ARM - News

Port Hedland Multipurpose Recreation Centre public milestone ceremony

2011-09-22T15:48:00.004+10:00

A public milestone ceremony was held with Town of Port Hedland dignitaries and stakeholders to celebrate the first panels being installed.

ARM gave a site tour to Mayor Kelly Howlett and councillors. The ceremony concluded with the signing of the building by all parties.

This event gave everyone the opportunity to see the progress being made on site and to have the vision of the final building revealed.

GodKnows -Alumni Exhibition Opens At The University Of Melbourne

2011-05-31T14:49:00.018+10:00

God Knows is an exhibition by ARM Architecture for the ABP Alumni Retrospective Series at The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. The exhibition is a conceptual representation of selected ARM works (both built and unrealised), the people and personalities behind ARM studio, and public and internal perceptions of ARM.

ARM Architecture's Stephen Ashton and Howard Raggatt are alumni of The University of Melbourne and in 1988 they co-founded ARM Architecture with Ian McDougall. ARM has since become one of Australia's leading architecture practices.

Exhibition Dates
Opens Monday June 6, 2011
Closes Friday Jule 1, 2011

Wunderlich Gallery
Ground Floor
Architecture Building
The University of Melbourne

Opening Hours
9:00am - 5:00pm,
Monday to Friday

Closing Party
6pm Friday July 1, 2011
Monday 27th June

Exhibition
The exhibition will consist of three components - a physical installation of polystyrene packaging on the walls of the gallery, a series of short films projected onto these walls, and a selection of quotes representing various opinions about ARM and our work.

The polystyrene component references how protective packaging objects have informed the design of ARM buildings, most notably the Melbourne Recital Centre. For this exhibition, the walls of the Wunderlich Gallery will be lined with discarded pieces of polystyrene. Located within the array of objects will be custom-made polystyrene representations of ARM buildings, rendered as negative voids within large polystyrene blocks.

The second component is a series of projections onto the undulating polystyrene surface. The wall becomes a kinetic screen, upon which there will be old and new ARM short films. These will include high speed 3D animations, Howard Raggatt's thesis film 'Not Songs', media snippets, and interviews with ARM directors and staff specially filmed for this exhibition.

Thirdly; quotes (mostly taken from online forums) and interviews make up the graphic and acoustic content of the exhibition. They become part of the ARM narrative, a history of challenging community perceptions of architecture, and how the work represents a local identity.

Catalogue, Short Films & Online
A catalogue will be available from the University of Melbourne - Melbourne School of Design, comprising eight posters with interviews with ARM directors and designers, critical essays and graphic representations of ARM's work. They will be available for purchase at the Closing Party and after the conclusion of the exhibition. All short films featured in the exhibition will be uploaded to YouTube at the conclusion of the exhibition for further display.

The exhibition is generously supported by Microhire.

Shrine of RemembranceVisitor Centrea Melbourne favourite

2011-05-12T12:23:00.003+10:00

The Shrine of Remembrance Visitor Centre was listed as a favourite building in Melbourne by a recent survey of architects in The Age Melbourne Magazine (May 2011).

Many thanks to our colleagues for their generous comments about the project.

Adelaide'sRiverbank Precinct

2011-03-25T17:02:00.008+11:00

At the end of February 2011, the South Australian Government appointed the design team to undertake the master planning for Adelaide’s premier public realm, the Riverbank Precinct on the northern edge of the Torrens River.

We are thrilled to announce that the team is headed by ARM, and joins with Kevin Taylor of Taylor Cullity Lethlean, one of Australia’s leading landscape architects, and Andrew Russell of Aurecon, a world class infrastructure and specialist consultancy, to form the leadership team.

Kevin Taylor has worked on many South Australian and national projects including the North Terrace redevelopment and the current project to redesign Victoria Square. Andrew Russell is one of Adelaide’s leading urban designers with over 30 years experience. He recently worked on the Adelaide Oval redevelopment and has worked on many previous studies for Riverbank.

The team includes a wide range of specialist contributors, among them Malcolm Snow (currently CEO of Southbank Corporation Brisbane), Karl Telfer (senior Kaurna cultural bearer), Rob Di Cintio (Retail and Property expert with particular specialisation in boutique development) and the span of engineering expertise within Aurecon.

Adelaide’s Riverbank is one of the most significant public precincts in Australia. It is the location for the South Australian Parliament, the seminal Adelaide Festival Centre arts complex, SKYCITY Casino and the Adelaide Convention Centre. A large part of the precinct is built over the Adelaide Central Railway Station. Its river frontage comprises the historic Elder Park and surrounds. To the north, Adelaide Oval has begun a substantial redevelopment as a cricket and football venue.

