Architecture

A development application has been lodged for a residential tower to be established in Cairns, in a move that would see the heritage-listed Cairns Post headquarters being adaptively re-used.
It has been proposed that four heritage sites, spanning across 22-34 Abbott Street, be re-purposed into commercial outlets, including the former office of the Cairns Post newspaper.
The tower proposal by Hunt Design includes three parking levels, a lobby, a residents recreation area and 75 units across eight levels. Apartments range in size from 67-square-metres to 178-square-metres and in offering with a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments.
Plan show a resident’s recreation area on the first accommodation level with gym, spa, swimming pool and sun deck. The pool, with its glass frontage, sits perched four levels above street level to create a visually unique facade.

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The development would see the adaptive re-use of the Cairns Post headquarters. Image:

Hunt Design

All apartments have been designed with a wide outdoor balcony using high thermal performance glass to achieve a low energy footprint for the building. The balconies are a standout feature on the facade, with defined horizontal lines and shaded areas.
By setting back the car park face, the heritage buildings on the ground plane stand proud rather than feeling overshaded by the tower.
The vision behind the development is to enliven the city centre by introducing contemporary residences to attract more short and long-term residents, as well as offer more cultural experiences to existing residents by creating a relationship between the gallery precinct and through the delivery of more dining and retail outlets.
The application states the overarching design concept is to “create a poster child for tropical urbanism, to capture what it is like to have an alfresco lifestyle right in the city heart,” and to formulate a building that amplifies Cairns position as “a city in a tropical garden.”
Overall, the existing site is lightly utilized from a commercial standpoint, with the Cairns Post building having laid dormant for many years, the neighbouring property Evert House being non-operational and the opal shop being vacant. The only tenanted building is a nearby liquor store.
The development application was submitted by Sky Commercial. Alex Seckler of Sky Commercial purchased the former Cairns Post office in 2021, followed by the adjoining retail strip. More

The North Sydney MLC building, once the largest office building in Australia, could be adapted into an apartment block, under a state-significant development application lodged with the NSW Department of Planning. The North Sydney MLC building was originally designed in 1956 by Bates, Smart and McCutcheon and at the time of its completion, it was […] More

Mosman House is prime realestate with its outstanding view of Sydney’s Middle Harbour. While the home’s location is enviable, the house required a total internal and external makeover. Architects Peter Tout and David Campbell were engaged to manage the renovation. To maintain optimal exposure to coastal views, the design team selected the Schüco window system […] More

The $88.6 million new Parramatta Aquatic Centre, designed by Grimshaw, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall, opened its doors to the public on 25 September.
The 40,000 square metre facility contains a 50-metre, 10-lane heated outdoor pool, a 25-metre, 8-lane indoor pool, a learn-to-swim indoor pool, an indoor splash play area, as well as a fitness centre, spa, sauna, steam room, cafe and creche.
The facility also includes 30,000 square metres of landscaped outdoor spaces.
The building is set within the topography of the May’s Hill precinct in Parramatta Park, on the traditional lands of the Burramattaga. The landscape concept of the project acknowledges the site’s history as a gathering place. Parramatta Park is also inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the sunken building minimally impacts the landscape setting.

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Parramatta Aquatic Centre by Grimshaw, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall. Image:

Peter Bennetts

A series of skylights provides natural light for the areas below, while simultaneously filtering the UV rays. Solar panels on the roof generate 273 megawatts per hour of energy savings.
The outdoor pool is encircled by a perimeter “ring.” Architect Andrew Burges told ArchitectureAU in 2019 that the “ring” serves multiple purposes: pool fencing, shading and circulation.
A series of linear pathways in the park also converges around the centre, connecting the CBD-facing park, entry plaza, main pool space, ring walk and verandah.
“Our goal was to provide a completely new vision of what an aquatic centre could be – we wanted to create a destination for the community, one that provides opportunity for many forms of recreation in a safe and inspiring facility that feels more like a landscape setting than a building.”

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Parramatta Aquatic Centre by Grimshaw, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall. Image:

Peter Bennetts

The surrounding parkland has also been planted with 562 new native trees in an effort to rehabilitate the biodiversity of the site. A dense forest that surrounds the pool helps to combat urban heat island effects.
“The new Parramatta Aquatic Centre will provide a much-needed destination for swimming, fitness, and leisure in Western Sydney,” said Josh Henderson, project director at Grimshaw. “The design team, City of Parramatta and builder have all collaborated to create a valuable community asset that is enjoyable to experience, well made, highly functional and accessible. As a new home to many community groups, the opening of the facility will provide vibrant landscaped public spaces for fitness, sport, learn to swim classes and for time with friends and family.”
City of Parramatta lord mayor Sameer Pandey said, “Parramatta Aquatic Centre has been thoughtfully designed with the community in mind. The architects have done a wonderful job creating a space that the people of Parramatta, and greater Sydney, can enjoy for generations to come. This is more than just a pool – it’s a place where the community can swim laps in the pool, work out in the gym, relax in the spa, steam and sauna or simply enjoy a coffee in the café. A lot of memories will be made here – of local kids swimming their first lap, of families splashing around together on a long, hot summer day.” More

