Melbourne Prize
[6] 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 as Meyers Place as it was located in Meyers Place, a narrow north–south lane running off Bourke Street in the east end of the city, in the same small building that the late night Waiters Club Restaurant was located in.
[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.
[13] The 1998 prize was awarded to a very differently scaled project and budget for the $25m redevelopment of the former high end classical 1880s Georges Department Store at 162–168 Collins Street, Melbourne.
The 1999 prize was awarded to Nation Fender Katsalidis for the Ian Potter Museum of Art[15] located on Swanston Street, Parkville, within the University of Melbourne campus.
A commendation was presented to Allom Lovell and Associates with Daryl Jackson for the Immigration Museum project on Flinders Street.
[17] The Sidney Myer Music Bowl upgrade in the Kings Domain by Gregory Burgess Architects was awarded the prize in 2002.
The 2005 prize was awarded to NH Architecture for the QV mixed use 'urban village' and retail redevelopment between Swanston and Russell Streets in the Melbourne CBD.
[21] The 2007 Prize was awarded to the Sandridge 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 the Yarra River beneath Federation Square for use as their own architecture offices and the adjacent licensed 'Riverland' bar.
[24][25] In 2013 the prize was awarded to BKK Architects/TCL Partnership for the Lonsdale Street Boulevard project, part of 'Revitalising Central Dandenong' in south east Melbourne, around 30 kilometres from the CBD.
[26] The jury was Tim Shannon (Chair); Ann Lau from Hayball and Alan Pert from the Melbourne School of Design.
[31][32] In 2016 the prize was awarded to the Saltwater Community Centre in Point Cook by Croxon Ramsay Architects for Wyndham City Council.
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 by Kerstin Thompson Architects; South Melbourne Primary School by Hayball, and The Club Stand at Flemington Racecourse[39] by Bates 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 State Library Victoria Redevelopment[42] by Architectus and Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects was presented the 2020 award in July.
The 2021 shortlist considered for the award included the ACMI Renewal by BKK Architects and Razorfish; Carrum Station and Foreshore Precinct by Cox Architecture; Collins Arch by Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects; Docklands Primary School by Cox Architecture; Jackalope Pavilion by March Studio; Monash Woodside Building for Technology and Design by Grimshaw in collaboration with Monash University; Olderfleet also by Grimshaw; Prahran Square by Lyons and Springvale Community Hub also by Lyons.
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.
[56] The jury described Nightingale Village as “a powerful catalyst to build community, prioritise social, economic and environmental sustainability.
The Nightingale Village presentation to the jury for the AIA Melbourne Prize as part of the Victorian Architecture Awards can be viewed on YouTube.
