The redevelopment of a former car manufacturing plant in Adelaide’s southern suburbs into an innovation hub for high value industries has dominated the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2016 South Australian Architecture Awards
Four projects at the Tonsley Innovation Hub in Adelaide’s southern suburbs have collected seven awards across education, heritage, commercial, sustainability and urban design.
The judges said recognising Renewal SA's transformation of the former Mitsubishi plant cemented the site as “a unique place with a strong identity for South Australia to celebrate its manufacturing history”.
The Tonsley projects awarded were Thomson Rossi’s South Australia’s Drill Core Reference Library (Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, Architecture Award for Commercial Architecture), the Main Assembly Building by Woods Bagot and Tridente (Awards for Heritage and Sustainable Architecture), HASSELL’s Flinders University Building (The Dr John Mayfield Award for Educational Architecture) and Oxigen (Award for Sustainable Architecture, Commendation for Urban Design).
Renewal SA General Manager for Project Delivery Mark Devine said Tonsley's physical development supported the broad economic vision for the site.
"Quality architecture and design have always been primary considerations in the plans for Tonsley, so it's wonderful to have all the work that went into these projects acknowledged by the peak body for the profession," he said.
The awards follow on from Tonsley's recent success at the 2015 World Architecture News Awards, where it won the award for Adaptive Reuse, beating more than 60 projects from around the globe.
HASSELL was also awarded The Jack McConnell Award for Public Architecture for its Stretton Community and Innovation Centre in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Sans-Arc Studio was awarded the 2016 City of Adelaide Prize, which recognizes innovation and design excellence that enhances the city’s vibrancy and character, for the quirky bar Pink Moon Saloon.
In the public realm, commendations were awarded to Henley Square Remade by TCL with Troppo Architects, Glenunga Community Hub by Greenway Architects and the Zoos SA Nature's Play Ground by Phillips/Pilkington Architects and WAX Design and the Adelaide Oval footbridge by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Taylor Cullity Lethlan and Aurecon.
Anthony Balsamo won the South Australian Emerging Architect Prize while Francesco Bonato was awarded the Sir James Irwin President’s Medal.
