Architecture

Beth George and Emerald Wise have been crowned winners of the $10,000 International Tapestry Design Prize for Architects 2023 for their tapestry proposal Solstice.
The competition, presented by Australian Tapestry Workshop, invited architects from around the globe to design a tapestry for a hypothetical site. This year’s site was the Bundanon Art Museum by Kerstin Thompson Architects.
The winning entry, Solstice, is deep, dark and moody. George and Wise designed the tapestry to reflect the need for interconnectedness and ecology, particularly emphasised in the wake of the pandemic. A bright gold thread illuminates the edge of a circular landform and resembles a lunar eclipse, while an azure thread charts a river, pool, bath and bay, each linked together by a metallic thread.

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Solstice by Beth George and Emerald Wise. Image:

Beth George and Emerald Wise

Entries were judged by a panel comprising Jefa Greenaway (jury chair and founding director of Greenaway Architects), Kerstin Thompson (principal and design director of Kerstin Thompson Architects), Justin Hill (co-founder of Kerry Hill Architects and past TDPA winner), Christina Na-Heon Cho (director of Cox Architecture), Adrian Iredale (founding partner of Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects), Camila Block (director of Durbach Block Jaggers), and José da Silva (director of UNSW Galleries).
The jury awarded one high commendation to 3RDRM Glenn Russell for their design Mezcla.
A third tapestry design, The Fox and The Lyrebird by Tasmin Vivian-Williams and Tonielle Demper, was voted People’s Choice Award winner.
The Australian Tapestry Workshop is creating large-format samples of each finalists’ design and are hosting an exhibition with all finalists’ designs on show. The exhibition is being held at the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Melbourne, until 28 September. More

The New South Wales government has released a design for the public outdoor areas of the Harbourside Shopping Centre redevelopment in Tumbalong/Darling Harbour.
Designed by Snøhetta and Hassell, the redevelopment proposes to create a range of retail, hospitality and entertainment spaces, as well as a 42-storey residential tower.
The public elements of the project include a series of through-site links, upgrades to the promenade around Cockle Bay and a new waterfront plaza and garden.
The design team has collaborated with cultural design and research consultant Danièle Hromek (Djinjama) and Indigenous planning specialist Clarence Slockee (Jiwah) to embed Wangal and Gadigal ways of thinking and narratives into the design.
The podium of the development has been conceived as a sandstone escapement that reinterprets the historic landscape of the site.

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Waterfront Garden in the Harbourside shopping centre redevelopment by Snøhetta and Hassell. Image:

Snøhetta and Hassell

“Harbourside re-imagines its ‘podium’, as a ‘base’, through which erosions, creeks, and gullies create unique relationships between building components and massing,” the design team said.
The through-site links, including the Waterfront Steps, Bunn Street Steps, Pyrmont Bridge Steps, and Waterfront Garden, are conceived as waterways that erode and mould the sandstone.
The integrated landscape “is driven by the ephemeral qualities of water and delivers an ecologically diverse landscape that transitions down from the sandstone escarpment of Pyrmont, over the ridges and slopes of the base down to the Waterfront Garden and the water’s edge of Cockle Bay.”

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Waterfront Promenade in the Harbourside shopping centre redevelopment by Snøhetta and Hassell. Image:

Snøhetta and Hassell

The Waterfront Promenade forms part of the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Walk and Yananurala (Walking on Country), part of the Eora Journey.
Yananurala is a nine-kilometre walk from Woolloomooloo to Pirrama along the Sydney Harbour foreshore that highlights Aboriginal history and culture.
The Waterfront Promenade and Waterfront Garden are designed to be welcoming for people of all ages and abilities and to encourage play.
The Waterfront Garden will offer green spaces with elevated views of Cockle Bay, inspired by colours, textures, materiality and stories of Tumbalong.
The Waterfront Plaza will create a space for pause along the promenade and likewise the Waterfront Steps will offer a passive place to sit and meet.
The designs are on public exhibition on the Department of Planning website until 27 September. More

