Architecture

Plans for a new building within the grounds of Sydney’s – and Australia’s – oldest surviving Catholic church have been greenlit for development. Situated within the St Mary’s Cathedral precinct, located east of Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD, the approved new chancery building, designed by Candalepas Associates, is replete with a bookshop, a cafe and community meeting rooms.
The design adopts a square-like floorplate on the site of an existing car park, located between the current cathedral – built between 1866–1928 to the design of William Wardell – and a former school known as Chapter House. Both buildings fall under a single listing on the NSW state heritage register.
According to a communique from Candalepas Associates, “this location was intended to accommodate the Archiepiscopal residence as part of the original masterplan … That building was never realised; however, its implied presence – evident in corbelling left in the cathedral’s sacristy wall – has informed the current architectural approach.”
The architecture firm noted that the chancery’s “position at the junction of multiple programs – administrative, ceremonial, liturgical and public – allows it to act as a transitional element within the site’s larger spatial and functional framework.” Their vision was guided by the chancery as a “supporting building, both in use and architectural character,” yet significant in its contribution “to a more legible precinct identity.”
Taking cues from the massing and positioning of Chapter Hall, the approved chancery extends the materiality and rhythm of the precinct by adopting a formal language of sandstone arches and timber-framed openings across the lower levels, offering a contemporary translation of traditional cloisters. The third storey, which is defined by a glazed perimeter, is capped by a thin, hipped roof.

View gallery

Internally, the chancery is designed to offer flexible workspaces with generous access to daylight and framed views of the cathedral. As part of the architect’s environmental strategy, the project employs durable natural materials, adopts a geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling, and includes rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
Executive director of administration and finance for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Michael Digges commented that the project is part of a long-term vision for the St Mary’s precinct.
“As the mother Church of Australia, St Mary’s Cathedral is not only important for the faithful in Sydney, but for Catholics who visit from Australia and overseas. It also provides a place of prayer, solace and wonder for people of other faiths and even of no faith. The Archdiocese is steadfast in our stewardship of the St Mary’s Cathedral Shrine and precinct, and to ensuring it will serve Catholics and the broader community for centuries to come.”

View gallery

The decision to approve Candalepas Associates’ design was granted by the NSW Land and Environment Court last week following a hearing between the Archdiocese of Sydney, and the City of Sydney and the Heritage Council of NSW, who had argued against the proposal.
Having been first presented to the City of Sydney in 2021, the initial six-storey scheme submitted for development approval in December 2023 was amended to the three-storey version at the council’s request, but ultimately refused by the council. The archdiocese filed an appeal of the decision in July 2024.
In the recent June hearing, court commissioner Timothy Horton declared that the project exemplified “a high standard of architectural design, materials and detailing appropriate to the building type and location.”
Digges noted, “We are grateful that the appeal was upheld, and confident that if built, this new building will provide wonderful new facilities for the cathedral parish, worshippers and visitors to the site, as well as new chancery offices.” More

A new initiative designed to support young women to explore careers in construction has launched with the backing of more than 50 Australian property, construction and design practices.
A media communique from the initiative, which is titled “Tomorrow’s Women in Construction” (TWIC), notes that their aim is to tackle “one of the key barriers to female participation in the industry: the ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ phenomenon.”
For interested year-10 female students, TWIC guarantees a one-week work experience placement with professional support and mentoring at a matched construction industry organisation.
The program aims to counter common beliefs about the construction industry, such as jobs being exclusively on-site, by introducing female students to the stories of women working in a diverse range of construction-related professions, including feasibility, planning, design, law, engineering and sustainability. According to the media release, “These stories are designed to engage young women at a critical point in their career decision-making journey, encouraging them to see themselves in roles they may not have previously considered.”
“This initiative is about visibility and access,” said TWIC co-founder Kat Kister. “The desire to create a more gender-equitable workforce is stronger than ever. We’ve gone from symbolic gestures on International Women’s Day to real, tangible action – nearly 50 companies signed up in the first week alone.”
According to the media communique, companies that sign up to host placements “are guided on how to create a positive, empowering experience for students – from planning age-relevant tasks to preparing their teams to mentor effectively.”
The initiative, which was founded by a group of women working in architecture, engineering, building and project management in Sydney, has received support from founding partners including AJC Architects, Architectus, Group GSA and FJC Studio.
TWIC co-founder and structural engineer at Northrop Isabel Duffy commented, “This is a collective industry movement. We’re showing young women that they don’t have to change who they are to belong in construction – there is a place for everyone.”
Organisations interested in joining the initiative can apply online. More

