NSW Architecture Award 2021 winners

The state’s most outstanding architectural projects are being celebrated with the announcement of the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2021 NSW Architecture Award winners.

Drawn from a total of 299 entries across 13 categories, the most highly awarded projects this year share common attributes that really stand out among a highly competitive field, according to NSW Chair of Juries, Peter Mould.

“Architects in NSW continue to address the challenges of climate change through sustainable and innovative design,” Mr Mould said.

“Many of the awarded projects are existing buildings that have been adapted for new uses or had existing uses reinvigorated. This sustainably captures all the embodied energy and craft from the past as well as retaining their important contribution to local urban character.

“We’ve also seen many projects having multiple authors with architects working in collaboration to deliver large and complex projects.

“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance public spaces and venues and it is good to see so many public projects awarded this year.”

NSW Chapter President, Laura Cockburn, congratulated all award recipients on their extraordinary contribution to improving the community’s experience of the built environment.

“The very nimble, deeply considered design responses showcased tonight speak to a profession committed to delivering the best outcomes for the people across our state who interact daily with these award-winning projects,” Ms Cockburn said.

One of the night’s most highly awarded projects, Smart Design Studio, was cited as a stand-out example of the practice using its own headquarters to make, test, model and prototype new ideas, structures, technology and compositions. It received two of the highest honours: The Sir Arthur G Stephenson Award for Commercial Architecture and The Milo Dunphy Award for Sustainable Architecture, as well as an Interior Architecture Award.

The Australian Museum Project Discover by Neeson Murcutt and Neille in collaboration with Cox Architecture also received the highest honour in two categories, The Greenway Award for Heritage and The John Verge Award for Interior Architecture, as well as being awarded the NSW Architecture Medallion. The Jury cited the “highly strategic” design which “reveals a new way to experience the nation’s first museum”.

In a further example of outstanding public-facing architecture, Sub Base Platypus by lahznimmo architects and Aspect Studios received The Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design together with an Award for Heritage – Creative Adaptation. The transformation of this former submarine base has enabled its reopening after having been closed to the public for more than 150 years. The Jury said, “the unmitigated success of this project has been the strong linkages created between the site, neighbouring streets and North Sydney Ferry Wharf.”

The iconic MLC Building by Bates Smart & McCutcheon received the award for Enduring Architecture. A long-running advocacy campaign by the Institute helped secure NSW State Heritage Register listing for what was North Sydney’s first high-rise, opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies on 22 August 1957.

The city’s heritage was further celebrated with the Sydney Theatre Company project by Hassell receiving The Sulman Medal for Public Architecture for what the Jury called “an unqualified success, an entirely new facility that provides vastly improved experiences for artists, workers and visitors while at the same time being a stunningly beautiful piece of architecture brilliantly articulating the building’s maritime past and theatrical future.”

In Albury, Plastic Palace by Raffaello Rosselli Architects won The Robert Woodward Award for Small Project Architecture and a commendation for Sustainable Architecture with the Jury emphasising the “extraordinary level of experimentation and innovation” which demonstrates “the role that architecture can play in addressing wider social issues.”

Barker College Rosewood Centre by Neeson Murcutt and Neille received The William E Kemp Award for Educational Architecture with the sports facility in Hornsby described by the Jury as “grounded in Country” where “celebration of place and movement is the heart.” The Jury says, “Socially conscious, the Rosewood Centre is founded on Indigenous and community awareness, celebrating all participants and every activity.”

The highly competitive residential categories continued the theme of heritage revitalisation.

The Hat Factory by Welsh & Major won The Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) for what the Jury described as “an outstanding example of adaptive reuse of a dilapidated warehouse that has played a diverse role in the industrial and social life of the area”.

The Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New) was awarded to Pearl Beach House by Polly Harbison Design celebrated as “the realisation of the clients’ dream, to build a bespoke, concrete sculpture in the bush, on a budget that demanded creative solutions.” The Jury commended what was “a masterful manipulation of the tension between severe, hard materials and finely-crafted detailing that transcends what might otherwise be cold and brutal.”

Newmarket Eastern Precinct in Randwick by Bates Smart and Smart Design Studio won The Aaron Bolot Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing with the jury saying, “both in the design and the process Newmarket is exemplary in showing how we might live well in the city.”

Alexander Symes of Alexander Symes Architect was awarded this year’s NSW Emerging Architect Prize with the Jury noting how his practice has provided him with opportunities to “demonstrate best-practise sustainable design, while also advance sustainable architecture.” The Jury also commended Alex for his strong contribution to the Institute, where he has shared “his passion for sustainability through lectures, committees, and panels including working with other industry leaders on the Section J 2019 technical review. By participating in these activations and reviews, he not only advocates for the strengthening of sustainability but shares his wealth of knowledge with future generations to come.”

architecture.com.au

Blacket Prize

Rocky Hill Memorial Museum by Crone with Urbis

COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture

Maitland Athletics Complex by Maitland City Council with Studio Dot

Commercial Architecture 

The Sir Arthur G Stephenson Award for Commercial Architecture – Smart Design Studio by Smart Design Studio

