William Wardell Award for Public Architecture

The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture is the highest honour awarded annually for public buildings in Victoria, Australia and is presented by the Victoria Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) at the Victorian Architecture Awards. It has been awarded 30 consecutive times from 1996 to 2026.

Background Definition of the award The award recognises 'completed works of architecture of the highest quality' in the public architecture category. Previously the award was offered for 'institutional buildings' with winning and commended projects including a wider array of building types. In 1995 Wood Marsh was awarded the last Award of Merit, Institutional New, for Deakin University Stage 1.

Projects in this awards category must be predominantly of a public or institutional nature and generally fall within Building Code of Australia (BCA) Class 9, excluding projects within the definition of 'Educational Architecture or any BCA Class 9b building used primarily for educational purposes'. In 1997 the previous institutional awards were recategorised into separate and distinct public, educational and commercial categories.

A total of 16 of the 30 named awards (53%) presented between 1996 and 2026 were also awarded the top award, the Victorian Architecture Medal at the same awards.

Earlier award In 1986 Denton Corker Marshall were awarded the William Wilkinson Wardell Medal for One Collins Street. The award was defined as 'best building of the last three years'.

Multiple winners ARM Architecture (Ashton Raggatt McDougall) have won the award on five occasions: 1996, 2004, 2009, 2015 and 2016.

National awards for public architecture Winners of this award are eligible for consideration in the annual national Australian Institute of Architects architecture awards for the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, usually announced in October or November. Projects awarded either the Named Award or Architecture Awards in the William Wardell Award can also be considered for the National Award in the same year. To 2024 only three projects from Victoria have gone on to win the national named award.

William Wardell The naming of the award recognises English born architect and civil engineer William Wardell (1823–1899). Wardell was appointed government architect in Victoria in 1858. He designed many important public and eccliastical buildings in Melbourne over a 20-year period. After being dismissed by the government Wardell moved to Sydney, extending his career as an influential and important public architect. He died in North Sydney in 1899.

Named award winners

William Wardell Prize for Public Architecture by year Year Winner Project Location Other AIA awards 2026Cox Architecture and Billard Leece Partnership New Footscray Hospital 89 Ballarat Road, Footscray Urban Design Commendation, 2026 (Vic) 2025 Kerstin Thompson Architects Eva and Marc Besen Centre TarraWarra Museum of Art, HealesvilleNational Award for Public Architecture, 2025 Award for Interior Architecture, 2025 (Vic) 2024Jackson Clements Burrows Architects Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre 91—97 Thompson Avenue, CowesNational Award for Public Architecture, 2024 2023Wardle Bendigo Law Courts 188 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo National Commendation for Public Architecture, 2023 Commendation for Sustainable Architecture, 2023 2022Brearley Architects and Urbanists with Grant Amon Architects Victorian Pride Centre 79—81 Fitzroy St, St Kilda National Award for Public Architecture, 2022 2021Lyons Springvale Community Hub 5 Hillcrest Grove, Springvale Urban Design Award, 2021 2020Terroir Penguin Parade Visitor Centre Phillip Island Nature Park, 1019 Ventnor Road, Summerlands Regional Prize, 2020 2019 Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design Parliament of Victoria Members' AnnexeSpring Street, East Melbourne National Award for Public Architecture, 2019 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2019 Melbourne Prize, 2019 Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design, 2019 Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2019 2017 Silver Thomas Hanley, DesignInc & McBride Charles Ryan Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne Victorian Architecture Medal, 2017 2016ARM Architecture Geelong Library and Heritage Centre 51 Little Malop Street, Geelong Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 2016 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2016 Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture, 2016 Regional Prize, 2016 2015 ARM Architecture Shrine of RemembranceGalleries of Remembrance Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 2015 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2015 Melbourne Prize, 2015 John George Knight Award (Heritage Architecture), 2015 Urban Design Architecture Award, 2015 2014 McBride Charles Ryan Dallas Brooks Community Primary School 26—36 King Street, Dallas National Award for Public Architecture, 2014 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2014 Melbourne Prize, 2014 2013 Sean Godsell Architects in association with Peddle Thorp Architects RMIT University Design Hub (Building 100) 150 Victoria Street, Carlton Victorian Architecture Medal, 2013 Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, 2013 National Award for Public Architecture, 2013 2012 Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart Royal Children's Hospital 50 Flemington Road, Parkville Victorian Architecture Medal, 2012 Melbourne Prize, 2012 2011 Cox Architecture AAMI ParkOlympic Boulevard, MelbourneVictorian Architecture Medal, 2011 Melbourne Prize, 2011 Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, 2011 2010 Woods Bagot and NH Architecture Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf Victorian Architecture Medal, 2010 Melbourne Prize, 2010 Steel Architecture Award, 2010 Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2010 2009 ARM Architecture Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre Project, (Southbank Theatre) 31 Sturt Street, Southbank Victorian Architecture Medal, 2009 Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture, 2009 Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design, 2009 Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture, 2009 (National) 2008 John Wardle Architecture Nigel Peck Centre for Learning and Leadership, Melbourne Grammar School 47 Domain Road, Melbourne National Award for Public Architecture, 2008 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2008 Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture, 2008 2007 Grimshaw Jackson Joint Venture Southern Cross Station Spencer Street, MelbourneVictorian Architecture Medal, 2007 Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design, 2007 (National) 2006Minifie Nixon with Rush\Wright Australian Wildlife Health Centre Healesville Sanctuary 2005 McBride Charles Ryan Templestowe Park Primary School Multipurpose Hall 399 Church Road, TemplestoweVictorian Architecture Medal, 2006 2004 ARM Architecture Shrine of RemembranceVisitor Centre and Garden Courtyard Birdwood Avenue, MelbourneVictorian Architecture Medal, 2004 Melbourne Prize, 2004 John George Knight Award (Heritage Architecture), 2004 Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design, 2004 (National) 2003Sean Godsell Woodleigh School Science Building 485 Golf Links Road, Langwarrin South National Commendation for Public Architecture, 2003 2002 Lyons Victoria University Online Training Centre, St Albans CampusUniversity Boulevard, St Albans Victorian Architecture Medal, 2002 2001 Denton Corker Marshall Melbourne Museum11 Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Carlton Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 2001 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2001 2000 John Wardle Architects and Demaine Partnership in association RMIT Printing Facility, Brunswick Campus (later known as the International Centre of Graphic Technology, closed c.2014, now houses RMIT School of Fashion & Textiles) Building 516, 25 Dawson Street, Brunswick National Commendation for Public Architecture, 2000 1999 Nation Fender Katsalidis Architects Ian Potter Museum of ArtSwanston Street, Melbourne Commendation for Public Architecture (National), 1999 Melbourne Prize, 1999 1998 Wood Marsh with Pels Innes Nielson Kosloff RMIT Building 220 (later known as Leo Foster Building, since 2014) Clements Drive, RMIT Campus, Bundoora National Commendation for Public Architecture, 1998 1997 Peter Elliott with Morton Dunn Ballarat Town Hall refurbishment 225 Sturt Street, Ballarat 1996 ARM Architecture Storey Hall(RMIT Building 16)336 Swanston Street, Melbourne Victorian Architecture Medal, 1996 Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture, 1996 (Victoria) Interior Award (National), 1996

William Wardell Award for Public Architecture

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