Australian architect Kerry Hill has been posthumously awarded the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) 2023 Gold Medal, with the jury praising his remarkable contribution to elevating architectural standards in the country.
A widely respected public figure, Hill was described by the jury as being “hands-on,” “exacting,” “a perfectionist,” and a man of few words who preferred to let his projects speak for themselves. Hill built an extensive portfolio, filled with various community buildings, office towers, and multi-residential projects, however, he was most notably recognized for his detailed hotel designs. Some of his most celebrated hotel projects include The Chedi, Bandung, (1992–1994), Amanusa, Nusa Dua, (1990–1992) and The Serai, Manggis (1992–1994), all located in Indonesia.
During his career, Hill earned numerous awards. He was the recipient of the prestigious Aga Khan Award in 2001 for his design of the Datai Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia, in 1995 he won the Kenneth F. Brown Asia Pacific Culture and Architecture Design Award, and in 2010, he received a President’s Design Award in Singapore for Designer of the Year.
Hill was also awarded the Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal in 2006 and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2012.
Hill held a special place in his heart for Singapore, having based himself there in 1979 and Singapore being the country where he established his practice Kerry Hill Architects. In the 1990s, he introduced a unique design language in Asia through the creation of modern, climate specific resort and residential projects. With clean lines and carefully chosen materials, he crafted spaces that not only captivated the architectural community but evoked a sense of appreciation for good design within the general public.
His accomplishments as an architect extended beyond just design ability. The jury praised him for his frequent and generous sharing of knowledge and expertise with emerging architects through lectures, mentoring, serving on judging panels and teaching at several leading architecture schools.
Kerry Hill Architects continues to uphold his legacy, with the practice an ongoing testament to his influence.
Hill was a joint winner of the 2023 SIA Gold Medal, sharing with architect Raymond Woo, of Raymond Woo and Associates Architects. More

A beloved historical treasure, the Lippincott House, built in 1917, has hit the market with a listing price ranging between $2.1 million and $2.3 million. The two-storey home is part of the Glenard Estate in Eaglemont, designed by architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. The home’s initial designs were completed by architect Roy […] More

The New South Wales government has announced it will axe the previously mooted $481 million redevelopment of Powerhouse Ultimo, instead opting for a $250 million heritage revitalization of the existing museum.
The remaining $230 million will be diverted to support the construction of new school and hospital projects in the state.
The decision is the latest chapter in the long saga of Powerhouse Ultimo.
In 2015, the then-state government proposed to sell the site for $200 million in order to fund the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta, which drew ire from across the NSW community.
The government eventually backed down, announcing in 2020 that the site would be retained.

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The existing Powerhouse Ultimo, including the 1988 extension known as the Wran building, will be retained. Image:

Powerhouse Museum

A design competition was launched in 2022 to create expanded exhibition and public spaces, with a focus on design and fashion.
The redevelopment proposed to demolish the Wran building, a 1988 extension that was designed by NSW government architect Ian Thomson and earned a Sulman Medal: the highest accolade for public architecture in the state. The Wran building will now be retained.
The 2022 design competition was won by a team comprising Architectus, Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Tyrrell Studio, Youssofzay and Hart, Akira Isogawa, Yerrabingin, Finding Infinity and Arup. Their design was unanimously selected by a jury and described as a “truly exceptional building.”
Following the 2023 state election, reports emerged that the previous government had buried two studies that highlighted the heritage significance of the 1988 adaptive-reuse works, and pressure mounted on the new government to reconsider the redevelopment approach.
“We have responded to community calls for a more modest redevelopment, saving the Powerhouse Museum and preserving the Wran legacy with a $250 million heritage redevelopment,” said arts minister John Graham. More

Desert Mob 2023

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Tjunkaya Tapaya applying sgraffito techniques in the ceramics studio. Image:

Courtesy of Ernabella Arts

An unmissable opportunity to experience culturally rich and diverse works from over 35 art centres across desert country, the 2023 edition of Desert Mob promises to amaze, inspire and educate its attendees. Held between 7 September to 22 October in Alice Springs, the event will feature a record number of contemporary works and an opening event program that includes a symposium, a marketplace, workshops, demonstrations, performances and satellite events.
Affordable Art Fair

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The Affordable Art Fair will take place between 31 August and 3 September. Image:

Debby Hudson/Unsplash

The 2023 Affordable Art Fair in Melbourne will feature thousands of original works from over 50 of Australia’s boutique galleries, along with live painting sessions, interactive workshops and vibrant installations. The four-day event, taking place between 31 August and 3 September, provides collectors and art enthusiasts with an opportunity to engage directly with artists and gallery owners.
With Our Elders