In connecting to the Riverbank precinct, the city’s northern edge will become a revitalised public playground, and we are delighted to be part of its transformation.

Perth Waterfrontlaunches

2011-02-15T17:04:00.019+11:00

Perth Waterfront designed by ARM

Photo: Bryce Green, ABC News

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett, Planning Minister John Day and City of Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi launched the design of the Perth Waterfront redevelopment at the Perth Convention Centre this morning.

The new waterfront reconnects Perth with the Swan River, and will feature 10 hectares of exciting new public spaces and places to live, work and relax.

"Along with the Perth city link, this is the most significant thing happening in our capital city, certainly within the last 100 years," Ms Scaffidi said.

Further details, images and a flythrough of the project can be found at the Planning WA website.

Supergraphics

2010-12-13T14:17:00.005+11:00

Several ARM projects feature in the new book Supergraphics - Transforming Space: Graphic Design for Walls, Buildings & Spaces.

The book, which chronicles the early days of the Supergraphics movement and also looks at work by leading contemporary practitioners, includes 1010 LaTrobe St, ACER, Melbourne Theatre Company, Melbourne Recital Centre and the National Museum of Australia.

The future is here!

2010-07-21T17:22:00.008+10:00

The future of architectural photography has arrived.

Renowned photographer John Gollings has today photographed our latest project, Info Corner at RMIT University, using the same stereoscopic 3D process he employed for the Now + When exhibition at this year's Venice Architecture Biennale.

We believe that this is the first time anywhere in the world that a built architecture project has been photographed using this technique. The images will appear in 3D as described here in Architecture Australia magazine.

Stay tuned for more details and spectacular images to emerge!

Melbourne Open House 2010

2010-07-19T19:40:00.008+10:00

Visitors can go on a self-guided tour of the Recital Centre with technical guides on hand to point out the many interesting features of the Centre. All areas are accessible (except the stage in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall).

Further details are available on the Open House website.

State of Design Festival

2010-07-14T15:05:00.006+10:00

Premier's Design Awards - Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre from State of Design on Vimeo.

The State of Design Festival begins today!

The Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre are shortlisted for the Premier's Design Awards, one of the four programs during the festival.

The festival increases the awareness of the value of design and showcases how design generates innovation, promotes sustainability and adds value to business and society.

Festival programs demonstrate and broadly communicate how the Victorian and Australian design profession can improve living conditions, create sustainable development opportunities, and generate new and innovative products and services; in turn, providing economic benefit for the state of Victoria.

By communicating to Victorian, Australian and international audiences, the Festival promotes a deeper understanding of design capability and value.

The 2010 State of Design Festival will take place from 14 – 25 July throughout metropolitan Melbourne, and regional centres around Victoria.

Next stage for Hamer Hall

2010-07-07T14:35:00.005+10:00

Melbourne said goodnight to Hamer Hall on July 4 as it closed its doors ahead of its $128.5 million redevelopment.

The new designs for Hamer Hall open the building up to the river bank and St Kilda Rd. The design is a radical rethink of the 30 year old building that will increase access while maintaining its heritage features.

For further images and details of the project please visit the Arts Centre website.

One East Melbournewins top multiple housing award

2010-06-28T11:18:00.019+10:00

ARM is thrilled to announce that One East Melbourne received the Best Overend Award for Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing at the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter 2010 awards at a gala ceremony on Friday 25 June.

The Best Overend award is the major prize in the multiple housing category.

The awards jury citation stated:

“One East Melbourne confidently combines an apartment tower genre with a level of critical discourse of ideas of the ‘little tower’ hovering at the fringe of the city’s ‘big towers’.

The dialectic of form and program contribute to a memorable, sculptural building that responds commendably to its various contexts;
Park, Rail-yards and CBD, as well as civic scales; Street, Podium and Tower.

The architecture explores residential living possibilities within a building fabric more often belonging to the office tower. Curtain wall façades contain yet support habitation – facilitating the expansive views from the site as well as contributing to an ‘in-the-round’ form, so often not achieved in the CBD. The façades are at their most exploratory and expressive when responding to apartment planning and operable ‘winter garden’ terraces enlivening the corners. This design develops a significant advancement for multi-residential architecture, through its deft combination of market realities and higher order civic ideas.”

Congratulations to our client Becton and all our project partners for this wonderful achievement.

This year One East Melbourne was also awarded a 5 star Green Star – Office Design v2 rating for the office component of this unique mixed-use residential development located on a once-in-a-lifetime site.

Perth Arena raises the roof!

2010-05-29T17:34:00.014+10:00

The mega trusses that will support the operable and fixed roof span of Perth Arena have been jacked into place.

Each mega truss is 132 metres long and 10 metres high, containing almost 3000 tonnes of steel!

