The art of giving back

IN this year's Australian Institute of Architects National Awards two winning projects were the result of acts of philanthropy.

John Kaldor

IT'S a common refrain that there isn't enough philanthropy in Australia, that rich Australians don't like parting with their money unless it's out of self-interest. It's a generalisation, of course, but the figures from Philanthropy Australia, the national peak body for philanthropy, go some way to supporting it.

According to Philanthropy Australia, on a per taxpayer basis we donate slightly less than the UK and Canada and "significantly less" than the US. And the amount we donate is on the decrease (6.3 per cent less for the 2010 financial year). So when someone gives a substantial amount of money for a project that won't generate any income, won't save lives and won't lead to gold medal performances at the Olympics, it makes it all the more remarkable.

In this year's Australian Institute of Architects National Awards two winning projects were the result of extraordinary acts of philanthropy by individuals and in both cases it's the public that benefits from their generosity. David Walsh's Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania, designed by Nonda Katsalidis of Fender Katsalidis, has won the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture. Walsh's museum was funded entirely with his own money and has been hailed as one of the best examples in the country of the benefits of cultural tourism. And if you don't believe it, just try and book a hotel room in Hobart for a weekend - everyone it seems is going to the MONA. A Tasmanian project won the other big prize in the AIA awards - the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture, which was won by John Wardle Architects for the Shearer's Quarters on North Bruny Island.

In Sydney at the Art Gallery of NSW, the gallery's new John Kaldor Family Gallery picked up the Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture for PTW Architects. The new gallery, which is actually a conversion of a former basement storage area into a series of spaces, was funded by the Kaldor family with additional funds from the Belgiorno-Nettis family, and is a unique example in Australia of a collaboration between architect, client and patron to produce an exceptional public building.

This is the second year WISH has partnered with the AIA for its National Awards and our coverage has been expanded to provide a more in-depth look at the winning projects. We also shot our fashion shoot this month on location at the John Kaldor Family Gallery and have profiled three architects from the firm BVN Architecture, which has picked up an impressive four awards across three categories this year. We've also included extended photo galleries of the winning projects in the AIA National Awards on this website.

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