A state significant development (SSD) application is currently on exhibition with the NSW government for the transformation of the historic MLC building at 105 Miller Street in North Sydney, which was originally designed by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon in 1952 and completed in 1957. While plans prepared by Bates Smart and filed with North Sydney Council in December 2024 sought adaptive reuse of the existing structure into a commercial office complex, the new proposal from FJC Studio proposes that the building be transformed into a tertiary education campus.
According to the exhibited environmental impact statement by Beam, the two schemes have been pursued by property developer Investa “due to the uncertainty in relation to leasing and the need for the landowner to take some action with the site.” The development application for Bates Smart’s commercial proposal is currently under assessment with North Sydney Council.
FJC’s architectural design report notes that the two firms have adopted a “coordinated design approach,” which has guided FJC Studio’s campus plans since being commissioned in 2024 by property developer Investa. “While each proposal includes elements specific to its intended function, the two schemes share a common architectural language,” their report reads.

View gallery

Despite now being recognised on the North Sydney local environment plan (LEP) and state heritage register, for the past five years the MLC building has been the subject of a dispute between Investa and members of the public seeking recognition of the building’s historical significance, in part to avoid the demolition initially proposed by Bates Smart’s July 2020 proposal.
In response to this context, both proposals seek retention and refurbishment of the building’s Miller Street wing. The Denison Street wing, however, would be replaced with a new 22-storey building.
FJC notes in the report that being “now over 67 years old, the MLC Building requires significant renewal to support its next phase of use.” According to the practice, “A purely restorative refurbishment may retain the building’s original aesthetic, but it would not meaningfully improve its civic performance.”
“The education scheme […] proceeds from a position of respect – proposing adaptive reuse that honours the site’s architectural lineage while enabling a new public use and civic presence within North Sydney,” the report reads.
Developed with stakeholder engagement from the Heritage Council of NSW, North Sydney Council and the North Sydney Design Excellence Panel, FJC Studio’s design “retain[s] the heritage character of the Miller Street wing, while introducing new educational infrastructure that responds to programmatic needs. These include efficient and flexible teaching spaces, improved vertical and horizontal circulation, and the integration of active public interfaces across the podium.”
The form and language of FJC’s design for the new Denison Street wing is informed by mid-century towers such as Bates, Smart and McCutcheon’s ICI House (1958) in Melbourne and Skidmore, Owings and Merril’s Lever House (1952) in New York while ensuring the restored Miller Street wing retains “architectural primacy within the overall composition.”

View gallery

All three of the site’s public interfaces – on Miller Street, Denison Street and Brett Whitely Place – are reimagined to introduce public seating and retail spaces with an emphasis on accessible, all-weather pedestrian wayfinding connected with Sydney Metro and activated frontages to enhance visibility at the building’s threshold.
Drawing upon the site’s original landscape design by Ilmar Berzins, as well as its pre-colonial heritage, as investigated by WSP Australia, the ground plane, podium and roof terrace are imagined as an integrated architectural and landscape experience with the aid of landscape architecture practice 360 Degrees.
The application for the adaptive reuse of the MLC building into an education campus is on exhibition with the NSW government’s major projects hub on the planning portal. More

The Queensland government has declared a new priority development area (PDA) at North Harbour in Moreton Bay, 40 kilometres north of Brisbane, which will see the delivery of 3,700 homes, including 200 dwellings fast-tracked through an early release area within the precinct.
The $2.74 billion North Harbour masterplan, led by Mas Architecture Studio, also includes a “world-class” 400-berth marina, and tourism and retail precincts, along with “the biggest riverfront parkland in Southeast Queensland,” the architecture firm notes. A communique from the practice describes the vision for the site as “a booming new waterfront hub.”

