# William Wardell Award for Public Architecture

The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture is the highest honour awarded annually for public buildings in Victoria, Australia and is presented by the Victoria Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) at the Victorian Architecture Awards. It has been awarded 28 consecutive times from 1996 to 2024.

## Background
### Definition of the award

The award recognises 'completed works of architecture of the highest quality' in the public architecture category. Previously the award was offered for 'institutional buildings' with winning and commended projects including a wider array of building types. In 1995 Wood Marsh was awarded the last Award of Merit, Institutional New, for Deakin University Stage 1.
Projects in this awards category must be predominantly of a public or institutional nature and generally fall within Building Code of Australia (BCA) Class 9, excluding projects within the definition of 'Educational Architecture or any BCA Class 9b building used primarily for educational purposes'. In 1997 the previous institutional awards were recategorised into separate and distinct public, educational and commercial categories.
A total of 15 of the 24 named awards (62%) presented between 1996 and 2024 were also awarded the top award, the Victorian Architecture Medal at the same awards.

### Multiple winners

ARM Architecture (Ashton Raggatt McDougall) have won the award on five separate occasions: 1996, 2004, 2009, 2015 and 2016.

### National awards for public architecture

Winners of this award are eligible for consideration in the annual national Australian Institute of Architects architecture awards for the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, usually announced in October or November. Projects awarded either the Named Award or Architecture Awards in the William Wardell Award can also be considered for the National Award in the same year. To 2024 only three projects from Victoria have gone on to win the national named award.

### William Wardell

The naming of the award recognises English born architect and civil engineer William Wardell (1823–1899). Wardell was appointed government architect in Victoria in 1858. He designed many important public and eccliastical buildings in Melbourne over a 20-year period. After being dismissed by the government Wardell moved to Sydney, extending his career as an influential and important public architect. He died in North Sydney in 1899.

## Named award winners

William Wardell Prize for Public Architecture by year :
| Year | Winner | Project | Location | Other AIA awards |
| 2024 | Jackson Clements Burrows Architects | Berninneit Cultural and Community Centre | 91—97 Thompson Avenue, Cowes | National Award for Public Architecture, 2024 |
| 2023 | Wardle | Bendigo Law Courts | 188 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo | National Commendation for Public Architecture, 2023 Commendation for Sustainable Architecture, 2023 |
| 2022 | Brearley Architects and Urbanists with Grant Amon Architects | Victorian Pride Centre | 79—81 Fitzroy St, St Kilda | National Award for Public Architecture, 2022 |
| 2021 | Lyons | Springvale Community Hub | 5 Hillcrest Grove, Springvale | Urban Design Award, 2021 |
| 2020 | Terroir | Penguin Parade Visitor Centre | 1019 Ventnor Road, Summerlands | Regional Prize, 2020 |
| 2019 | Peter Elliott Architecture and Urban Design | Parliament of Victoria Members' Annexe | Spring Street, East Melbourne | National Award for Public Architecture 2019 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2019 Melbourne Prize, 2019 Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design, 2019 Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2019 |
| 2017 | Silver Thomas Hanley, DesignInc & McBride Charles Ryan | Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) | 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2017 |
| 2016 | ARM Architecture | Geelong Library and Heritage Centre | 51 Little Malop Street, Geelong | Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 2016 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2016 Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture, 2016 Regional Prize, 2016 |
| 2015 | ARM Architecture | Shrine of Remembrance Galleries of Remembrance | Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne | Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 2015 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2015 Melbourne Prize, 2015 John George Knight Award (Heritage Architecture), 2015 Urban Design Architecture Award, 2015 |
| 2014 | McBride Charles Ryan | Dallas Brooks Community Primary School | 26—36 King Street, Dallas | National Award for Public Architecture, 2014 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2014 Melbourne Prize, 2014 |
| 2013 | Sean Godsell Architects in association with Peddle Thorp Architects | RMIT University Design Hub (Building 100) | 150 Victoria Street, Carlton | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2013 Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, 2013 National Award for Public Architecture, 2013 |
| 2012 | Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart | Royal Children's Hospital | 50 Flemington Road, Parkville | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2012 Melbourne Prize, 2012 |
| 2011 | Cox Architecture | AAMI Park | Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2011 Melbourne Prize, 2011 Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, 2011 |
| 2010 | Woods Bagot and NH Architecture | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre | 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2010 Melbourne Prize, 2010 Steel Architecture Award, 2010 Award for Sustainable Architecture, 2010 |
| 2009 | ARM Architecture | Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre Project, (Southbank Theatre) | 31 Sturt Street, Southbank | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2009 Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture, 2009 Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design, 2009 |
| 2008 | John Wardle Architecture | Nigel Peck Centre for Learning and Leadership, Melbourne Grammar School | 47 Domain Road, Melbourne | National Award for Public Architecture, 2008 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2008 Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture, 2008 |
| 2007 | Grimshaw Jackson Joint Venture | Southern Cross Station | Spencer Street, Melbourne | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2007 Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design (National Award), 2007 |
| 2006 | Minifie Nixon with Rush\Wright | Australian Wildlife Health Centre | Healesville Sanctuary | |
| 2005 | McBride Charles Ryan Architecture and Interior Design | Templestowe Park Primary School Multipurpose Hall | 399 Church Road, Templestowe | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2006 |
| 2004 | ARM Architecture | Shrine of Remembrance Visitor Centre and Garden Courtyard | Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2004 Melbourne Prize, 2004 John George Knight Award (Heritage Architecture), 2004 Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design (National), 2004 |
| 2003 | Sean Godsell | Woodleigh School Science Building | 485 Golf Links Road, Langwarrin South | National Commendation for Public Architecture, 2003 |
| 2002 | Lyons | Victoria University Online Training Centre, St Albans Campus | University Boulevard, St Albans | Victorian Architecture Medal, 2002 |
| 2001 | Denton Corker Marshall | Melbourne Museum | 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Carlton | Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture, 2001 Victorian Architecture Medal, 2001 |
| 2000 | John Wardle Architects and Demaine Partnership in association | RMIT Printing Facility, Brunswick Campus (later known as the International Centre of Graphic Technology, closed c.2014) | 25 Dawson Street, Brunswick | National Commendation for Public Architecture, 2000 |
| 1999 | Nation Fender Katsalidis Architects | Ian Potter Museum of Art | Swanston Street, Melbourne | Commendation for Public Architecture (National), 1999 Melbourne Prize, 1999 |
| 1998 | Wood Marsh with Pels Innes Nielson Kosloff | RMIT Building 220 (later known as Leo Foster Building, since 2014) | Clements Drive, RMIT Campus, Bundoora | National Commendation for Public Architecture, 1998 |
| 1997 | Peter Elliott with Morton Dunn | Ballarat Town Hall refurbishment | 225 Sturt Street, Ballarat | |
| 1996 | ARM Architecture | Storey Hall (RMIT Building 16) | 336 Swanston Street, Melbourne | Victorian Architecture Medal, 1996 Marion Mahony Award for Interior Architecture Interior Award (National) |