Craig Burton, Ken Maher, Leni Borg and Peter Stutchbury
I felt extremely proud to be part of the Australian architectural profession last Friday night as 330 members and guests celebrated the 2010 National Architecture Awards at the National Gallery in Canberra. What an inspiring group of projects and architects received awards and commendations – from a small residential alteration and addition in Tasmania celebrating our heritage (congratulations Maria Gigney for a pearl of a project) to the largest scale public transport facilities, the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link Intermediate Stations by Hassell. Accepting the public architecture award, Ross de la Motte of Hassell said this project in Sydney’s north-west was on the scale of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, with up to 1200 workers deep underground while those above remained mostly oblivious and uninterrupted.
What a fantastic achievement. Receiving the 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture, Peter Partridge told us he designed the Supreme Court Complex in Hobart to be virtually impossible to tamper with and destroy. His strategy appears to have worked so far. The evening was full of similarly interesting and inspiring stories. We also enjoyed a surprise acrobatic act, a wander through the external Sky Garden and the new galleries for indigenous art. Actress Sigrid Thornton did a great job of MC’ing, and the new Gandel Hall worked perfectly as a venue. A special thanks to the national jury (Melinda Dodson, Max Pritchard, Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Cameron Bruhn and Peter Stutchbury) for their insight and thoughtful consideration of wide ranging and diverse projects.
Check www.architecture.com.au/i-cms?page=1.64.34.13875.14817 for the full media kit.
John Gollings and Karl Fender
Sigrid Thornton and His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce AM AE
Neil Durbach and Camilla Block of Durbach Block