AIA ceremony feels the love

THE AIA acknowledges a "good year for houses", and for notions of community, which have given us new art galleries and a children's hospital.

ROMANCE is back, we declared in these pages when we revealed the honour roll of Australia's best buildings 12 months ago.

This year, as WISH announces the winners of the 2012 National Architecture Awards, we find that power of romance has been augmented by notions of community, philanthropy and, yes, even love. How else to explain the Museum of Old and New Art, the Tasmanian "unmuseum" encasing a sandstone peninsula.

It's already an architectural celebrity, thanks to the unique vision of its founder, the professional gambler and art patron David Walsh, and his architect, Nonda Katsalidis, founding partner of Fender Katsalidis.

The winner of the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture already lays claim to being the state's premier tourism attraction, despite only opening last year.

"This building is so unusual but it works," declares jury chair Brian Zulaikha. "It's a complete tour de force of love, and he's chosen the right architect."

Love, in the form of benefaction, was also present in the restoration of the Victorian mansion Swifts, in the creation of the John Kaldor Family Gallery out of a basement storeroom at the Art Gallery of NSW and in the contributions that helped to build the $1 billion Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

In contrast to last time, this was a stellar year for buildings. If the awards are the architectural equivalent of the Oscars, then the 2012 winners chosen by the Australian Institute of Architects included blockbusters (MONA, Swifts, 1 Bligh Street, Australia Square), art films (Inner House, Garagistes), short films (Perth's Cultural Centre Amenities), sequels (AGNSW's John Kaldor Family Gallery) and, for the first time, even a student production (Real Studio: Murphy's Creek Bicentennial National Trail).

"There were some really impressive pieces of architecture this year," says jury member Richard Johnson, of Johnson Pilton Walker and an AIA gold medallist, who pointed out the prominence of public benefaction in so many winners. "I don't recall it being strong driver for excellence or a strong contributor in an awards year before." For that, he praised clients, who don't have their own AIA category, because "their drive, their energy, creates the climate that architects work in. It demands more of architects. They want something exceptional." The return to traditional patronage was welcome. "It has historically brought out the best and we don't see enough of it, but this year there have been some exceptional works."

While the winners' circle included the world-famous (Harry Seidler and Associates) and the feted PTW Architects, the awards looked to the future, with the winners including architecture students for the first time. Step forward 80 students from the Queensland University of Technology, who beat established firms to the small projects national award for rebuilding the flood-ravaged agriculture shed on the Bicentennial National Trail at Murphy's Creek.

The diverse members of the jury bonded during their unique road trip of more than 22,000km. Zulaikha, founding partner of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, and immediate past president of the AIA, was gently probing and quietly provocative.

Johnson would clap his hands in halls to test reverberation. Kerry Hill, another gold medallist and international architect, would measure spaces and compare costs, as Amy Muir of Muir Medes provided insight and energy, while Juliana Engberg, the artistic director of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and director of the 2014 Sydney Biennale, supplied humour, grace and eloquence. Here was a jury not afraid to assert its independence; it bypassed Exeter Farm, the NSW winner, to hand the Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage to the restoration of the late-Victorian mansion Swifts.

There were two big winners this year. BVN Architecture, which won an unprecedented four awards, and Tasmania, which scooped two of the biggest prizes, thanks to MONA and the stunning Shearer's Quarters, which collected the Robin Boyd award.

A national award for the funky interior of Garagistes added to the Tasmania tally.

South Australia remains an underperformer, with only one award, while Queensland surprisingly only went one better. Western Australia scored three this year, including its "Cabinet of Dr Caligari" toilet block in Perth's Culture Centre, while Victoria and NSW dominated with 11 and 14 apiece.

Zulaikha is convinced we are riding the crest of a wave. "All the winners in all the categories were all world-class, without a doubt," he says. "The quality of the architecture in Australia at present is equal to anywhere in the world." Last month's World Architecture Awards in Singapore, backed him up. Local firms won eight categories out of 32, an exceptional presence on the world stage.

Despite this, architects are doing it tough. David Parken, chief executive of the AIA, forecasts a "choppy period", while the Australian Construction Industry Forum declares the next 12 months will be "make or break time".

Despite the uncertainty, it's inspiring to turn to the words of Richard Johnson, as good as any as an industry creed: "Buildings are about supplying functional needs, but unless the soul is moved or the mind is challenged, it's not architecture, it's as simple as that."

AND THE WINNERS ARE

The Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture
Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania. Fender Katsalidis Architects

National Awards for Public Architecture
Narbethong Community Hall, Victoria. BVN Architecture

Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria. Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart
Ravenswood School for Girls, NSW. BVN Architecture

The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture - Houses
The Shearer's Quarters, Tasmania. John Wardle Architects

National Award for Residential Architecture
Cliff Face House, NSW. Fergus Scott Architects with Peter Stutchbury Architecture

The Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing
Monash University Student Housing, Clayton, Victoria. BVN Architecture

National Awards for Multiple Housing
Heller Street Park and Residences, Victoria. Six Degrees Architects
Bell Romero Houses, NSW. Chenchow Little Architects

The Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture
1 Bligh Street, Sydney, NSW. Architectus and Ingenhoven Architects

National Award for Commercial Architecture
Adelaide Studios, South Australia. Grieve Gillett and Cox Richardson Architects in association

The Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage
Restoration of Swifts, Darling Point, NSW. Clive Lucas Stapleton and Partners

National Award for Heritage
Ormond College Academic Centre, Victoria. McGlashan Everist Pty Ltd

The Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture
The John Kaldor Family Gallery, Art Gallery of NSW. PTW Architects

National Awards for Interior Architecture
Garagistes, Tasmania. Paul Johnston Architects
Inner House, NSW. Bates Smart

The Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design
University Lawn Precinct RMIT University, Victoria. Peter Elliot Architecture + Urban Design

National Award for Urban Design
Taronga Zoo Upper Entry Precinct, NSW. BVN Architecture

National Awards for Small Project Architecture
Real Studio: Murphy's Creek BNT, Queensland. Queensland University of Technology
Cultural Centre Amenities, Western Australia. Coniglio Ainsworth Architects

National Awards for Sustainable Architecture
1 Bligh Street, Sydney, NSW. Architectus + Ingenhoven Architects
Heller Street Park and Residences, Victoria. Six Degrees Architects

The National Award for Enduring Architecture
Australia Square, Harry Seidler and Associates

The Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. FJMT and Archimedia in association

The Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture
Milson Island Indoor Sports Stadium, NSW. Allen Jack + Cottier Architects