Leading RMIT architecture alumni feature in landmark book series

Titled ‘EDITIONS: Australian Architecture Monographs’, the series will include full-colour imagery, detailed drawings and comprehensive essays and project texts demonstrating the significant contribution by RMIT alumni to Australian architecture and urban design.

The first monograph in the series, Kerstin Thompson Architects: Encompassing people & place, features the award-winning practice of Kerstin Thompson Architects and is to be launched at 6pm on Tuesday 30 March at The Capitol. The event is part of Melbourne Design Week 2021, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.

Following monographs will focus on a diversity of architectural practice across Australia, including the design projects of Neeson Murcutt + Neille (Rachel Neeson and Stephen Neille, Sydney) and March Studio (Rodney Eggleston and AnneLaure Cavigneaux, Melbourne) along with Brisbane- and Perth-based practices to be announced soon.

Dean of Architecture and Urban Design Professor Martyn Hook said the series addressed a critical gap in contemporary Australian architectural publishing.

“RMIT Architecture and Urban Design alumni are an important part of an expanding worldwide network of progressive practitioners who contribute to critical debate in the making of our cities and landscapes,” Hook said.

“The EDITIONS series builds on our outstanding global reputation for practice-based research, the deep commitment that RMIT makes to cultural advocacy for Australian architecture and its contribution to the design of our unique public realm.”

Series editor, Dr Fleur Watson is joined by celebrated book designer Stuart Geddes who will oversee art direction. Both Watson and Geddes have made longstanding contributions to architectural publishing and exhibition making in Australia and internationally.

Watson said: “In a contemporary environment where architecture and design publishing is increasingly competitive and mainstream, the RMIT partnership with international publisher Thames and Hudson provides a critical opportunity to publish collected work by these significant architects in accessible monograph form and to bring international attention to this extraordinary body of work that is rarely seen outside of Australia.”

Thames & Hudson Australia associate publisher Paulina de Laveaux said: “The monograph has always been a favoured medium for the dissemination and sharing of architectural ideas.

“It is far from dead; I’d argue it is experiencing a rebirth and we’re both excited and proud to be partnering with RMIT to produce the EDITIONS series. It is an opportunity to challenge expectations of the genre and present the work of some of Australia’s most inspiring practices in a format that is accessible, timeless, and everlasting.

“We look forward to adding Kerstin Thompson Architects, Neeson Murcutt + Neille, and March Studio to our publishing portfolio.”

Kerstin Thompson

For over twenty-five years, Kerstin Thompson has explored how architecture can respond to local conditions to positively shape lives and communities. By harnessing the potential for beauty and delight and a sensitivity to landscape, each project resonates with a spirit of generosity and community value.

Kerstin Thompson Architects: Encompassing people & place takes readers on an immersive journey into the very heart of this extraordinary body of work, and documents how, over time, the practice has shifted its focus from individual housing to larger-scale public projects created by a collaborative and talented team. With high-quality images, sketches and drawings selected from Thompson’s archive and discursive texts, this monograph provides a deep insight into not only what architects do – the buildings they make – but also why and how they design.

Capturing new insights into the architect’s work, the monograph is complemented by a warm and intimate conversation between Kerstin Thompson and ABC radio journalist and media identity Virginia Trioli.

Kerstin Thompson is principal of KTA and Adjunct Professor at RMIT and Monash Universities. A committed design educator, she regularly lectures and runs studios at various schools across Australia and New Zealand. In recognition for the work of her practice, and her contribution to the profession and its education, Kerstin was elevated to Life Fellow by the Australian Institute of Architects in 2017. She plays an active role promoting quality design within the profession and the wider community through her position on the Office of the Victorian Government Architect’s Design Review Panel and as board member for Melbourne Housing Expo, a research group led by the University of Melbourne. Kerstin is a passionate defender of civic space and advocate for extracting new life from our built heritage, and KTA’s redevelopment of the Broadmeadows Town Hall won the 2020 Victorian Architecture Medal.

Banner image: East Street, KTA. Credit: Dan Preston

Story: Diana Robertson