Queensland Medallion
The Queensland Medallion is awarded at the discretion of the Queensland State Jury, to any project of exemplary standard. The Queensland Medallion is the highest honour given at the Queensland Architecture Awards each year. This honour is given to a project from the field of Named Awards.
Members are not able to enter this category directly and the Queensland Medallion will only be awarded if there is a project the Jury considers worthy due to its outstanding merit.
The architect/practice is awarded a medallion with the project name and architect engraved on the front and a building plaque for mounting on the building.
Award Winners Throughout the Years
2024
Bradbury Park Playscapes | Alcorn Middleton
Jury citation
The Bradbury Park project stands out for its exceptional merit in designing a public space that fosters community engagement across all levels. Seamlessly integrated into the surrounding landscape, the delightful and democratic sculpture invites visitors from afar, drawing them towards a myriad of enchanting spaces. By emphasising play for all ages and abilities, this project exemplifies the transformative power of architecture in enhancing community well-being.
The use of materials and intricate details cleverly evokes the adjacent flora and fauna, weaving a compelling story of Connection to Country. Extending the custom design beyond the client’s initial brief, the project incorporates self-shading elements and avoids standard playground fare. Moreover, it prioritises equitable access, ensuring that the underside of the Playscape accommodates all visitors.
Additional observations highlight the architect’s commitment to exceeding expectations, applying residential architecture lessons to playground design and revealing a deep connection between community and place—a response warmly embraced by the local community.
2023
University of Queensland Cricket Club Maintenance Shed | Lineburg Wang
Jury citation
The University of Queensland Cricket Club Maintenance Shed is a small project playing a larger game. Sited on a prominent landscape flanking the cricket club’s main oval, the project inherits great responsibility with respect to the campus’ prized landscape amenity.
Quick to recognise this, the architects have championed a response that compliments the site in a meaningful way. The project’s abstract, monolithic form rests quietly on the site, offering itself as a backdrop to the landscape, its grey envelope a natural companion to the silver trunks of the foregrounded eucalypts.
Texture and pattern combine with shadow and depth, establishing interest and curiosity while honouring the project’s subtle objectives. Through a highly tenacious and collaborative approach, the architects have led the wider project team through countless external challenges to realise the project with rigorous intent.
After identifying the common concrete block as one of the few suitable and locally available materials, the architects set about reimagining concrete block construction, deploying an innovative system that integrates structure and screen in a cost-effective and delightful manner.
This project exceeds expectations, showcasing the profession’s unique and exceptional capacity to produce the most triumphant of outcomes under the most constrained of circumstances
2022
Andrew N. Liveris Building | m3architecture + Lyons
Jury citation
This design is an intelligent response to the brief, focussed on maintaining the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland as an international leader in chemical engineering education and research. Drawing inspiration from its surroundings and guiding principles of connectedness and openness this rational holistic design response respectfully embraces the importance of students, urban form, landscapes, colours and the materials of the campus and transposes them all into a future focussed architecture. Through rigorous design, technical explorations and careful interpretation of the client’s pedagogical brief, Lyon and m3architecture provide a design, which truly enlivens the spirit of both students and teaching staff. This is an excellent example of a well-considered learning environment, which will further advance the performance of engineering research and learning at the University.
2021
Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) | CA Architects and Cox Architecture
Jury citation
Together with the Munro Martin Parklands, CPAC creates a new arts precinct for both the city and the Far North Queensland region. The building has a quintessential Queensland character, celebrating its tropical location as well as the region’s cultural diversity. The complex and highly technical building is beautifully detailed and delivers unprecedented and functional flexibility for a regional performing arts centre.
The building benefits from the collaboration between the two architectural practices, who have a strong working relationship, bringing both expertise and local knowledge to the project.
CPAC is a significant cultural asset for the city enabling a diversity of cultural experiences and stimulating economic growth. It is already a building that has become part of the city fabric and of the community. The client, Cairns Regional Council should be commended on its foresight, courage and commitment to delivering a building of excellence for its residents and the broader region.
The architects, the broader team and the client, (Queensland Government) should be congratulated on a shared commitment to excellence.
2020
Mon Repos Turtle Centre | KIRK
Jury citation
It is fitting that in this inaugural year the award goes to a project that reflects our architectural responsibilities to not just to the community but the wider environment.
The Mon Repos Turtle Centre reflects the highest level of architectural thinking, craftmanship, technology and art, all responding to an imbedded commitment to sustainability.
It is also appropriate that the building has an inherent Queensland character in terms of response to context and climate and that its fundamental structure is made of Queensland materials by an innovative local Queensland manufacturer.
The building’s commitment to quality of materials and construction should mean this building will be enjoyed and highly valued for many years to come.
The architects, the broader team and the client, (Queensland Government) should be congratulated on a shared commitment to excellence.
National Partners