Further details on Perth Arena can be found on our client VenuesWest’s website.

(Images copyright Martin Farquharson Photography 2010)

The project is a joint venture by ARM and Cameron Chisholm Nicol.

Premier's Design Awards

2010-05-14T15:21:00.008+10:00

The Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre have been shortlisted for the 2010 Premier's Design Awards.

The awards are one of four main programs in the State of Design Festival, July 14-25. The theme of this year's festival is Change By Design.

The awards identify the most exciting applications of design, recognising original, sustainable, innovative and groundbreaking design in and from Victoria, and celebrating the contribution of design to business excellence.

ARM on the road

2010-05-07T12:11:00.009+10:00

Southern Way has formed a unique partnership with the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park which will culminate in a major sculpture being installed at the Peninsula Link/EastLink interchange – or the Peninsula Portal as it will be known.

In a first for a road project in Victoria, two other sculpture pieces will be rotated every four years based on the winners of a bi-annual sculpture competition. This will provide a great opportunity to showcase the McClelland Gallery and to support the thriving arts community on the Peninsula.

ARM has designed three different styles of noise wall panels for the project. Mostly located in the northern half of Peninsula Link, the ‘text type’ noise walls (pictured) will feature place names from the local area, while along the route a ‘geology’ pattern will also be visible on some walls inspired by rock formations or impressions left in sand. Finally, oxidised steel panels in a zigzag pattern will complement suburban roof tops in the distance.

Work is underway on Melbourne’s newest freeway project after Victorian Premier John Brumby and Roads Minister Tim Pallas turned the first sod on the $759 million toll-free Peninsula Link in mid-February. Early works started last July and now Southern Way, along with its construction contractor Abigroup, has started on the main works.

Further information on the Peninsula Link can be found on the Linking Melbourne website.

Spotlight on Perth Arena interiors

2010-04-30T10:38:00.006+10:00

The designs for the interiors of Perth Arena have been revealed.

Design Director Howard Raggatt said the aim was to reinvent the perception of a standard arena to make something that would become a beacon for the city.

“Our inspiration started with the Roundhouse in Fremantle, the designs of Middle Ages and Renaissance Ideal City drawings, and the Eternity Puzzle – like the Roundhouse, a 12-sided puzzle. Perth Arena has been designed to provoke symbolic interpretation, create direct visual responses from all approaches, and become an integral part of the city’s overall urban design and architectural strategy.”

Perth Arena will bring to Western Australia a new raft of entertainment acts that will perform in a space the quality of which has not been experienced before in Perth. Australia’s top promoters are already talking to VenuesWest about future shows for Perth audiences. The Hyundai Hopman Cup will benefit from the retractable roof (providing Australian Open conditions for players), Plexipave court surfacing, stunning corporate suites and function areas, comfortable spectator seating and ample green room space for players.

Sitting within the new Northbridge Link precinct, the Perth Arena will form an integral part of Perth’s revitalisation.

The project is a joint venture by ARM and Cameron Chisholm Nicol.

Hamer Hall reimagined

2010-04-27T16:26:00.014+10:00

The concept design for Stage One of the Southbank Cultural Precinct Redevelopment has been revealed.

The new designs for Hamer Hall open the building up to the river bank and St Kilda Rd. The design is a radical rethink of the 30 year old building that will increase access while maintaining its heritage features.

The design incorporates a second entry to the Hall at the river level. The plan is to demolish the existing terrace and build a new terrace that allows light into the river level; to create a new 'civic stair' and a 24-hour lift from the river to St Kilda Road, and to bring a whole new section of the Yarra bank back to life with a range of entertainment options.

In addition to the external remodelling, the interior of Hamer Hall will be extensively redeveloped, including improvements to the auditorium, foyers and backstage.

ARM is the appointed architect to the project in association with Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design. Further details of our project partners are available from Arts Victoria.

Construction is scheduled to start in July 2010.

2010-A-MRC+MTC launched

2010-04-15T11:43:00.019+10:00

Thanks to everyone who came along to the launch of our new publication on the Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre. It was great to see so many friends and colleagues at the event.

Many thanks to Juliana Engberg, Artistic Director of ACCA, for her very entertaining launch speech.

Our sincere gratitude goes to the writers and photographers for their wonderful contributions, without which of course there would be no publication!

And thanks to Loop bar for hosting us.

2010-A-MRC+MTC is available for free in the Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre foyers. It is also available from Architext bookshop.

Architecture Now!

2010-04-13T15:53:00.016+10:00

ARM is proud to feature in both of the latest editions in Taschen 's Architecture Now! series.

Albury Library/Museum appears in Museums and the Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre in Public Architecture Now!, as reviewed recently by The Guardian.