View gallery

The site in Burpengary East is currently home to 4,000 residents and a 280,000-square-metre business park. Under the proposed masterplan, the new residential and mixed-use development would be met with over 1,000 acres of open space parkland adjacent to the Caboolture River, host to a heritage park and mountain bike trail.
Director of MAS Architecture Studio Nick Symonds welcomed the Queensland government’s designation of the North Harbour PDA as a sign of action in the current housing climate.
“The North Harbour precinct will meet urgent housing needs, but it also represents the future of bayside living in Southeast Queensland,” Symonds commented.
“We’re not just building homes. We’re designing a place that’s sustainable, well connected, and built for a modern Queensland lifestyle. With the Olympics approaching, this puts Moreton Bay in a prime position to shine nationally.”

View gallery

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie added, “This declaration brings Queensland another step closer to delivering one million homes by 2044.”
“Dedicated maritime industry infrastructure, tourism and hotel precincts are expected to generate nearly 2,000 jobs and add $456 million to the regional economy each year for the region’s long-term prosperity.” More

The Yagara Magandjin Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) has submitted an application with the federal government for permanent legal protection of Brisbane’s Victoria Park/Barrambin. Together with community-led advocacy group Save Victoria Park (SVP), YMAC has announced that the legal proceedings are part of their “resolve to safeguard the park – one of the city’s most important First Nations sites – against major Olympic stadium development.”
The application has been made under Section 10 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act, which, according to SVP and YMAC’s joint communique, allows the Commonwealth to declare long-term protection of a significant Aboriginal area under threat of injury or desecration.
According to the media release, “Victoria Park/Barrambin holds thousands of years of stories in its hills and gullies. It is a place where Aboriginal communities lived and thrived, where visitors gathered from all directions to mark seasonal festivals, marriages, funerals, Bora and trade. This continued in diverse ways long after European arrival.”
YMAC spokesperson and Yagarabul elder Gaja Kerry Charlton noted, “For we Goori people, Barrambin is living Country, possessing sacred, ancient and significant relationships within our cultural heritage systems.”
“We know this is a place of great significance and history, not only for Yagara people, but for other First Nations and non-Aboriginal people as well,” she added.

View gallery

Despite pre-election assurances that Victoria Park would be spared from development of a new stadium ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli announced in March that the public parkland would be transformed into “a thriving central games precinct.”
Together with a 25,000-seat National Aquatic Centre and associated Olympic infrastructure, the site is slated for a 63,000-seat oval stadium. Expressions of interest from principal contractors for the master planning of the games precinct have only recently closed.
The joint media release from SVP and YMAC notes that “up until recently, the 60-hectare park had been the subject of a detailed Brisbane City Council Master Plan. As part of this, local elders participated in a four-year consultation process which honoured the rich Aboriginal heritage of the site.”
SVP and YMAC have expressed their opposition to the Premier’s vision for the precinct, which they say has “sidelined widespread community aspirations for the parkland and excluded elders integral to the development of the masterplan.”
Charlton commented, “It was a complete shock when the Premier came out with his stadium plans. He said the park would be protected from stadiums; I thought the park was safe. Now the government wants to destroy it.”
“We are very concerned there are ancient trees, artefacts and very important eco-systems existing there. There may be ancestral remains,” Charlton added. “We stand resolute in our responsibility to protect it.”
The decision lies with the federal government and there hasn’t yet been an official response. More

The first episode of the new Design Speaks Weekly podcast has been released today. Produced by Architecture Media and supported by the Australian Institute of Architects, Design Speaks Weekly explores the biggest stories in Australian architecture and design.

Editorial director at Architecture Media Katelin Butler commented, “Design Speaks is a brand that most people in our industry are familiar with as an event series of symposiums and other smaller seminars. We’re really overwhelmed with the industry’s response to these events […] but we’re also very conscious that there are only a select group of people who are actually in the room at any one of those events.”
“We’ve been thinking about ways to bring that content to a wider audience, and one of those ways is through a podcast. Each episode will take a deep dive into a particular theme, but will always be paired with up-to-date news,” Butler added.
In the podcast’s first episode, host Georgia Birks is joined by Stuart Vokes of Vokes and Peters, and Daniel Burnett of Blok Modular, whose joint project Blok Three Sisters recently claimed the title of Australian House of the Year at the 2025 Houses Awards.
Vokes and Burnett discuss their collaborative journey in modular design and prefabrication, as well as the myriad advantages of this approach, including material and cost control, reduced construction time, and high adaptability. The conversation also delves into how modular design and prefabrication may offer solutions for two of the greatest contemporary challenges: the housing crisis and the climate crisis.
A fresh episode of Design Speaks Weekly will be delivered every Tuesday. You can listen to it on major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts. More

