The Sydney University Boatshed project received DA approval at the end of 2013. The project replaces an old A frame structure on the eastern side of Linley Point that was destroyed by fire.
The Lemur Forest Adventure is completed and is now open to the public.
We are very pleased to announce that the first reprint of Public Sydney is now available in bookshops.
By means of exquisite scale drawings, Public Sydney describes and celebrates the public buildings, rooms and spaces of central Sydney, Australia’s founding metropolis. It presents almost 100 of the city’s most important public places in plan, cross-section and elevation, supported by images, and provides an overview of their evolution. Accompanying essays from leading architects, landscape architects, historians and academics offer keen insights into the city’s underlying geography, urban character and most recognisable and well-loved public elements.
Representing over a decade of effort, research and recording, this book comprehensively illuminates Australia’s oldest city. For anyone with an interest in Sydney, or cities in general – particularly architects, landscape designers, planners, engineers, historians and administrators – it offers a deep appreciation of the making of the city over time, and will be an indispensible resource and continuing inspiration.
The book was discussed in a number of sessions at the 2013 Sydney Writer’s Festival. The session chaired by Fenella Kernebone can be viewed here
The Lemur Forest Adventure at Taronga Zoo is nearing completion. The project brings together play, education and interpretation – of place, animal conservation, the wonder of forests, their threat from human deforestation, as well as discovery and beauty within forests.
Surry Hills Tower 2 has commenced construction. With a site area of approx. 126sqm, this project contains a commercial space on the street level, and four single floor apartments above. The fabric of the building is formed from a subtle palette of white materials with differing surface textures – that plays against a rich colour theme of red, blue, yellow and turquoise in small scale details.
Campbell Section 5 was formally announced by Minister Barr in September 2013. This urban project forms new streets and public places at a site located at the junction of two of Canberra’s major landscape axes.
McGregor Coxall have documented and overseen the construction phase of the Little Bay Master Plan. The Master Plan was designed with Hill Thalis and Candalepas Associates in 2007. The public domain is almost completed, and features a series of raingarden streets that treat urban runoff, as well as a suite of parks and squares that link the site to the broader landscape and form the focus of smaller urban elements within the site. See some construction photographs on our webpage.
The Majestic Theatre has been awarded commendations in the Multiple Housing and Heritage/Creative Adaptation sections of the NSW Chapter Architecture Awards. It has also been published in a new atlas by Braun Publishing titled Apartment Buildings that features a selection of international apartment buildings.
Linking Canberra to the Lake has received an Australia Award for Urban Design Policy. We thank our collaborators Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture and SMEC, and our extraordinary client, ACT Office of Coordinator General, and particularly Ian Wood Bradley. We will upload details of this project onto our website shortly.
Work is progressing on the Thomas and Hay Street public domain project for the City of Sydney. We are working with artist Lindy Lee and Landscape Architects JILA to understand and heighten the extraordinary character of these important streets in China Town. See a video of the work in progress here and look for more details on our website shortly.
Public Sydney documents public buildings and spaces in the city through a series of drawings that elucidates the resilience and adaptability of the public realm over time. The book was authored by Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill, and was undertaken with the assistance of the Historic Houses Trust, UNSW Built Environment, the City of Sydney and the Government Architect’s Office. The book includes a number of essays by leading architects and landscape architects and is scheduled for release on 4th April,2013 in conjunction with an exhibition curated by the Historic Houses Trust. The book is almost sold out, but copies still remain at our favourite independent bookshops – Published Art, Architext and the Potts Point Bookshop.
Congratulations to Alex Moras from A & V Moras Constructions who was awarded Custom Built House of the Year by the NSW HIA for the Mountainside House. The judges said, “The home is set on a hill presenting a difficult site, with high winds and sloping site that required a certain level of experience and problem solving from the builder. The result is one of the highest quality projects seen by the judging panel. What an amazing achievement.” Congratulations Alex and the team.
Congratulations also to Adrian Chan who with his colleague Juliana Conceicao received a special mention in the Skyscraper Hotel Tower & Sky Garden Competition Entry for a site in New York.
St Peters Green received a Commendation in the 2011 NSW Chapter Architecture Awards. The jury noted that, ‘In a year with a large number of social housing entries, this project stood out as an exemplar of how architects can contribute to this typology…The project is deeply informed by social and environmental ambitions, and executed rigorously, within pragmatic constraints of this type.’
