civic architecture
Events
What does a city made with care actually look like?
At Living Cities Forum 2026, Finn Williams, Ludwig Engel and Anupama Kundoo approached the future of cities through governance, adaptive reuse and material practice.
Project
A civic gateway for Pakenham
Genton’s Pakenham Station transforms a utilitarian transport interchange into an open civic landmark, reconnecting the town through landscape, public space and infrastructure designed around Country.
News
Architecture as a cultural negotiator
As Snøhetta marks ten years of permanent presence in Australia, co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen reflects on Country, civic generosity, regenerative design and why architecture must keep imagining “memories of the future.”
News
Carter Williamson marks 21 years of practice
Sydney studio Carter Williamson Architects celebrates 21 years, reflecting on two decades of civic-minded architecture.
Project
A village in the sky: rethinking retirement living in Sydney
Architectus reimagines ageing in place with Australia’s tallest retirement community, combining housing, care and community in Sydney.
News
Manuelle Gautrand on architecture that moves us
The extraordinary French architect, Manuelle Gautrand, has recently completed PHIVE, a major civic project in Paramatta, NSW. We took the opportunity to talk with her about architecture.
Project
Melbourne Metro and the design heft of transport infrastructure
Ingrid Bakker, Principal and Joint Project Director at Hassell, discusses the wider importance of the “city-shaping” Metro Tunnel completed alongside WW+P Architects and RSHP.
Project
Oyster terrazzo by the harbour
Pier Pavilion by Besley & Spresser provides a refreshing, architecturally thoughtful and versatile public space by the water at Barangaroo.
Events
Foster + Partners launches first Australian exhibition at Parkline Place
Civic Vision, a major exhibition showcasing the global work of Foster + Partners, has officially opened in Sydney.
Project
Happy New Year, happy new Fish Market
With a date now set for January 2026, Sydney’s landmark project is taking shape as a significant and welcome addition to civic life in the city.
Events
Foster + Partners exhibition is coming to Sydney’s Parkline Place
‘Civic Vision | Foster + Partners’ is the first comprehensive exhibition of the practice’s work to be held in Australia, providing an in-depth look at its global portfolio of work since it was founded in 1967 by Norman Foster.
Project
Studio Lotus’ Biju Janata Dal Party HQ connects with the streetscape in India
Biju Janata Dal Party Headquarters’ connection with the streetscape is a testament to the inclusive development and regional pride of design in Odisha.
Project
Monumentality with a certain softness: Moreau Kusunoki and Genton on Powerhouse Parramatta
We met the architectural design team behind Powerhouse Parramatta as they gave a talk on the milestone project at Western Sydney University.
Project
Santuario de La Salle church by CAZA is a modern interpretation of the Colosseum
The church has an outer skin made of vertical slats and 14 separate doors that lead worshippers to the central circular core.
Ideas
Bringing it home: Claire Sharpe returns to Warren and Mahoney Wellington
She thinks big and has the credentials to back it up. Returning to the Wellington studio of Warren and Mahoney in 2022, this architect brings home a wealth of expertise.
Project
Zikawei Library by Wutopia Lab draws inspiration from Chinese trousseau box
Wutopia Lab transforms an abandoned building in Shanghai into a public library for the community.
Project
Sam Crawford Architects designs an eel-shaped pedestrian bridge
The sustainably built Bara Bridge replaces a decaying pedestrian bridge and connects the park to a new light rail station, broader pedestrian/cycle networks and surrounding suburbs.
Project
Atal Akshaya Urja Bhavan is India’s first net-positive building
Leading the way in design, Edifice Consultants has conceived and realised India’s first net-positive building and, in doing so, has created a template for the here and now.
Events
The revamped Peranakan Museum celebrates diversity and inclusivity
The museum celebrates its reopening with free admission and a whole host of festivities from 17 to 19 February. Kennie Ting, Director of Asian Civilisations Museum and Peranakan Museum shares more about the museum’s new direction.
Events
The expanded Waterbom Bali will feature sustainably designed attractions
Among the new highlights in the additional 1.3 hectares is a 20-metre-tall slide tower offering a treetop view.
Project
The Nest Art Center emerges like an egg from a cocoon
Inspired by nature, the Nest Art Center in Shenzhen is the latest architectural icon for the fourth largest city in China.
Project
This ribbon-like infrastructure is more than just a pedestrian bridge
Integrating connectivity, biodiversity, culture and ecology, this pedestrian bridge by the Melbourne-Shanghai-based firm, BAU, is a hybrid public destination for leisure and relaxation.
Ideas
Are architects responsible for shaping happy communities?
ARM Architecture’s Jesse Judd and Mark Raggatt discuss how the pandemic has emphasised the importance of public space and why placemaking is now more important than ever.
Articles
Transforming civic spaces with lighting design: 3 Australian case studies
Blending functionality and style, KLIK Systems’ architectural lighting solutions help create safe and welcoming spaces that bring the community together.
People
Indesign luminaries: looking back at the Lyon legacy
Architecture is more than just a practise, it’s a vocation, for brothers and business partners, Corbett and Carey Lyon.
Project
SJB, DBJ and TZG teach us a lesson in design excellence
Radical collaboration between three of Australia’s leading architecture studios and local council has realised Newcastle as an exemplar of design excellence objectives at work.
Project
Ocean Grove by Wood Marsh is beautifully recessive
Born of love and respect for both the geographical region and the Surf Life Saving community, the architecture of Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club answers far more than the aesthetic demands of contemporary architecture.
Project
Design throwback: Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
Heralding sustainable design; spectacular lighting displays; unparalleled sightlines; and an innovative bioframe roof – what’s not to love about Melbourne soccer stadium?
Project
Creating Places For People: Maitland Riverlink
Maitland RIverlink, by CHROFI with McGregor Coxall, shows how design can be a powerful instrument in a community. It won the INDE.Awards’ 2019 Building trophy, partnered by Cult.
Project
Creating places for people in the region: The Maitland Riverlink project
What does it mean to design in the region? And how does regional designing impact a place? The Maitland Riverlink project sheds more light.
Project
Creating A Village Square: Green Square Library
Tipped to become Australia’s most densely populated precinct, Sydney’s Green Square required a truly memorable gesture for its community hub. The Library and Plaza redefines the meaning of architectural literacy with its incredibly visual and graphic structures. And it also happened to snag INDE Gold in The Learning Space category, partnered with Living Edge.
Project
Creating a village square: Green Square Library
Tipped to become Australia’s most densely populated precinct, Sydney’s Green Square required a truly memorable gesture for its community hub. The Library and Plaza redefines the meaning of architectural literacy with its incredibly visual and graphic structures. And it also happened to snag INDE Gold in The Learning Space category, partnered with Living Edge.
Project
Remaining truly Australian then and now: Kinley Cricket Club
Respective of the site’s history and the role it has played in the state of Victoria, Winter Architecture and Zunica have transformed an existing cricket pavilion at the Kinley Cricket Club into one that fosters community engagement and activation.
Ideas
Top 10 stadium design ideas to inspire NSW
With Sydney poised to potentially see a massive new $2bn stadium project, we take a look at 10 architecturally impressive examples of stadium design we might take inspiration from…