Two state award domination

It was interesting to note that all but one of the award winners at last night’s Australian Institute of Awards came from either New South Wales or Victoria. The exception being the VS1/SA Water Head Office by Hassell which took out the National Award for Sustainable Architecture. To the surprise of many, the night’s host, the Melbourne Recital Centre, was pipped for the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture by the National Portrait Gallery by Johnson Pilton Walker in what many consider the major prize of the night. I haven’t visited either of them so I can’t really compare them. Although the Recital Centre did take out the Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture. In what I would class as a surprise, the Letterbox House by McBride Charles Ryan didn’t get a guernsey with the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture going to Chenchow Little Architects for their Freshwater House, with the National Awards for Residential Architecture went to Neeson Murcutt Architecture for the Whale Beach House in Sydney and Zac’s House at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Also good to see some different names pick up awards this year, hopefully it continues next time around.

For a full list of winners, visit the AIA website.

Bankin on a sale

Another Robin Boyd designed house is up for sale with the Bankin House, up for auction on 07 November 2009 at 12:30pm. The Bankin House was completed in 1964, with the Robin Boyd Foundation describing it as:

A sublime house located on an awesome site. Simply planned then constructed and detailed with a simplicity and elegance reminiscent of traditional Japanese construction. The two owners (the original and current) have been fiercely protective of their privacy and the houses location. It has never been open to the public and few know of its location. The house is in excellent condition, restored with minor additions a few years ago by Boyd’s colleague and friend Peter McIntyre.

For more details, you check out the real estate agent that it selling the property here, noting that there is an open for inspection on 31 October 2009 at 12:30pm and yes I know it’s short notice.

Brutal treatment

A Facebook page and petition have been set up as opposition to the proposed demolition of the Brutalist classic at 10 Murray Street, Hobart, otherwise known as the State Government Offices building.

Butterpaper has been following this issue quite closely since word first got out that there was a proposal to demolish the Hartley Wilson & Partners designed building. They also managed to track down the original architect, Dirk Bolt for his opinion on the whole matter.

On an interesting note, Professor Rob Adams, a major force behind the rebirth of Melbourne’s CBD,  toured Hobart’s CBD recently and advocated the re-use of 10 Murray Street stating that:

He said the Government’s CBD office block was a prime catalyst to stimulate the change — though he feared it was too late.

With a number of architecturally significant buildings under threat in recent times I wonder if we harking back to the thinking of the eighties where are a number of important buildings bit the dust, particularly in Melbourne, in the name of development. One can only wonder.

For more information, you can also visit the Save 10 Murray website.

Edited: 29th October 2009, 9:45pm

Advertising architecture – update #2

The People’s Choice Award for the recent Advertisements for Architecture exhibition has been announced with Marcus White’s ‘Architecture – It’s not just for Wankers’ (which I’m pretty sure I voted for) taking out first prize.

Marcus was followed, in second place, by Rebecca Daff’s ‘Your Architect’ and, in third and fourth places respectively, by Matt Ross Goodman’s ‘Three’ and Adrian Lo’s ‘A Vision for Tomorrow’.

An abandoned phenomenon

For the last three months I have been living in Braybrook as I wait for my own house in Yarraville to become available. One thing I have noticed is the amount of abandoned shopping trolleys that are in the area – it’s a kind of urban phenomenon. So much so that in the last three weeks I have taken to photographing them in their habitat and you can view some on my Flickr page. There is also a great Flickr group dedicated to abandoned trolleys from around the world, with much better photographs than mine that is worth checking out. In a few days I move to Yarraville and I wonder if there will be as many trolleys to photograph – I am guessing so as I live very close to a large chain supermarket.

A misguided bolt out of the blue

Everyone’s favourite neo-con commentator has taken a break from denying climate change to today take aim at Melbourne’s modern architecture. Obviously still basking in the post-coital glow of his recent vacation (if only it was permanent) Bolt waxes lyrical about some of the landmarks he has recently visited.

So I’ve just flown back from marvelling at the Coliseum in Rome, Schoenbrun Palace in Vienna and the Duomo in Milan with its hundreds of extravagant spires, each topped with a statue. The taxi from the airport is now taking me past Melbourne’s latest laughable attempt to build a landmark of its own – this time the Southern Star observation wheel.

