Two Australian architectural marvels have been honored in the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Awards for Excellence. The Bundanon Art Museum and Bridge, along with the Punchbowl Mosque, are among the 22 global winners recognized for their innovative designs and exceptional standards of excellence.
Both Australian projects are now finalists for RIBA’s biennial grand prize, competing for the title of the world’s most transformative new building. The winner will be announced in November.
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Bundanon Art Museum and Bridge: A Fusion of Art and Nature
Situated on the former 1,000-hectare estate of artist Arthur Boyd and his family along the Shoalhaven River, Bundanon was gifted to the public in the early 1990s. In 2022, Melbourne-based Kerstin Thompson Architects completed the Bundanon Art Museum and the Bridge, an accommodation and creative learning center, to house the extensive Boyd art collection.
The Bridge at Bundanon, featuring rooms on stilts over an undulating landscape, provides accommodation for up to 64 guests. RIBA judges lauded both the subterranean museum and the Bridge for their resilience against floods and bushfires and their harmonious integration with the existing heritage buildings.
The judges remarked, “The masterplan offers a paradigm shift in the way we think about landscape, from the purely picturesque to an ecological one.”
The Bundanon project has already won two major Australian architecture awards: the Sulman Medal for Public Architecture and the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, both in 2022.
Architect Kerstin Thompson highlighted the project’s innovative approach to climate challenges, stating, “Fire and flood know no boundaries, so here architecture goes with the flow of the region’s natural systems and ecology.”
Punchbowl Mosque: A Modern Sacred Space
Completed in 2019, the Punchbowl Mosque, designed by Sydney architect Angelo Candalepas, has also previously won the Sulman Medal. This multi-domed concrete mosque in Sydney’s southwest took 17 years to gain approval from the Canterbury Bankstown Council.
RIBA praised the mosque as “a profoundly moving sacred space, magically conjured up in the everyday setting of a Sydney residential suburb.” Despite its modern materials and design, the mosque confidently aligns with the tradition of Muslim architecture.
Candalepas, a Greek Orthodox, was initially hesitant to accept the commission but was advised by his priest to embrace the opportunity. He reflected,
“I’ve been given an opportunity to work in a religious way, which has led me to believe that there really isn’t any difference, when it comes down to the core, between all of us humans – we’re fundamentally spiritual animals.”
Conclusion
These accolades highlight Australia’s growing influence in the global architectural landscape. The innovative designs of the Bundanon Art Museum and Bridge, and the Punchbowl Mosque, not only push the boundaries of architecture but also foster a deeper connection between nature, community, and spirituality. As finalists for the RIBA grand prize, these projects exemplify excellence and transformative impact in contemporary architecture.
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