| Dimity Reed Melbourne Prize | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Architectural contribution to the public life of Melbourne |
| Country | Australia |
| Presented by | Australian Institute of Architects (Victoria Chapter) |
| First award | 1997; 28 years ago (1997) |
| Currently held by | Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates forKoorie Heritage Trust, Federation Square, 2024 |
| Website | www |
TheDimity Reed Melbourne Prize is an Australian architectural award. It is awarded annually at theVictorian Architecture Awards by a jury appointed by theVictoria Chapter of theAustralian Institute of Architects[1] to architectural projects that have made a significant contribution to the public life ofMelbourne, Australia. It was first awarded in 1997 toSix Degrees Architects for the small bar Meyers Place.[2]
The winner is drawn from direct-entry categories in the annualVictorian Architecture Awards program, and any project located within theurban growth boundary of the Melbourne metropolitan area is eligible for consideration for the prize which can be drawn from any category in the awards. The prize has been given to 31 individual projects in the 27 years since it was established (to 2024).
In 2023 the prize became a named award, to be known as theDimity Reed Melbourne Prize.[3][4][5] The naming of the award was made in recognition of Reed's urban and architectural contributions to the city and the architectural profession as a practitioner, academic and media commentator.[6]
| Meyers Place (small bar) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Contemporary urban recycled |
| Location | Melbourne CBD |
| Address | 20 Meyers Place |
| Town or city | City of Melbourne,Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°48′44.66″S144°58′20.55″E / 37.8124056°S 144.9723750°E /-37.8124056; 144.9723750 |
| Construction started | 1994 |
| Opened | 1994 |
| Relocated | 2017 |
| Closed | 2021 (at 24 Crossley St) |
| Cost | A$30,000 (1994) |
| Client | Six Degrees Architects |
| Owner | Six Degrees Architects |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 5 metres (16 ft) across x 10 metres (33 ft) deep |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 1 |
| Floor area | 50 m2 (540 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Six Degrees Architects |
| Awards and prizes | 1997 Melbourne Prize |
From the conception of the prize a range of scales and project types have been awarded that significantly added to the civic and cultural identity of Melbourne's CBD. The first winner in 1997 was a small low budget eponymous laneway bar known simply asMeyers Place as it was located in Meyers Place, a narrow north–south lane running offBourke Street in the east end of the city, in the same small building that the late night Waiters Club Restaurant was located in. The bar was meant to be untitled but informally used its laneway name as its moniker. It was designed, built, operated and owned bySix Degrees Architects, with a start up cost of around $30,000 in 1994 ($60,000 in 2022).
The Meyers Place project was created by the young office as a means of displaying their innovative skills not only as designers and builders, but also as urbanists, where architecture and design could stimulate city life and create new communities and activities in the city after hours.[7]
"We wanted it to be difficult to find, with no sign, down a back lane."
The bar was the first to use the newGeneral Licence Class B and was at the forefront of the developing word–of–mouth small laneway bar scene that spread through the back streets and lanes of Melbourne in the mid to late 1990s. These bars became a significant part of the cultural landscape of the city, providing interesting fit outs in out-of-the-way locations. The bar scene that followed provided not only a place to meet but also helped activate the evening economy of the city, a great change from the rustbelt recession years of the early 1990s when the city was empty at night. A review described the venue as such"..the bar's roller door, shagpile-carpeted walls and recycled timber interior was the mainspring of a recycled aesthetic which became a Melbourne signature. Cramped and casual, regulars would comment that it felt more like a party than a venue, especially at 2am after a few Melbourne Bitter longnecks."[8]
"Melbourne’s strength is the small bars and restaurants that don’t announce themselves. It’s the opposite of branding. Melbourne’s subtle, a city of discovery. Very early on we were saying ‘let’s not be obvious, let’s encourage Melbourne solutions’. One of the first little laneway bars was in Meyers Place, by Six Degrees Architects. They were the first recipients of the Melbourne Prize for projects that enhanced the real character of Melbourne because that’s exactly what they did. Discovering bars and cafes has become part of Melbourne’s experience, the harder to find, the more the desire.”[9]
— Rob Adams, City Architect, City of Melbourne
The bar closed in June 2017 after the long held lease was not renewed.[10] The bar was relocated by Drew Pettifer and Heather Larkin piece–by–piece — a city block north to 24 Crossley Street — with most of the fitout making the move to new premises. Meyers Place 2.0 closed in March 2021, a year after the first Covid–19 pandemic lockdowns severely impacted Melbourne's hospitality scene.[11] In 2024 the bar was reopened under the name ofBard's Apothecary by Carmel and Matthew Molony.“We feel like we’re holding on to a little bit of Melbourne history...You don’t get much more Melbourne laneway than this bar. The legacy lives on, and we celebrate that." noted Carmel.[12]
Three commendations were also given in the first year of the Melbourne Prize to; Drewery Lane apartments by Warren J. Foster; Emery apartment,Melbourne Terrace Apartments, byNonda Katsalidis; and the Promenade at Southbank by The Buchan Group withDenton Corker Marshall.[13]
The 1998 prize was awarded to a very differently scaled project and budget for the $25m redevelopment of the former high end classical 1880sGeorges Department Store at 162–168Collins Street, Melbourne. The refurbishment was designed by architectDaryl Jackson with Conran Design Partnership from the UK. The building was restored and adaptively modified to include a range of retail concessions, restaurants, and a Conran Design Store.[14] A commendation was given to Peter Elliott with Curnow Freiverts Glover for State Government Offices at Treasury Place.