Architecture Award

Little National Hotel by Bates Smart

Architecture Award

Workshop, 21 Harris Street by Bates Smart

Commendation

BMW + Mini by SJB

Commendation

Stone and Wood Brewery by Harley Graham Architects

Educational Architecture

The William E Kemp Award for Educational Architecture

Barker College Rosewood Centre by Neeson Murcutt and Neille

Architecture Award

Ainsworth Building, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University by Architectus

Commendation

The Athenaeum Wenona by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Commendation

The Women’s College 
Sibyl Centre Sydney Uni by M3 Architecture

Emerging Architect Prize

Alexander Symes, Alexander Symes Architect

Enduring Architecture

Architecture Award

MLC Building, North Sydney by Bates Smart & McCutcheon

Heritage Architecture

The Greenway Award for Heritage

Australian Museum Project Discover by Neeson Murcutt and Neille, Cox Architecture

Award for Heritage – Creative Adaptation (NSW)

Sub Base Platypus by lahznimmon architects and Aspect Studios

Award for Heritage – Conservation (NSW)

Reid House by Hector Abrahams Architects

Award for Heritage – Conservation (NSW)

58 Carr Street by McGregor Westlake Architecture

Commendation for Heritage – Creative Adaptation (NSW)

Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas by Tzannes

Commendation for Heritage – Conservation (NSW)

The Lowy Building by Hector Abrahams Architects

Commendation for Heritage – Conservation (NSW)

SRG House by Fox Johnston

Interior Architecture 

The John Verge Award for Interior Architecture

Australian Museum Project Discover by Neeson Murcutt and Neille, Cox Architecture, and Orwell and Peter Phillips

Architecture Award

Smart Design Studio by Smart Design Studio

Architecture Award

Carpe Diem Companionway by Collins and Turner with Geyer

Commendation

Barker College Rosewood Centre by Neeson Murcutt + Neille

Commendation

Yallmundi Rooms by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Commendation

Arbutus by Smart Design Studio

Commendation

Porous House by Possible Studio

Commendation

Contemplation House by Virginia Kerridge Architect

Lord Mayor’s Prize

Waterfall by SJB

Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre by Andrew Burges Architects and Grimshaw with TCL in collaboration with the City of Sydney

Public Architecture

The Sulman Medal for Public Architecture

Sydney Theatre Company by Hassell Studio

Architecture Award

Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre by Andrew Burges Architects and Grimshaw with TCL in collaboration with the City of Sydney

Architecture Award

Maitland Athletics Complex

Commendation

Rocky Hill Memorial Museum by Crone with Urbis

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

The Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)

Hat Factory by Welsh & Major

Architecture Award

Birchgrove House by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Architecture Award

SRG House by Fox Johnson

Architecture Award

Riley’s Terrace by Adele Mcnab Architect

Architecture Award

Lena by Smart Design Studio

Commendation

Smash Repair House by Matt Elkan

Commendation

Villa Villekulla by Virginia Kerridge

Commendation

House Fit by Panov Scott

Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

The Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Pearl Beach House by Polly Harbison Design

Architecture Award

Bunkeren by James Stockwell Architect

Architecture Award

Night Sky by Peter Stutchbury Architecture

Architecture Award

Federal House by Edition Office

Commendation

Off Grid FZ House by Anderson Architecture

Commendation

Mystery Bay House by Jack Hawkins Architect with Rob Hawkins

Commendation

Cobargo Santa Project by Breathe

Commendation

House Ngaio Palm Beach by Durbach Block Jaggers Architects

Commendation

Contemplation House by Virginia Kerridge Architect

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

The Aaron Bolot Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing

Newmarket Eastern Precinct by Bates Smart and Smart Design Studio

Architecture Award

Arkadia by DKO Architecture with Breathe Architecture and Oculus

Architecture Award

Harbord Diggers Club Redevelopment by Architectus + CHROFI + JMD Design

Commendation

249 Darlinghurst Road by SJB

Commendation

Foamcrest Apartments by Richard Cole Architecture

Commendation

Teracota by Bennett Murada Architects

Commendation

Llandaff St Apartments by Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects with McGregor Westlake Architects

Small Project Architecture

The Robert Woodward Award for Small Project Architecture

Plastic Palace by Raffaello Rosselli

Architecture Award

Broken Camp by Atelier Luke

Commendation

Nicholas Galleries, Chau Chak Wing gallery by StudioPlusThree

Commendation

Wattamolla amenties by Connybear Morrison

Sustainable Architecture

The Milo Dunphy Award for Sustainable Architecture

Smart Design Studio by Smart Design Studio

Architecture Award

Cobargo Santa Project by Breathe Architecture

Architecture Award

Night Sky by Peter Stutchbury Architecture

Commendation

Plastic Palace by Raffaello Rosselli

Commendation

FERN Passivhaus Apartments by Steele Associates Architects

Commendation

Porous House by Possible Studio

Commendation

Minima by Trias

Commendation

Courtyard House by Chrofi

Urban Design

The Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design

Sub Base Platypus by lahznimmon architects and Aspect Studios

Architecture Award

Harbord Diggers Club Redevelopment by Architectus + CHROFI + JMD Design

Commendation

Taronga Zoo African Savannah by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Commendation

Putney Hill Master Plan and Residential Development by COX Architecture

NSW Architecture Medallion

Australian Museum Project Discover by Neeson Murcutt and Neille, Cox Architecture