Architectural acts of generosity: The Architecture Symposium 2023

The library, the law court, the town hall, the city square, the memorial or the cemetery - historically, these were the hallmarks of civic design. But are they still the case?

Coming to Melbourne on 8 September, The Architecture Symposium: Acts of Generosity will seek to expand the boundaries of civic design, exploring projects that commit generous acts of design that go beyond the formal architectural brief.

"We are interested in projects that consciously contribute to the evolution of architecture and, more importantly, support the evolution of society," said guest curators Amy Muir of Muir Architecture and Rachel Neeson, of Neeson Murcutt Neille.

"This symposium explores our industry's responsibility to community through built outcomes - how has it changed and how can we further challenge the status quo?"

One speaker will be 2023 Gold Medal winner Kerstin Thompson, who will discuss her practice's sensitive design for the Jewish Holocaust Museum in Melbourne.

Also speaking on civic memory will be Mat Hinds of Taylor and Hinds and Rebecca Digney of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, who will discuss a proposed truth-telling project at Wybalenna, an Aboriginal settlement established on Flinders Island in 1834, where hundreds of banished Tasmanian Aboriginal people died premature deaths under the "protection" of George Augustus Robinson.

James Loder of Wardle and Simone Bliss of SBLA Studio will discuss their practices' respective university and TAFE revitalization projects, while Danielle Peck of Architecture Associates, Graham Crist of Antarctica Architects and Peter Stutchbury of Peter Stutchbury Architecture will present of "shared civic assets" - a library and a tourism centre.

Other speakers include Jocelyn Chiew, City of Melbourne (Dodds Street Linear Park, Vic); Bridget Smyth, City of Sydney (George Street pedestrianization, NSW); Kevin O'Brien, BVN (Yarrila Place, NSW); Nicholas Braun, Sibling Architecture (Darebin Intercultural Centre, Vic); Challis Smedley, Challis Smedley Architect on behalf of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects (Bondi Pavilion, NSW); Aaron Peters, Vokes and Peters (Nambucca Heads Library Extension, NSW); Sonia van de Haar, Lymesmith (Parramatta activations, NSW); Annabel Lahz, Lahznimmo Architects (Mahon Pool Amenities, NSW); Ross Harding, Finding Infinity (A New Normal, Vic); and Emma Williamson, The Fulcrum Agency (Martu Community-Led Design).

The day will conclude with a panel discussion with co-curators Amy Muir and Rachel Neeson, Kat Rodwell (Balert Mura Consultancy), Carey Lyon (Lyons) and Philip Thalis (Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects), moderated by Shelley Penn (Shelley Penn Architect).

For further information, and to buy tickets, head here­­.

The Architecture Symposium is a Design Speaks program organized by Architecture Media and supported by major partner Informed by Planned Cover, supporting partners Tasmanian Timber and Galvin Engineering, and hotel partner Ovolo South Yarra.