The 1999 prize was awarded to NationFender Katsalidis for theIan Potter Museum of Art[15] located onSwanston Street, Parkville, within theUniversity of Melbourne campus. The museum is strongly defined by its street facade that features an array of classical sculptures. The museum also took out the highest award, theVictorian Architecture Medal, for project of the year, and theWilliam Wardell Award for Public Architecture, the first occasion that one project took out all three awards. A commendation was presented to Allom Lovell and Associates withDaryl Jackson for theImmigration Museum project onFlinders Street.
The 2000 prize was won by Peter Elliott for the Observatory Gate Precinct atRoyal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne.[16] The project created a new entrance, outdoor plaza, amenities and visitor centre for the Botanic Garden incorporating the formerMelbourne Observatory andCharles La Trobe's 'triangle sites' in the gardens and parklands. Gregory Burgess Architects was awarded a commendation for theCatholic Theological College inEast Melbourne. This was the last year commendations were given, with only single or joint winners awarded from 2001.
The 2001 prize was won for the EQ Project atHamer Hall by NMBW Architecture Studio, since demolished for the 2010 upgrade byAshton Raggatt McDougall (ARM Architecture).[17]
TheSidney Myer Music Bowl upgrade in theKings Domain by Gregory Burgess Architects was awarded the prize in 2002.[18]
The architecture competition winning scheme forFederation Square byLab Architecture Studio in collaboration withBates Smart won the award along with four other awards in 2003.
In 2004 the prize was awarded toAshton Raggatt McDougall for theShrine of Remembrance Visitor Centre and Garden Courtyard.
The 2005 prize was awarded to NH Architecture for theQV mixed use 'urban village' and retail redevelopment between Swanston and Russell Streets in the Melbourne CBD.[19] The QV project created a series of new laneways and connections through the whole city block on which the project is sited "...the design was informed by the model of Melbourne’s laneways as the generator of the urban form".[20]
ARM Architecture again received the prize in 2006 for theMelbourne Central Shopping Centre redevelopment on Swanston Street andLa Trobe Street. For the first time a joint winner was declared with The Urban Workshop (a commercial office project at 50 Lonsdale Street) also awarded the 2006 Melbourne Prize, designed by John Wardle Architects, Hassell and NH Architecture in joint venture.[21]
The 2007 Prize was awarded to theSandridge Bridge Precinct Redevelopment over the Yarra River by City of Melbourne in association with Nadim Karam and Marcus O’Reilly.
Six Degrees Architects also collected the award for a second time in 2008 with their redevelopment of The Vaults on theYarra River beneathFederation Square for use as their own architecture offices and the adjacent licensed 'Riverland' bar. The site is now known as Federation Wharf. The 2008 Jury was Peter Crone (chair), Alfred deBruyne and Mel Dodd.
The Canada Hotel Redevelopment for student housing on Swanston Street and Pelham Street, Carlton designed byHayball won the prize in 2009.[22]
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TheMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre by joint venture architects,Woods Bagot and NH Architecture was awarded the 2010 Melbourne Prize in addition to the Victorian Architecture Medal,William Wardell Award for Public Architecture, Steel Architecture Award and the Award for Sustainable Architecture.
The 2011 prize was won byCox Architecture forMelbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne's major rectangular football stadium.
In 2012 theRoyal Children’s Hospital[23] by Billard Leece Partnership andBates Smart was awarded the prize.Maggie Edmond was the chair of the jury in 2012.[24][25]
In 2013 the prize was awarded to BKK Architects/TCL Partnership for the Lonsdale Street Boulevard project, part of 'Revitalising CentralDandenong' in south east Melbourne, around 30 kilometres from the CBD. This was the first time the Melbourne Prize was awarded to a project in suburban Melbourne.[26] The jury was Tim Shannon (Chair); Ann Lau fromHayball and Alan Pert from the Melbourne School of Design.