Whilst I agree with his comments (I’m still feeling a little dirty) on the giant ferris wheel,  his comments regarding some of Melbourne’s more modern buildings are true to his neo-con roots.

We once could build pretty, of course, but trace our decline. We’ve gone from the elegant Exhibition Building to the barren barn of exhibition space that’s Jeff’s Shed. From the stately Flinders St station to the wave-roofed gimmick of Southern Cross station. From jewelled Regent Theatre to the scraped-bare sterility of the new Melbourne Recital Centre, yet another building ruined by our modish determination to make our public architecture reflect the barrenness of Australia’s deserts.

Sorry Andrew, but I think you may be getting the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Australia Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) mixed up – I would hardly call Melbourne Recital Centre sterile. In fact it’s one of Melbourne’s most exciting buildings of recent times. And even ACCA is one of the prime reasons why Melbourne is considered at the forefront of design in the world. And has Mr Bolt actually used Flinder Street Station of late? It’s in a sad need of a serious makeover and don’t ask me what happened when they closed the toilets for renovations last year. Hardly an architectural icon.

But how could a Herald Sun article miss out on attempt to have a cheap shot at Federation Square. I’m pretty sure they campaigned for the removal of the “shard”.

But it’s also true that on the few times Melbourne now tries to build beautifully – monumentally – it fails. Take Federation Square, all surly elbows and cringing in camouflage colours – just the building for a generation of neo-barbarians with lip rings and bum antlers.

Whilst it had its early issues, Federation Square is slowing becoming one of the best public spaces in Melbourne, if not Australia. Maybe he forgets the masses of people that constantly turn out for events within the public plaza on a weekly basis. Where else would they go for such events? Complimenting the plaza, is the brilliant NGV Australia, Atrium and ACMI.

I’m sorry Andrew Bolt. but if this best you can do on your first day back from holiday maybe you should stick to your old themes of climate change, queue jumping and Kevin Rudd bashing because your attempt at criticising Melbourne’s thriving architecture scene has fallen flat on its face.

Long overdue makeover

Footscray Station is currently going undergoing a long overdue makeover. The photo below was taken on Saturday after my train to Sunshine (another station that needs a serious makeover) was terminated at Footscray. The redevelopment has come in for some criticism as many see it has part of the “evil” gentrification of Footscray but personally I think it’s a great thing for the area. Not sure who the architect is though.

Advertising architecture – update #1

I managed to have a quick look at the Advertisements for Architecture exhibition at Federation Square only moments before it was pulled down. I was impressed at the variety of responses that were on display and have included some of highlights for your viewing pleasure.

Also really liked the displays for the exhibition. I’m not sure if they were custom made for the exhibition or belong to Federation Square but they were impressive nonetheless.

Advertising architecture

Taking inspiration from Bernard Tschumi’s 1978 “Advertisements for Architecture” and in light of the current Global Financial Crisis openHAUS has again looked at the idea and asked for contributors a number of months back. Now those contributions are available for viewing at Federation Square for a very limited time. In fact the exhibition opened on the 28th September 2009 and will close on the 02 October 2009, so be quick.

Demolition decision

Ever wanted to decide which of your least favourite buildings could get demolished then you may want to look at Voto Demo. Voto Demo is a project by Gustavo Artigas that consists of the production and application of a survey to identify which building the population of Los Angeles would like to have demolished. They are asking for the collaboration of architects and the general public to help them in this endeavour. A letter with the results will be sent along with the proper documentation as an official petition to the city’s government to request the demolition of the selected building on behalf of its citizens. Up for demolition are the following buildings:

• Disney Concert Hall
• The Pacific Design Centre
• Staples Centre
• Broad Contemporary Art Museum
• Rodeo Drive Boutiques
• Kodak Centre

So with this in mind it got me thinking as to which Melbourne buildings that I would like to see demolished and I came up with this list:

• Northbank Place
• Melbourne Aquarium
• RMIT Building 8

Which buildings would you choose?

(courtesy of @HawthornLAT)