Pirrama Park at Pyrmont Point won the prestigious Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design in 2010. This is the Australian Institute of Architect’s award for “the most outstanding work of urban design in Australia”.
The project is a result of 5 years of work by Hill Thalis, Aspect Studios and CAB, who designed the park and its structures in close collaboration.
The canopy and belvedere have won Master Builder’s association awards for Public Buildings – 2010 Winner and Best use of Concrete – Joint Winner for 2010.
The Merewether Beach Public Domain Plan undertaken in association with Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture for Newcastle Council has won the Planning Institute of Australia Planning Award for Excellence 2010.
See the Barangaroo Action Group Website. To see the Hill Thalis, Jane Irwin, Paul Berkemeier competition scheme, download copies of the panels at Barangaroo.
Pirrama Park received an Architecture Award for Urban Design in the 2010 NSW Chapter Architecture Awards. “St Peter’s Green”:“http://www.hillthalis.com.au/index.php?id=91, “ Pyrmont Canopy and Belvedere”:http://www.hillthalis.com.au/index.php?id=106 and Bankstown Apartments were all shorlisted in their categories.
Pirrama Park was officially opened by the City of Sydney in March. See the Sydney Morning Herald for a timelapse photographic series of the construction of the park.
The St Peters Green project has been completed. See the St Peters Green website for Testimonials from the new residents.
Philip Thalis presented a talk at the Institute of Architects at Manning Street, Potts Point at 6.30, Tuesday 15th September. The talk was titled ‘Project and Polemic’ and presented the recent work of the practice.
Pyrmont Point Park was awarded the National award in the CCAA Bi annual Public Domain Awards. It was also the winner of the Precincts award and the NSW award.
Sustainable Sydney 2030 won a commendation in the Australia Award for Urban Design 2009. The jury said, ‘The Vision is exciting and innovative, and incorporated widespread engagement with the community. It successfully resolved complex, strategic planning issues into detailed and well illustrated urban design solutions.’ See the ArchDaily website for further details.
Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill jointly won the 2010 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Presidents Award for Contribution to the Architecture Profession.
As well as directing their respective award winning practices, the pair have worked together intermittently over the last 25 years on a wide range of architectural, urban and cultural activities.
Their joint work spans award winning buildings and competition winning schemes, research and publication, architectural tours and university lectureships.
They are currently working on a new book on the Public Rooms and Public Spaces in the City of Sydney, extending their long fascination with the city’s best architecture.
A series of six films to encourage women to study and work in the fields of Architecture and Construction, where they are statistically under-represented, have been produced by Naomi Stead and Sam Scotting for the University of Technology, Sydney. The films feature interviews with leading female architects, project managers and quantity surveyors and includes parts of an interview with Sheila Tawalo from Hill Thalis. Women in Architecture and Construction
Philip Thalis presented the 2009 Paul Reid Lecture at the University of NSW on Wednesday 11th March. The subject of the lecture was Sydney: re-imagining the public project.
Sustainable Sydney 2030 was awarded the Urban Planning Achievement Award at the NSW PIA Awards for Excellence in Planning held in November. The jury considered the Sydney 2030 to be, ‘an outstanding example of a broadly based strategic plan designed to achieve a sustainable city. The Plan is visionary, incorporating dramatic proposals to reduce the impact of the car in the CBD, including the restoration of interesting pedestrian routes and pedestrian-friendly traffic management.’
Red Wall Jack Floyd Reserve won a Commendation in the Small Projects Category of the 2008 NSW Architecture Awards. The jury citation calls the park, ‘modest, monumental and memorable; the project appears to have always existed.’
The Rose Bay Apartments have won a High Commendation in the Professional Excellence in Building Awards for Beach Constructions.
Hill Thalis, Aspect Studios and CAB Consulting’s recently completed Pirrama Park Master Plan received an award for Excellence at the AILA State Awards.
Substation No. 175 was featured in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Domain 10 year anniversary issue. Elizabeth Farrelly describing it as having, ‘the romantic eccentricity of an Italian tower house, its slender section allowing natural ventilation throughout. A perfect inner-city nest.’
