Professor Paul Walker and Melbourne School of Design alumni, Jefa Greenaway win at 2024 Victorian Architecture Awards

Sydney Convention Centre, designed by legendary architect John Andrews. Photo by Peter Bennetts, 2013.

Professor Paul Walker from the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning has received the Bates Smart National Award for Architecture in Media at the 2024 Victorian Architecture Awards for his book John Andrews: Architect of Uncommon Sense.

Architect of Uncommon Sense covers the career of neglected Australian architect John Andrews, who faced waning fame as postmodern cultural transformations challenged modernist design values, and wider social and economic changes led to a withdrawal of government-funded institutional commissions.

The book uncovers Andrews’s remarkable body of work, shining a light on a leading architect who deserves to be better known. “It’s an honour to have my book recognised at the Victorian Architecture Awards. Andrews’s buildings, and his legacy, are literally being demolished. It’s my hope that with this book I can raise awareness of Andrews’s contribution to architecture in Australia and across the globe,” Professor Walker said.

Professor Walker’s publication includes essays from Mary Lou Lobsinger, Peter Scriver and Antony Moulis, Philip Goad, and Paolo Scrivano, along with nearly 100 new photographs from visual artist Noritaka Minami of buildings designed by Andrews still existing in North America and Australia.

Also at the 2024 Victorian Architecture Awards, the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning was proud to sponsor the Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize. Presented by Deputy Dean Alan Pert, the award went to ‘Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2’ by Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates. The Director of Greenaway Architects is Melbourne School of Design alumni, Jefa Greenaway.

The Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize recognises projects that have made a significant contribution to the city of Melbourne. Situated in Federation Square, the Koorie Heritage Trust embeds Indigenous stories into Melbourne’s urban fabric, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal heritage within the city.