From the NSW Chapter President

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Chapter Presiden’ts Message
Monday 12 September

 

SAVE OUR SIRIUS

I invite you to join me at Customs House Square this Saturday for an 11.30 march to a rally at the Sirius building, 44 Cumberland Street, The Rocks.

The Baird Government has failed to acknowledge the architectural, social and cultural importance of Sirius by refusing to list it on the State Heritage Register, paving the way for its demolition.

I set up a crowd-funding campaign three weeks ago that has already achieved the $35,000 target we sought for the legal challenge against the decision. This indicates the depth of support in the community for the campaign to save the building.

If the state won’t look after our cultural treasurers, we will.

More information: https://allevents.in/sydney/save-our-sirius-rally/1380984555264015

 

CITY OF SYDNEY ELECTION WIN

My congratulations to Lord Mayor Clover Moore and her team for their decisive win in last weekend’s local government elections. The NSW Chapter looks forward to four more years of open and consultative governance and a continuation of the City’s progressive design excellence strategy.

It is particularly important for the architecture profession that Philip Thalis was successful in gaining a position on the council as a member of her election-winning team. He adds his status as an award-winning architect and urban designer to the design strength in the City’s staff, led by this year’s President’s Prize recipients Graham Jahn AM and Bridget Smyth.

The Lord Mayor’s design excellence record speaks for itself:

  • sustainable development, renewal and design was one of the 10 strategic directions identified in the Sustainable Sydney 2030 strategic plan developed in her first term at Town Hall;
  • 12 architectural practices were commissioned to develop projects for individual city precincts as part of the Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan;
  • expansion of the design excellence provisions of the Sydney Local Environmental Plan across the entire Sydney local government area for buildings over 25m in height;
  • Customs House Library (Lacoste + Stevenson Architects) won an award for interior architecture in 2006;
  • Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre (Harry Seidler & Associates) won an architecture award for public architecture in the NSW Architecture Awards in 2008;
  • Jack Floyd Reserve (Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects) won a commendation for small project architecture in 2008;
  • Turruwul Park Kiosk and Change Rooms (Hassell with City Projects, City of Sydney) won a commendation for small project architecture in 2009;
  • adoption of the City’s Public Art Strategy in 2010;
  • the Lord Mayor herself was the recipient of the NSW President’s Prize in 2010;
  • Surry Hills Library and Community Centre (fjmt) won the Milo Dunphy Award, the John Verge Award and an architecture award for public architecture in 2010;
  • Paddington Reservoir Gardens (Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects with JMD Design and City of Sydney) won the Lloyd Rees Award and Greenway Award in 2010;
  • Pirrama Park (Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects / Aspect Studios / CAB Consulting) and Redern Park and Oval (BVN Architecture) won architecture awards for urban design in 2010;
  • Sydney Town Hall Refurbishment (Tanner Architects) won a commendation for heritage architecture in 2010;
  • Sydney Park Amenities (Stanic Harding) won a commendation for small project architecture in 2010;
  • introduction of the Lord Mayor’s Prize in 2013 to recognise projects that improve the quality of the city’s public domain;
  • Waterloo Youth Family Community Centre (Collins and Turner with City of Sydney) won the Sulman Medal and an Architecture Award for sustainable architecture in 2013;
  • Prince Alfred Park + Pool upgrade (Neeson Murcutt Architects in association with City of Sydney won the Sulman Medal and Lloyd Rees Award and was the co-recipient of the Lord Mayor’s Prize in 2014;
  • Eternity Playhouse (Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects) won the Greenway Award in 2014; and
  • City of Sydney Public Domain Furniture (Tzannes) won a commendation for urban design in 2016.

This is an enviable record of achievement for any city and we have Clover Moore’s commitment to design quality to thank for it. Her administration has set the benchmark for other Australian cities.

Shaun Carter
NSW Chapter President