Held at the iconic St Kilda Town Hall as part of the Melbourne Design Week program, the City of Port Phillip's biennial awards showcase the very best in local architecture, urban design and sustainability.
Mayor Alex Makin said this year's awards highlighted the extraordinary breadth and quality of projects shaping the municipality. "With a record 52 submissions, the jury was impressed by the diversity, creativity and calibre on display," Cr Makin said.
"This is the 18th time we've celebrated design excellence through these awards, and each winner and commendation reflects the care and imagination that make Port Phillip such a vibrant and distinctive place to live."
Jury members were chair Linda Cheng (freelance journalist and editor), Kathryn Robson (Director Robson Rak Architects), Brendan Baxter (Principal Architect, City of Port Phillip) and Port Phillip Councillors Serge Thomann and Heather Cunsolo. Together, they recognised projects that push boundaries while enhancing the character of Port Phillip's streets, neighbourhoods and public spaces.
Winning submissions included:
St Kilda Pier Redevelopment - Parks Victoria commissioned the redevelopment to replace the ageing 1971 structure. With over one million visitors in its first year, the renewed Pier sets a bench-mark for accessible, high-quality public space and delivers an enduring legacy for St Kilda.
St Kilda and Balaclava Kindergarten - Australia's oldest kindergarten has been thoughtfully extended to honour its 1925 heritage while meeting the needs of today's families. The project carefully reflects the scale and character of the original building.
Port Phillip EcoCentre - sensitively integrated with the landscape, the building has been designed to be carbon negative across its life cycle.
The Gladstone - bringing 700 build-to-rent homes to the growing Montague precinct, this innovative apartment complex impressed the jury with its "vertical village" concept, offering residents a rich mix of shared spaces designed to foster connection and community.