In addition to theWilliam Wardell Award for Public Architecture, the Dallas Brooks Community Primary School located 17 kilometres north of Melbourne CBD in the suburb ofDallas designed by McBride Charles Ryan took out the 2014 Melbourne Prize. For the second year in a row an outer suburban project won the prize.[27]
The 2015 jury was chaired by Graham Brawn (Graham Brawn Architect) and included Harley Vincent (HASSELL) and Fiona Dunin (fmd architects).[28] The 2015 Melbourne Prize shortlist included; Bridging Boyd by Jolson Architecture Interiors Landscape, Domain Road Apartments by Wood Marsh Architecture, Lab 14 Carlton Connect Initiative by NMBW Architecture Studio, Monash University North West Precinct by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects,MPavilion by Sean Godsell Architects, New Municipal Building and Civic Square by Lyons andShrine of Remembrance, Galleries of Remembrance by ARM Architecture.[29]
ARM Architecture won a third Melbourne Prize and a second for the same project for additional work at theShrine of Remembrance, Galleries of Remembrance and southern courtyards with landscape architects Rush\Wright in 2015.[30] Amy Muir, Chair of Juries described it as robust and sympathetic in its approach to detailing and built execution, the Stage Two addition provides an exemplar, quality architectural intervention which also received unanimous support as the winner of the 2015Victorian Architecture Medal and late in the same year presented with the national 2015Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture.[31][32]
In 2016 the prize was awarded to the Saltwater Community Centre inPoint Cook by Croxon Ramsay Architects for Wyndham City Council. The community centre lies around 30 kilometres to the south west of the Melbourne CBD.[33] The project also won a Sustainable Architecture Award. The 2016 jury was Tim Jackson (chair, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects), Peter Williams (Williams Boag) and Anna Maskiell (Public Realm Lab).[34][35]
In 2017 the prize was jointly awarded to two projects; the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission:Haven’t you always wanted…? by M@ STUDIO Architects[36] and the Tanderrum Bridge byJohn Wardle Architects and NADAAA in collaboration. The jury was composed of James Staughton (Workshop Architecture), Alison Nunn (Alison Nunn Architect), Amy Muir (Muir Architects).[37]
Shortlisted nominees for the 2018 prize were; McAuley Community Services for Women by Hede Architects;Fitzroy North Library and Community Hub by Group GSA; New Academic Street,RMIT University (Bowen Street) by Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects (Joint Winner) and; Nightingale 1 apartments[38] by Breathe (Joint Winner).
Later in 2018 New Academic Street was awarded the National AIA Award for Urban Design. The 2018 Melbourne Prize jury was Shelley Penn (Shelley Penn Architect, chair), Simon Knott (BKK Architects) and Tania Davidge (Openhaus). The New Academic Street project was also awarded theVictorian Architecture Medal.
Shortlisted nominees for the 2019 prize were: Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal by Cox Architecture with landscape architects Aspect Studios;Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe (winner) by Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design; Private Women’s Club byKerstin Thompson Architects;South Melbourne Primary School byHayball, and The Club Stand at Flemington Racecourse[39] byBates Smart.[40] The 2019 Melbourne Prize jury was Jane Williams (John Wardle Architects, chair), Alix Smith (Hassell), and Stefano Scalzo (Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority).
The Members' Annexe project was also awarded the 2019Victorian Architecture Medal.
The 2020 Melbourne Prize jury of three was chaired by Reno Rizzo (Inarc Architects) with Madeline Sewall (Breathe Architecture) and Minnie Cade (John Wardle Architects).[41] The 2020 shortlist included the Carlton Learning Precinct COLA by Law Architects,Monash University Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts by Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design andState Library Victoria Redevelopment by Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. TheState Library Victoria Redevelopment[42] by Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects was presented the 2020 award in July.[43]
The 2021 jury of three was chaired by Andrew Maynard (Austin Maynard Architects) with Sarah Bryant (Bryant Alsop Architects) and Sarah Zahradnik (NH Architecture). The 2021 shortlist considered for the award included theACMI Renewal by BKK Architects and Razorfish; Carrum Station and Foreshore Precinct by Cox Architecture; Collins Arch byWoods Bagot andSHoP Architects; Docklands Primary School by Cox Architecture; Jackalope Pavilion by March Studio; Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design byGrimshaw in collaboration with Monash University; Olderfleet also byGrimshaw; Prahran Square byLyons and Springvale Community Hub also byLyons.[44] The 2021 prize was awarded to the Woodside Building for Technology and Design byGrimshaw Architects in collaboration withMonash University and was the most awarded project of the year also winning theVictorian Architecture Medal, Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture and an award for Sustainability and Educational Architecture categories.
