Fender Katsalidis: Working Architecture

Designed for the provocative arts patron David Walsh, the Museum of Old and New Art may be bunkered in a rocky promontory on the outskirts of Hobart, but it has quickly established Tasmania as a global cultural destination. At the other end of the scale, quite literally, the soaring Eureka Tower rises from the close cluster of buildings on Melbourne’s Southbank to project an image of cosmopolitan urbanity. Through work such as this, Fender Katsalidis Architects has not only helped shape how Australia sees its architecture, but how the world sees Australia.

Beyond the immediate drama of the work, however, lies another, less visible drive to push architecture’s potential. Working across the full cycle of architectural design, from planning and detailing, to construction and delivery and even through innovation in the commercial development model, FKA is committed to testing the limits of what architecture can be and do: a commitment that is constant throughout its more than 25 years in practice.

With book design by Gary Emery, one of Australia’s most preeminent graphic artists, Working Architecture traces this rich history through 31 key projects, including buildings in the arts, business, private housing and of course in apartment design, where the practice has had significant influence on Australia’s urban renaissance.

Working Architecture includes written contributions from Leon van Schaik AO, Graeme Gunn AM and Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medalist Peter Wilson, providing a long-overdue opportunity to consider the work of one of Australia’s most prolific and influential architectural practices.