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Euphemia Bostock, Boomalli Ten Founding Member Coolamons (detail), hand built ceramic. Image:

© the artist, photo courtesy of the artist and Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative

This Sydney-based exhibition, running until Saturday, 16 September, showcases ten coolamons created by Euphemia Bostock, proud Bundjalung-Mununjali woman, Elder and founding member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Co-operative — alongside selected works made in a series of ceramics workshops with La Perouse Guriwal Women’s Elders Group, organised by Australian Design Centre and Claypool and coordinated by Dakota Dixon.
Clay: Collected Ceramics

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Ceramic work by Nicolette Johnson. Image:

Courtesy of the artist

From functional to fine art, Clay: Collected Ceramics at the Museum of Brisbane features a curated collection of contemporary ceramics shaping the landscape of local art in Brisbane. The collection, on show until October 22, will include newly commissioned works, never before seen, from cutting-edge Brisbane ceramic artists, Bonnie Hislop, Steph Woods, Kenji Uranishi, Jane du Rand and Nicolette Johnson. More

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Australian Retirement Trust Workplace by Cox Architecture. Image:

Cox Architecture

Architectus for Markham Avenue
Cox Architecture for 70 George Street, Cox Sydney Studio
Cox Architecture for Australian Retirement Trust Workplace
Cox Architecture in collaboration with H and E Architects for The Charles Grand Brasserie and Bar
Elenberg Fraser for Slattery Melbourne
Hammond Studio for SafetyCulture, Sydney Headquarters
JCHQ for Chestnut House
Kerstin Thompson Architects for Lothian Street Studio
Lahaus Studio for Upland Farm – Cabin Forest and Cabin Wren
Lucy Clemenger Architects for Delatite Cellar Door
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer for Campbell House, Private Offices
Walter Brooke for Arup Workplace Adelaide
Woods Bagot for Bassendean Hotel
Use

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Pa collection by Nau. Image: Nau

Arid industrial design development and manufacturing for Embarr Argus
Bankston Architectural and Edition Office for Casts by Bankston Architectural and Edition Office Canberra Design Lab – MPavilion’s “Re-pete” Chair
Design Health Collab for Palm – Breathing new life into asthma treatment
Desiree Ibinarriaga, MADA and Wominjeka Djeembana Indigenous Research Lab for Agave Edward
Linacre Studio with Kerstin Thompson Architects for Lothian Street Recycled Lighting Little
Wonder for Round Rhizome Rings
Monash Design Health Collab, SensiLab for PupilMetrix
Nau for Pa collection
Ross Gardam for Volant Chandelier
Ross Gardam for Vestige
SensiLab and Monash Art, Design and Architecture for Drawbotic DB-1: A Drawing Robots Platform
Interact

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Fomo Public Art by Art Theory. Image:

Art Theory

Art Theory for Fomo Public Art
BMW Group and Qut Design Academy for Digitalisation for Sustainability
Deepend Group for Reach Out – Peer Chat
Ellis Jones for Karrkad Kanjdji Trust – Brand ID and Digital
Monash University for Light Colour Humanity – Alastair Swayn Legacy Showcase
The University of Sydney CX Design Team for Sydney Uni App
The DIA Awards are proudly supported by major partners Dulux Venetian Plaster, Smeg, Wood Solutions, Brickworks and The Australian’s WISH magazine.
Following the announcement of merit winners comes the annoucement of the 2023 fellows, who are listed below:
Design Institute of Australia Fellows 2023
Anna Brown, lecturer in industrial and product design, University of South Australia
Brooke Lloyd, interior designer and director, Cox Architecture
Celina Clarke, founder and senior industrial designer, Ism Objects
Csilla Csabai, global technical team leader, Woods Bagot
Fiona Lynch, interior designer and founder, Fiona Lynch Office
Jonathan Tighe, head of industrial design, Intellidesign
Paul Turley, educator, TAFE Queensland and Griffith University, and designer at Home
ReThink Ross Gardam, lighting and furniture designer, founder, Ross Gardam
Simon Christopher, founder and senior industrial designer, ISM Objects More

The Australian Institute of Architects’ Queensland chapter has declared the 2023 Philip Y. Bisset Planning (Architecture) Scholarship open for submissions, with the successful candidate to be awarded $15,000 towards overseas study. The scholarship enables final year Master of Architecture students in Queensland to undertake a course of study or research on architecture overseas, with a […] More