National Commendation for Small Project Architecture – 2021 National Architecture Awards
Traditional Land Owners: The Wiradjuri People
We live in a disposable society based on the excessive production of disposable goods, largely fuelled by plastics. The Plastic Palace, a temporary pavilion and material research for Murray Art Museum Albury confronts the impacts of this way of life, by inviting the public to step inside 20 tonnes of discarded plastic, the typical amount of plastic waste discarded by a regional Australian town in just one month, and reflect on the scale of the waste problem created by their discarded possessions.
Construction materials contribute up to a quarter of the worlds greenhouse emissions and landfill waste. This project attempts to influence the discourse and explore ways architects can use design thinking to mitigate some of these impacts, and work towards a sustainable built environment.
Client perspective:
How does the design benefit the way you live/work/play/operate/educate/other?
“Plastic Palace was commissioned by Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), to develop the inaugural summer place pavilion and exhibition. MAMA’s brief was for a place to provide refuge from the sun while exploring the artists interest in sustainability and materials. MAMA worked closely with the architect providing access and support to collaborate with Albury Councils waste management centre to help the council achieve their ambitious goal of halving waste by 2020, through education and recycling systems.“
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