The Australian Institute of Architects has opened entries for its annual Dulux Study Tour, a prize that connects Australia’s promising emerging architects with respected international sites and studios.
A jury will select five successful candidates to embark on the tour, which is scheduled to depart in May 2026.
The prize is open to Institute members who are within 10 years of graduation from an AACA-accredited master of architecture degree (or equivalent).
Judging will occur in two phases, with first-stage entrants submitting their answers to four nominated questions. Each shortlisted candidate will then be required to submit a resume, employer references and a portfolio of work.
Entrants will be judged not only on contributions to architectural practice, but also education, design excellence and community involvement.
The 10-day tour will visit acclaimed studios, innovative projects and landmark buildings across three countries, which are yet to be decided. Winners will be invited to nominate their preferred sites and practices to help shape the itinerary.
The 2025 tour saw Gumji Kang, Jimmy Carter, Kate Shepherd, Marni Reti and Nicholas Souksamrane embark on a journey through Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Barcelona.
Stage-one entries may be submitted via the online portal until 3 October 2025. Entrants shortlisted for stage two of the competition will be required to submit additional material by 15 November.
To enter, visit the Australian Institute of Architects’ website. More

The NSW government has announced that six reserves and parks along the inner Sydney Harbour have been added to the state’s heritage register in recognition of “their unique cultural, environmental and industrial histories.” According to a communique from the state government, the listing follows extensive consultation with local councils, heritage experts, and community groups.
The parklands are located around the headlands and the water planes connecting the northern and southern shores of the harbour. Collectively, they have been described as “the green necklace” – a term originating from a 2018 cultural landscape study the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) NSW.

View gallery

The NSW government’s communique notes, “These landscapes represent the ever-evolving nature of land and water use on Sydney Harbour, showcasing the change from undisturbed bush to industrial use to green space preservation.”
“Each park and reserve has its own story that has been shaped by thousands of years of Aboriginal connection and more recent layers of industrial, artistic and community history,” the release reads. “They reflect how people have interacted with, altered, and valued the land over time.”
Minister for Heritage Penny Sharpe also noted, “They are not only green spaces but living archives of Sydney’s cultural and industrial evolution, and a reminder of the rich and enduring Aboriginal history we are surrounded by.”

View gallery

The heritage-listed parks include:

Badangi Reserve, encompassing Berrys Island Reserve and Wollstonecraft Foreshore Reserve
Ballast Point Park, a park built on a former Caltex Oil site in Birchgrove
Balls Head Reserve in Waverton, “a rare surviving natural headland” that was declared a public reserve as the result of an environmental campaign in the 1920s and 30s.
Berrys Bay (Carradah Park) in Waverton, the former site of a BP refinery
Yurulbin Park and Foreshore in Birchgrove, an early example of the transformation of industrial land to public use that recaptures the qualities of an Indigenous landscape and was also the 1994 launch site of the Australian government’s Local Government Reconciliation Program.

According to the communique, the protection of the parklands is also intended to retain the harbour’s “natural beauty for generations to come.”
“Listing these landscapes means their heritage value will be safeguarded into the future, in a context where Sydney’s built environment is fast growing. The listing is a shift away from traditional listings such as physical buildings and instead recognises the importance of a cultural landscapes and the environment in NSW’s rich history,” the release notes.

View gallery

Shape commented, “I want to acknowledge the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects for starting this listing process many years ago, and congratulate them on the wonderful outcome of their work and advocacy.”
AILA NSW president David Moir commended Sharpe’s foresight in protecting the landscapes.
“These iconic landscape elements, integral to the internationally significant Sydney Harbour setting, are foundational to the city’s identity as a global destination,” Moir said.
“Through visionary landscape planning and design, once-derelict industrial sites have been transformed into inclusive public spaces where communities can connect with nature in an increasingly urbanised environment. Their inclusion on the State Heritage Register and the commitment to their ongoing conservation reflect enduring community values and a deep respect for our shared landscape legacy.” More