AA March/April 2024 preview

Architecture contributes substantially to a city’s ability to thrive – and, in turn, a thriving city attracts good architecture. This issue includes two significant public projects, both of which are in what might be considered “second cities.” To compete with state capitals, second cities require civic amenity to encourage vibrant and diverse communities – and these public projects are charged with supplying this amenity.

As Laura Harding writes in her review, Paramatta Aquatic Centre by Grimshaw with Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall is part of “the most ambitious public architectural program in Australian’s recent urban history.” The pool attracted 46,000 visitors in its first three weeks of operation – demonstrating the power of new, well-designed architecture. Similarly, in a transformation in Victoria, the latest addition to the Revitalising Central Geelong Action Plan is the Geelong Arts Centre (Stage 3) by ARM Architecture. With political as well as cultural ambitions, this vibrant project seeks to reconsider the role of an arts institution within society and break down barriers with the local community.

Public buildings like these two – regardless of where they’re located – have a huge civic responsibility. Other buildings have other responsibilities: the Melbourne Holocaust Museum by Kerstin Thompson Architects, for example, must carefully balance respect for traumatic testimonies with support – and even celebration – for survivors. Still others, such as the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C. by Bates Smart, consider how we represent Australia and its architecture in another country. Then, there is the responsibility that all buildings bear in terms of environmental impact and how we might work toward a circular economy. Flipside Circus’s Brisbane Circus Centre by Blok Modular is a playful assembly of prefabricated, reusable building components that, says reviewer Kirsty Volz, “can be pulled apart and placed on the back of a truck for relocation if the need arises.” As well as providing a flexible home for a dynamic arts organization, this structure demonstrates circular-economy principles in an engaging public setting.

We talk about the responsibility of buildings, but the real responsibility lies with those who design them – and it’s important to reflect on the values we hold as designers. In his discussion of material specificity, Michael McMahon explores the process of using – and developing – materials that belong uniquely to a particular site. Susan Beetson is working on a project to digitize traditional Knowledges that not only creates economic opportunities for First Nations communities but – among many other benefits – has the potential to make it easier for architects and designers to access information about traditional materials.

Given the increasing use of artificial intelligence across industries, we asked Roland Snooks and Gwyllim Jahn to guest-edit a dossier on the impact of AI on architecture, now and into the future. With many years of experience in the field between them, Roland and Gwyll conducted two vigorous roundtables and gathered a series of case studies that demonstrate the diverse ways that AI is currently being used. We learnt a great deal about AI from these self-confessed “techno-optimists” who believe that these tools might not only relieve us of the more mundane tasks, leaving more time for creativity, but also help us solve the wicked problems our world is currently facing.

Katelin Butler, Georgia Birks and Nicci Dodanwela

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