News
12 October 2013
2013 Jørn Utzon Award
Australia House was awarded the Jørn Utzon Award for International Architecture by the Australian Institute of Architects.
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Australia House was awarded the Jørn Utzon Award for International Architecture by the Australian Institute of Architects.
Read more
I had the pleasure of presenting Australia House at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) on October 25, in Paddington Sydney. The event was centred on a conversation between myself, Brook Andrew (artist of dhirrayn-ngurang) and James Grose, National Director of BVN Architecture.
I have begun every presentation about Australia House with a video of the children of Urada, performing taiko drumming with the valley behind. It was a wonderful performance that introduced the building at the opening in July, and continues to introduce the building now, and the simple technology of video takes people from Australia to Niigata, even if only for a minute or so.
James Grose displayed a very agile capacity to question and interrogate the project, raising the issue of cultural production and the unique situation where an Australian architect have aimed to reveal the cultural specificity of the Niigata region and community. From my point of view, the project is about exchange; it has its roots in both Australian and Japanese building traditions, and took a team from both places to deliver the project. What a joy it has been to be involved in Australia House!
Thank you to Gene Sherman and SCAF for hosting the event.
Today we carried out the final inspection. There are still some tasks to complete but the building itself is essentially finished. Now the artists will be able to begin working on their projects. The large mirror in the gallery is a moveable wall that will become part of the artworks. The weather has been unsettled due to the rainy season but we can see subtle changes in the light and the atmosphere of the space as time goes on. It is a wonderful place to experience the nature that surrounds us.
The exterior of the building is almost finished and the scaffolding on the exterior walls has been removed. The exterior is close to completion but there is still much to be done, including the interior and detailed fittings and fixtures. There are many different tasks being carried out simultaneously and the building will be completed in about two weeks. The large fittings have been installed in the wide gallery and the view from the large gallery windows is impressive.
The pillars, beams and roof are now in place and the structure was tested in the presence of the Design Supervisor and construction staff. The exterior is almost completely covered by plastic sheeting but the front of the building is visible, revealing the layout of the terrace in front of the entrance. We can now get a feel for the interior space as well and the construction is moving into its final phase. The wooden pillar in the photographs is the symbolic daikoku-bashira, the central pillar of a traditional Japanese home.
The scaffolding has been erected and the floor joists are now in place. It is now possible to get a feel for the size of the finished structure and imagine the impact that will be created by the height of the asymmetrical, triangular roof. The upper framework will be constructed over the next two weeks or so. The snow has melted and the trees have sprouted beautiful green leaves.
The steel reinforced concrete foundation is now in place, making it easier to envision the size of the rooms and the height of the floor.
The trunk of a Japanese cedar tree will become the symbolic central pillar of the house, although it will not be part of the actual construction. The tree was selected from cedars growing in the nearby wood at the top left of the aerial photograph of the site. The diameter of the trunk is just right and it has a beautiful shape.
The amount of snow is decreasing day by day.
Steel reinforcement for the concrete foundation of the new Australia House has been put into place and tests have been carried out following its completion. The building is designed with a particular focus on safety, therefore, the construction began with ground improvement to ensure a robust foundation structure. Mr. Taro Yokoyama, who is in charge of the structural design, also witnessed the testing. It is now easy to see the building’s layout and the position of each room. Concrete pouring is scheduled to take place next week. The area experienced heavy snowfalls this year so some snow still remains on the ground. However, it should start melting soon as the weather has finally started to get warmer.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Australia House was held with Tokamachi City officials, including Mayor Yoshifumi Sekiguchi, Mr Fram Kitagawa (General Director of Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial), Mr Ciaran Chestnutt (First Secretary, Australian Embassy Tokyo), Mr Tetsuro Iizuka and Mr Shinsuke Inojika (Iizuka-Onojima Joint-venture group who are in charge of the construction), Mr Sotaro Yamamoto (Yamamoto Sotaro Design Atelier who is in charge of the design supervision), the Urada community and other involved parties. The reconstruction of Australia House will now move ahead quickly.
Andrew Burns, the Australian architect selected as the winner of the Australia House design competition, visited Japan for the second time for the project on 9 January October 2012 for five days.
Having finished the basic design in Australia, during his visit to Japan, he met with Director of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale Fram Kitagawa, and the Japanese architect coordinators who will supervise the executive design and construction phases. He also met with Australian Ambassador to Japan Bruce Miller at the Australian Embassy Tokyo to explain the recent developments in the project.
Andrew Burns, the Australian architect selected as the first prize winner of the new Australia House design proposals, visited Japan on 26 October 2011 for 4 days.
During his stay, he visited the building site for the new Australia House in Urada, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, and participated in a meeting with local residents to explain the reconstruction project. He also had a meeting with the Japanese architect coordinators who will supervise the design and construction operations.
In addition, Mr Burns participated in a press conference announcing the 5th Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and got acquainted with Australian Ambassador to Japan Mr Bruce Miller, and others involved in the project. The Australia House project is moving ahead at a fast pace and is scheduled for completion by late July 2012 in time for the opening of Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.
Australian Embassy Tokyo website - News Centre
1st prize winner: Andrew Burns Architect (PDF 6.12MB)
Australia House, Open call for Architecture Design Proposals was featured in the Australian Financial Review.
Australia House, Open call for Architecture Design Proposals was featured in the Japan Times.
The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale Executive Committee announced the Open Call for Design Proposals for a new Australia House at their press conference launching the 2012 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) on 24 June 2011, in the presence of the Australian Ambassador to Japan.
As previously announced on this website, Australia House - which was established in 2009 - collapsed in the wake of the earthquake which hit the northern part of Nagano prefecture on 12 March 2011.
This Open Call for Design Proposals is aimed at selecting an appropriate architect or team of architects for the design of the new Australia House as one of the upcoming ETAT's main art projects in 2012.
The new Australia House will serve as a space for Australian artists to live, work and exhibit their artworks and as a base for cultural exchange and joint projects between Australian and Japan. In addition, the new Australia House will be a symbol of recovery from the earthquake and, therefore, it should be designed to reflect the best practice in disaster-prevention measures and consideration for the environment.
For further information of the Open Call, please refer to the ECHIGO-TSUMARI ART FIELD website.
Please refer to the press release from the Australian Embassy Tokyo regarding the Open call.
Australia House Design Competition Announced
To our great regret, Australia House in Urada, Tokamachi was severely damaged in an aftershock in the following day of the 11 March earthquake whose seismic centre was in the northern parts of Nagano prefecture. However, we believe it is important that the project proceeds in order to further strengthen the ties between Australia and Japan and the possibilities of this year's Artist-in-Residence program to continue at a different venue in the Echigo-Tsumari region are being explored by the organisers.
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