to be finalised. It is expected the stadium concept design will be released in mid-2024. The design team has stated that the concept designs will be different to the initial designs published by the government.
In addition to the consultancy appointment, four internships will be available for architecture students to work with Cox Architecture in the Hobart project office, four undergraduate placements will also be offered through AECOM, among other internships offered through SBP in Germany.
The proposed stadium will be covered, with capacity for 23,000 seats and will be the home ground of a future Tasmanian AFL team. In addition to being a live sporting arena, it will also be used for arts and entertainment performances.
The proposal was in the spotlight recently, following a ruling by the Tasmanian Heritage Council to permanently include the Hobart Railway Goods Shed – situated at the intended location of the stadium – on the state heritage register. The MPDC said they would be proceeding with the project, adjusting the plans to accommodate the historically significant structure. More

The proposed site of Australia’s largest hospital project is no longer feasible, the 2024-25 Victorian budget has revealed. The proposal to relocate the Royal Melbourne and Royal Women’s hospitals into one consolidated medical precinct in Arden was announced in 2022, with the masterplan designed by Hassell and McBride Charles Ryan. At the time it was […] More

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has initiated an international open design competition for a new conservation centre in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.
The proposed site for the Maasai Mara Conservation Centre is at Oloololo Gate – the north-eastern section of the reserve.
The project vision is to create an innovative tourist facility that can be used to accommodate education about conservation, the balance of delicate ecosystems, the traditions of the Maasai people, and the natural and cultural significance of the region. The purpose of the centre is to deepen visitors’ knowledge of the profound importance of the Maasai Mara region – as the site where millions of animals journey to during the Great Migration that occurs annually.
The competition brief outlines that the proposed centre should be designed with sustainable principles in mind, using eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and renewable energy sources. The design should also be respectful to the Maasai people and the landscape by incorporating features of local culture and heritage and by being sympathetic to the landscape.
The competition will follow the open design process with the first stage seeking anonymous concept designs. Following an assessment of the entries, a shortlist of up to five designs will be selected to proceed to the second phase of the competition.
The competition is being held on behalf of Abercrombie and Kent Philanthropy, the philanthropic arm of travel company Abercrombie and Kent. Cristina Levis, chief executive officer at Abercrombie and Kent Travel Group, said, the new conservation centre is more than just a building; “it’s a symbol of sustainable tourism and environmental stewardship, aiming to protect the Maasai Mara’s natural beauty and cultural legacy. It reflects our vision of a sustainable future through eco-friendly design and education.”
The competition is open internationally to registered architects. Architects should be registered with the Architects Registration Board in the UK, or an equivalent, recognised overseas regulatory authority. Since May 2023, Australia and the UK have had a mutual recognition agreement for architects’ registrations. Collaboration is encouraged between individuals and organisations of different sizes and different areas of expertise.
View the full competition brief and for details on how to register here. The closing date for submission of design proposals is Tuesday 18 June 2024 at 12.00 pm. More