The 2022 jury of three was chaired by Michael Roper (Architecture architecture) with jurors Nicholas Braun (Sibling Architecture) and Rhonda Mitchell (Woods Bagot). The shortlist for the prize included; Collingwood Yards by Fieldwork,Kia Arena by NH Architecture with RWA Sports Architecture. Queen and Collins by KTA andBVN, RebuildLa Mama by Meg White and Cottee Parker Architects,Victorian Pride Centre by Brearley Architects and Urbanists and Grant Amon Architects and Wesley Place, 130 Lonsdale Street byLovell Chen withCox Architecture.[45]
The 2022 prize was awarded to KTA (Kerstin Thompson Architects) and BVN for Queen and Collins in Melbourne's CBD. The jury report said“...there was just one [project] that we kept returning to, Queen & Collins, a richly layered urban space carved from a cluster of neo-gothic icons. What could ordinarily have been just another corporate lobby is now something else entirely. Light, space, colour and texture have been masterfully orchestrated to create a surprising new space for Melbourne.”[46] Kerstin Thompson Architects are credited with the design of the ground plane and podium and BVN for the commercial workplace areas. Queen and Collins later won the AIA National Award for Commercial Architecture.[47]
The 2023 jury of four was chaired by Kim Bridgland RAIA (Edition Office) with jurors Greta Stoutjesdijk RAIA (Candelapas Associates), Ilana Kister RAIA (Kister Architects) and Graduate Juror, Storm Bell, Affiliate RAIA, (BKK Architects).[48] The shortlisted projects for the prize were Darebin Intercultural Centre by Sibling Architecture; theMelbourne Holocaust Museum by Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA); Nightingale Village[49] in Brunswick, developed by a multi architect team including Hayball, Breathe, Architecture architecture, Austin Maynard Architects,Clare Cousins Architects,Kennedy Nolan, Openwork and Andy Fergus;University of Melbourne Student Precinct in Carlton byLyons with Koning Eizenberg Architecture, NMBW Architecture Studio, Greenaway Architects, Architects EAT, Aspect Studios and Glas Urban; Victorian Family Violence Memorial[50][51] in St Andrews Reserve, Melbourne by Muir[52] and Openwork; Wurun Senior Campus secondary school project[53] in Fitzroy North by GHD Woodhead andGrimshaw.[54] In describing the award process the jury citation noted"The projects that we have highlighted through shortlisting and in the awarding of the 2023 Melbourne Prize were those seen through the lens of community, narrative and city building, and within the lens of a city being an organic entity needing care and nourishment in order for growth and evolution to occur."[55]
The 2023 winner announced on 16 June 2023, Nightingale Village a six apartment building precinct designed by six different architecture studios, was also the recipient of the Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design and Residential Architecture awards in the Multiple Housing categories.[56] The jury described Nightingale Village as“a powerful catalyst to build community, prioritise social, economic and environmental sustainability. This project is not a group of standalone residential developments, like many through inner Melbourne, but an entwined shared environment that will change the way developers and architects visualise and contribute to our environment today and for generations to come”. The Nightingale Village presentation to the jury for the AIA Melbourne Prize as part of the Victorian Architecture Awards can be viewed on YouTube.[57]
The 2024 jury appointed to judge the award was chaired by Suzannah Waldron (Searle x Waldron Architecture) with jurors Lauren Trainor (Eastop Architects) and Wojciech Pluta (Denton Corker Marshall) with graduate juror Senesios Frangos from ARM Architecture.[58]
The five shortlisted projects for 2024 were Aboriginal Housing Victoria by Breathe, Mount Alexander College (MAC) by Kosloff Architecture, Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett (now Architectus) and Wardle, Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 by Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates, Munro Development and narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services bySix Degrees Architects and The Round by BKK Architects and Kerstin Thompson Architects.[59]
At the 2024 Victorian Architecture Awards the Melbourne Prize was awarded to the Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 project byLyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates.[60][61]
The 2025 jury appointed to judge the award is chaired by Nick James (Architecture architecture) with jurors Lucia Amies (Architecture Media) and Delia Teschendorff (Delia Teschendorff Architects) with graduate juror Hugh Matthews.
