The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinarsUrbanity
Industry Excellence
Urban Leader
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
UPCOMING EVENT - INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS SUMMIT 16 OCTOBER, SYDNEY
INDUSTRIAL AND LOGISTICS SUMMIT - TICKETS NOW ON SALE
LEARN MOREDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
OfficeAna NarvaezTue 27 Aug 19

Australia’s Best Concrete Buildings

TUD+ MEMBER CONTENT
b531f7b7-df16-4b21-9dd7-25cee786a22e
SHARE
73
print
Print

Australia’s concrete buildings are often overlooked, with many post-war examples decried as ugly while governments remain hesitant to credit their cultural and heritage significance.

And while Sydney’s Sirius may not have made the top 10, Australia’s impressive history of concrete architecture has been celebrated in a recent list of the country’s most outstanding concrete public buildings.

Published by the peak body for Australia’s heavy construction materials industry, the CCAA, the top 10 includes some surprises and newer builds.

Former NSW government architect Peter Poulet chaired the judging panel, alongside Victorian and Queensland state government architects Jill Garner and Malcolm Middleton, architectural writer Joe Rollo, University of Queensland architecture school head Cameron Bruhn, Architecture Media editorial director Kaitlin Butler, architect Robert Nation, Arup engineer Peter Bowtell and CCAA chief executive Ken Slattery.

The jury whittled down a shortlist of 45 to name the top 10 against three criteria: architectural merit, innovation in the use of concrete and whether the project redefined and expanded concrete’s potential at the time in which it was built.

“The buildings and structures remind us of the resilient, enduring beauty of concrete—and it is this durability that makes it a key enabling material to put society on a sustainable transition path,” Poulet said.

Related: 9 Iconic Examples of Modernist Architecture


University of Melbourne car park, Melbourne

^The Melbourne University car park was designed by architectural firm Loder and Bayly in association with Harris, Lange and Partners.


High Court of Australia

^The design of the High Court of Australia was led by architect Christopher Kringas and completed in 1980.


Australia Square

^The Harry Seidler-designed Australia Square was completed in 1967.


Punchbowl Mosque

^Designed by Angelo Candalepas, the Punchbowl Mosque opened in 2018, winning a national architecture award.


Academy of the Sciences, Canberra

^Dubbed the "Martian Embassy", the domed Academy of the Sciences building was designed by Roy Grounds and completed in 1959.


James Cook University Library, Townsville

^The brutalist architectural icon, designed by prominent Queensland architect James Birrell, was originally completed in 1968.


Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane

^Designed by Robin Gibson, the Queensland Art Gallery opened in Brisbane's South Bank precinct in 1982.


Victorian State Offices, Melbourne

^The Victorian State Offices in Melbourne demonstrated innovation in the use precast concrete cladding and column-free spaces.


Gladesville Bridge, Sydney

^The Gladesville Bridge, when opened in 1964, was the longest reinforced concrete arch span in the world.


Sydney Opera House

^Designed by Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House was formally opened in 1973.

OfficeAustraliaTownsvilledo not useMelbourneCanberraBrisbaneConstructionArchitectureConstructionProject
AUTHOR
Ana Narvaez
The Urban Developer - Editorial Director
More articles by this author
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Korean coliving hero
Exclusive

Disconnection by Design: Why ‘Untech’ is the Next Big Amenity

Clare Burnett
5 Min
Global Shifts Redraw the Map for Australia’s Office Market
Exclusive

Office Eyes Slowdown as New Stock Supply Becomes a Trickle

Vanessa Croll
7 Min
Salta MD Sam Tarascio
Exclusive

Why Salta Won’t Break Ground on $400m Pipeline

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
Exclusive

Precinct Proposals Bloom as Brisbane Middle-Ring Sheds its Past

Phil Bartsch
8 Min
Exclusive

Newest Land Lease Player Plots Sector Shake-Up

Taryn Paris
5 Min
View All >
Placemaking

Arup to Lead Brisbane Games Victoria Park Masterplan

Lindsay Saunders
Korean coliving hero
Exclusive

Disconnection by Design: Why ‘Untech’ is the Next Big Amenity

Clare Burnett
Shayher 309 North Quay DA hero
Development

Twin-Tower ‘Gateway’ Revealed for Brisbane Renewal Precinct

Phil Bartsch
The apartment skyscrapers, among the tallest in the River City, would anchor its largest transport-led rejuvenation proj…
LATEST
Placemaking

Arup to Lead Brisbane Games Victoria Park Masterplan

Lindsay Saunders
3 Min
Korean coliving hero
Exclusive

Disconnection by Design: Why ‘Untech’ is the Next Big Amenity

Clare Burnett
5 Min
Shayher 309 North Quay DA hero
Development

Twin-Tower ‘Gateway’ Revealed for Brisbane Renewal Precinct

Phil Bartsch
3 Min
Development

Finalists Announced for The Urban Developer’s Urban Leader Awards 2025​

David Di Marco
9 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/australias-best-concrete-buildings-