Detailed design and early investigative works on Melbourne’s Greenline Project are set to commence later this year.
Symal Infrastructure has been awarded the contract to complete site one of the Birrarung Marr precinct of the Greenline Project, which will see the delivery of a four-kilometre riverfront promenade along the Yarra (Birrarung) River, designed by Aspect Studios and TCL.
Five interconnected precincts will be established between Birrarung Marr and the Bolte Bridge, providing access to riverfront spaces for events and community gatherings.
Site one will form part of the Birrarung Marr Precinct, which will be the gateway to the Greenline. “Boldly celebrating Aboriginal culture and the river’s unique ecology,” the precinct will span from Batman Avenue to the eastern edge of Federation Square, featuring 450 metres of new boardwalks, viewpoints and green spaces for outdoor recreation.

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River Edge render. Image:

Aspect Studios and TCL.

Three contemporary spaces will be created during the initial stage of Birrarung Marr works: the River Edge, the Lookout and the Fig Tree Boardwalk.
The River Edge will feature walkways, new habitat for wildlife and green areas for play, the Lookout will face the river, providing an important destination for Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung cultural celebrations with First Nations design details and seating areas, while the Fig Tree Boardwalk will offer a shaded space for art, storytelling and observing of nature with a suspended tree-lined platform and seating.
Following that, two additional sites will complete the Birrarung Marr Precinct.
In the ensuing stages of the project, the Falls Precinct will be established to celebrate the site’s cultural significance to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and the broader Eastern Kulin nation as the location of a former waterfall and river crossing, the River Park Precinct will involve the creation of an open space next to the river, the Maritime Precinct will be a place that reflects on Melbourne’s seafaring history, and the Saltwater Wharf Precinct will provide a new public park at the end of North Wharf.
In early 2023, City of Melbourne released a series of design ideas for the Greenline project, which had been inspired by international waterfront projects such as Brooklyn Bridge in New York, Parc des Docks in Paris, the Seattle waterfront in the United States and the Auckland waterfront in New Zealand.
Major construction on the project is expected to begin in 2024. More

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore will present the opening keynote at the 2023 Australian Architecture Conference. Moore is the longest serving mayor in the history of the City of Sydney. First elected in 2004, she is currently serving her fifth term. She was also concurrently the Member for Sydney in the NSW Parliament and […] More

The Australian Institute of Architects New South Wales Chapter has praised the state government’s 2023-24 budget, saying the housing supply initiatives hold promise for those looking to find a safe and suitable place to live.
NSW chapter president Adam Haddow said positive social and affordable housing investments announced in the budget include: the $300 million to be reinvested in Landcom, a government-owned property developer, to accelerate the construction of 4,697 new homes including 1,409 affordable homes; the $610 million in funding negotiated with the federal government’s Social Housing Accelerator program for 1,500 additional social housing dwellings; and $79.3 million for new supply of First Nations housing.
The $9.1 million to assess housing supply opportunities across government-owned sites could potentially deliver some important gains, he said.
“We strongly encourage the government to invest in well-connected existing suburbs to achieve the state’s housing goals rather than relying on disconnected and poorly performing greenfield development,” Haddow said.
“We need to invest wisely to ensure that NSW remains an equitable and fair society.”
The Institute will continue to examine the budget, including the appointment of a rental commissioner and the $60 million government investment in build-to-rent trials in the South Coast and Northern Rivers.
“It is important that the build-to-rent trials target those struggling most, and include dwellings suitable for families,” Haddow said.
“We are genuinely excited about the emerging sector of build-to-rent asset holders who will be focused on good quality design to deliver long term durability, sustainability and liveability.
“We hope that the trial will help deliver a significant number of rental properties underpinned by institutional investors committed to creating long-term vibrant residential communities with excellent amenity, and that this brings affordable family-sized dwellings to our private rental market with secure long-term tenancies.”
The budget outlines the allocation of $24 million to establish the NSW Building Commission to support the delivery of quality housing, protecting homebuyers from substandard buildings.
“The Institute has made an unwavering commitment in its continual policy advice and technical input to address NSW’s building quality – especially our extensive work with the government and the Building Commissioner on the whole scheme of Design Declarations and Certifications,” Haddow said.
“We are glad to see that the budget has made good on its earlier announcement to establish a new Building Commission before the end of 2023.” More

Waterloo Street by SJB has been judged the winner of the Horbury Hunt Residential Award category in the 2023 Think Brick Awards. The house playfully engages with passersby through the arrangement, texture and geometry of its recycled and broken brick facade. Internally, the residence integrates custom brick flooring and custom glazed bricks to add detail […] More