A total of seven projects shortlisted on 9 April 2025 included; Kangan Institute Health and Community Centre of Excellence byArchitectus, Shiel Street North Melbourne Community Housing Project by Clare Cousins Architects, 120 Collins Street Revitalisation by Hassell, Truganina Community Centre by Jasmax (Canvas Projects), Melbourne Place by Kennedy Nolan, Pascoe Vale Primary School by Kosloff Architecture and Northern Memorial Park Depot by Searle X Waldron Architecture.[62]
| Year | Winner | Project | Location | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Six Degrees Architects | Meyers Place (small bar) | Melbourne CBD | Hospitality |
| 1998 | Daryl Jackson with Conran Design Partnership | Georgeʼs Redevelopment | Collins Street, Melbourne CBD | Retail/Commercial |
| 1999 | NationFender Katsalidis | Ian Potter Museum of Art | University of Melbourne, Swanston Street, Parkville | Cultural |
| 2000 | Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design | Observatory Gate Precinct | Birdwood Avenue,Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne | Cultural |
| 2001 | NMBW | EQ Project, Riverside Terrace | Victorian Arts Centre | Cultural |
| 2002 | Gregory Burgess Architects | Sidney Myer Music Bowl Refurbishment | Kings Domain | Cultural |
| 2003 | Lab Architecture Studio andBates Smart | Federation Square | Melbourne CBD | Cultural |
| 2004 | ARM Architecture with Rush\Wright | Shrine of Remembrance, Visitor Centre and Gardens | Birdwood Avenue,Kings Domain | War Memorial |
| 2005 | NH Architecture | QV Mixed Use Development | Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD | Retail/Commercial |
| 2006 | ARM Architecture | Melbourne Central Redevelopment (*Joint Winner) | Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD | Retail/Commercial |
| John Wardle Architects, Hassell & NH Architecture in joint venture | The Urban Workshop (*Joint Winner) | 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD | Retail/Commercial | |
| 2007 | City of Melbourne in association with Nadim Karam and Marcus O’Reilly | Sandridge Bridge Precinct Redevelopment | Yarra River, Melbourne CBD | Urban Design |
| 2008 | Six Degrees Architects | The Vaults (Federation Wharf) | Yarra River, Melbourne CBD | Retail/Commercial |
| 2009 | Hayball Architects | Canada Hotel Redevelopment[63] (Student Housing) | Swanston Street, Carlton | Residential |
| 2010 | Woods Bagot and NH Architecture | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | South Wharf, Melbourne CBD | Cultural |
| 2011 | Cox Architecture | Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne | Sports |
| 2012 | Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart | Royal Children's Hospital[64] | 50 Flemington Road, Parkville | Health |
| 2013 | BKK Architects/TCL Partnership | Revitalising CentralDandenong, Lonsdale Street Redevelopment | Dandenong, Victoria | Urban Design |
| 2014 | McBride Charles Ryan | Dallas Brooks Community Primary School | 26–36 King Street,Dallas, Victoria | Education |
| 2015 | ARM Architecture with Rush\Wright | Shrine of Remembrance, Galleries of Remembrance | Birdwood Avenue,Kings Domain | War Memorial |
| 2016 | Croxon Ramsay Architects | Saltwater Community Centre | 153 Saltwater Promenade,Point Cook, Victoria | Cultural |
| 2017 | M@ STUDIO Architects | 2016National Gallery of Victoria Architecture Commission (*Joint Winner) | National Gallery of Victoria Garden, St Kilda Road, Melbourne | Cultural |
| John Wardle Architects with NADAAA | Tanderrum Bridge (*Joint Winner) | Batman Avenue, Melbourne | Urban Design | |
| 2018 | Breathe | Nightingale 1 apartments (The Commons)[65] (*Joint Winner) | 9 Florence Street, Brunswick | Residential |
| Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects | New Academic Street,RMIT University (*Joint Winner) | Bowen Street, Melbourne CBD | Education | |
| 2019 | Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design | Parliament of Victoria Members’ Annexe[66] | Spring Street, Melbourne CBD | Public |
| 2020 | Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects | State Library Victoria Redevelopment[67] | Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD | Cultural |
| 2021 | Grimshaw Architects | Woodside Building for Technology and Design[68] | 20 Exhibition Walk, Clayton,Monash University | Education |
| 2022 | Kerstin Thompson Architects andBVN | Queen and Collins Development[69] | 376-390 Collins Street, Melbourne | Retail/Commercial |
| 2023 | Architecture architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe,Clare Cousins Architects, Andy Fergus, Hayball,Kennedy Nolan and Openwork | Nightingale Village[70] | Florence Street,Brunswick | Residential |
| 2024 | Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates | Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2[71][72] | Birrarung Building,Federation Square, Melbourne | Cultural |