ARM 2010-A-MRC+MTC

2010-04-06T16:54:00.008+10:00

ARM is proud to launch 2010-A-MRC+MTC, a collection of essays on the Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre. This is the first in a series of publications on ARM's work over the last 22 years.

2010-A-MRC+MTC features essays by Peter Corrigan (Edmond & Corrigan/RMIT), Ross Jenner (University of Auckland), Ian McDougall (ARM), Richard Mills (Melbourne Recital Centre), Simon Phillips (Melbourne Theatre Company), Howard Raggatt (ARM) and Naomi Stead (University of Queensland), with a foreword by Arts minister Peter Batchelor.

The Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre are considered through architectural critique, design intent, and the experience of our clients during this landmark project. The magazine features photography by Peter Bennetts, Earl Carter and John Gollings.

We are delighted that Juliana Engberg, Artistic Director of ACCA, will be launching the publication at Loop bar on April 14th.

Designs of the Year

2010-03-18T10:41:00.012+11:00

Congratulations to overall Brit Insurance Design Award winner Min-Kyu Choi for the Folding Plug; ELEMENTAL for winning the architecture category with their Monterrey Housing project, Mexico, and the winning and nominated designers in all categories.

The exhibition of all winning and shortlisted designs, including the Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre, continues at the Design Museum until October 31 2010.

People's Daily Online

2010-03-05T17:20:00.007+11:00

The Melbourne Recital Centre has been named one of the world's top 10 beautiful buildings by the People's Daily Online in the People's Republic of China.

We are delighted that the building was recognised in this way, and that it has reached such a wide audience.

Brit Insurance Design Awards

2010-02-25T15:15:00.013+11:00

The Melbourne Recital Centre and Melbourne Theatre Company have been nominated in the Architecture category of the Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2010 awards at the Design Museum, London.

The Designs of the Year awards showcase the best in architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport.

The exhibition at the Design Museum runs from February 17 to October 31 2010. The awards will be announced on March 4 and the overall design award presented on March 16.

ARM's exhibition includes two photopolymer rapid prototype models by ARRK, created using an Objet Connex 3D printer.

Southern Way wins Peninsula Link bid

2010-01-20T16:24:00.015+11:00

Southern Way consortium, comprising Abigroup, Bilfinger Berger and the Royal Bank of Scotland, has been awarded the contract to build and deliver the $759 million toll-free Peninsula Link project, Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas announced last Friday. ARM, together with Urbis provided the successful design response for the winning competiton bid.

Key features of the Peninsula Link project include:
- A huge construction task including 27 kilometres of freeway standard road, 11 local road connections, more than 35 bridges and 18,000m² of retaining walls;
- A contemporary urban design that considers both drivers and the community with particular care taken through sensitive areas like the Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve;
- A 22 kilometre walking and cycling path starting in Patterson Lakes and connecting with other popular paths in the area;
- A partnership with the McClelland Gallery and Sculpture Park that will see a major sculpture at the Peninsula Link/EastLink interchange and the winner of a bi-annual sculpture competition being displayed along the project;
- Planting of around 1.5 million plants, shrubs and trees along the freeway corridor to improve the environment; and
- A partnership with the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES) to teach local school children about environmental initiatives.

Final plans for Perth Waterfront released

2009-12-16T14:49:00.006+11:00

The WA State Government has released the final plans for the redevelopment of the Swan River foreshore by ARM.

The 10 hectare development will cover an area between Barrack and William Streets and includes an inlet to bring the water back to the original shore line. It will be surrounded by a boardwalk, promenades, shops, cafes and restaurants. A section of Riverside Drive will be removed to make the development possible and to encourage the use of public transport. There will be an island at the heart of the new inlet, and there may also be a child-friendly beach.

The WA Premier Colin Barnett has described the project as "a mini Circular Quay". He says the project will be funded by the State Government, the Perth City Council, the private sector and possibly the Federal Government. Mr Barnett says that unlike previous plans, this design will go ahead and will not be reviewed or revised. "I know there have been proposals in the past, the difference is this one will happen with major construction starting in 2012."

The Planning Minister John Day says the development will close the physical and psychological gap between the city and the river.

Source; ABC News Posted / Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:00pm AEADT

MRC/ MTC wins National AIA Award

2009-10-10T16:18:00.014+11:00

The Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre by ARM have been recognised at the 2009 Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards receiving the Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture.

Fittingly, ARM was presented with the prestigious award during last night's National Australian Institute of Architects Awards in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall at the new Melbourne Recital Centre.

The National prize follows the ARM's Victorian Chapter success earlier this year with the AIA Victorian Architecture Medal, William Wardell Award for Public Architecture, Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture & Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design.