Winners revealed: Australian Urban Design Awards 2021

Award, News | LandscapeAustralia Editorial Desk

27 Oct 2021

Goyder Square, Palmerston by Hatch RobertsDay and Turf Design Studio

Image: courtesy PIA

The winners of the 2021 Australian Urban Design Awards were announced at an online presentation on Tuesday 26 October. The awards recognize contemporary Australian urban design of the highest quality and aim to encourage innovation in the built environment across cities, towns and communities. They are co-convened by the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA), the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA).

Five projects received awards in this year’s program with another six projects recognized with a commendation. In the Built projects – city and regional scale category Goyder Square, Palmerston by Hatch RobertsDay and Turf Design Studio with Electrolight was announced the winner, with the jury lauding the project for “changing the game regarding the use of our urban spaces.”

“The site’s cost-effective transformation is a model for many other towns that have at their centre a dead zone of car parking and asphalt,” the jury noted. “This project affirms that, with community input and courage from local government and business, good urban design has the ability to transform lost, soulless spaces into attractive, green places that prioritize people and revitalize the local economy.”

In the Built projects – Local and Neighbourhood Scale category two awards were given out – to Prahran Square in Melbourne by Lyons Architecture and Aspect Studios, and The Canopy Precinct by Arcadia Landscape Architecture and Scott Carver Landscape Architecture.

“[Prahran Square demonstrates] a clever way to better utilize at-grade parking sites, by prioritizing public use that serves the needs of a growing and diverse population in a highly urban environment,” reads the first citation. The jury similarly celebrated Sydney project The Canopy Precinct for its innovative conversion of a stark, ground-level car park into a flexible public space.

“The relocation of surface car parking facilities from all centres needs to be accelerated through examples such as [The Canopy Precinct], which meets the open space and public use needs of a densifying area, while achieving successful commercial and environmental outcomes integrated with its surrounds,” stated the jury.

Darwin Civic and State Square by TCL and QUT Campus to Country by BVN were the top performers in the Leadership, Advocacy and Research – City and Regional Scale and Leadership, Advocacy and Research – Local and Neighbourhood Scale categories, respectively.

The winners are: