{"id":779013,"date":"2026-07-04T18:14:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/779013\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T18:14:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:14:36","slug":"nsw-architecture-awards-2026-sydney-fish-market-central-station-and-remote-outdoor-dunny-among-top-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/779013\/","title":{"rendered":"NSW Architecture Awards 2026: Sydney Fish Market, Central Station and remote outdoor dunny among top winners"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An architect-designed outdoor dunny on a secluded hill in the NSW bush is nothing like those of the past, when a page ripped from a tatty phone book served as toilet paper. Nor does the new $836 million Sydney Fish Market resemble the old pongy shops or sheds that inspired its architects.<\/p>\n

But these winners of 2026 NSW Architecture awards announced on Thursday night were, like other awarded homes and projects, \u201cdistinctly Australian\u201d, said chair of juries Bill Tsakalos.<\/p>\n

They responded to our climate, landscape, culture and materials with confidence and originality, he said.<\/p>\n

\"MagentaMagenta Outhouse, the winner of the Robert Woodward Award for Small Project Architecture by Atelier Marks Gaal.Alex Brunton<\/p>\n

The top award winners ranged from Magenta Outhouse \u2013 an open-air toilet, tub and shower made from recycled materials on the tightest of budgets by young architects Atelier Marks Gael \u2013 to city-shaping projects including Sydney Fish Market, the updated Central Station, and the northern cycleway to the Harbour Bridge.<\/p>\n

When it came to new homes, and alterations and additions, winners turned narrow and awkward-shaped blocks on cliffs in the middle of the city and near railway lines into award-winning homes, often managing to squeeze a garden oasis in the middle.<\/p>\n

\"CowrieCowrie Hole house in Newcastle. Curious Practice won the highest award for new homes, the Wilkinson.<\/p>\n

Clinton Weaver<\/p>\n

Across from Newcastle\u2019s historic city baths, and named for a local landmark, Cowrie Hole house by Curious Practice won the highest award for new homes, the Wilkinson Award.<\/p>\n

It is a coastal spin on the terrace homes common in inner Sydney.<\/p>\n

Replacing an old home filled with Mr Fluffy insulation, the new home, on a five-metre-wide block, flows down the hill. Colour and art softens the walls and ceilings.<\/p>\n

Newcastle architect Warren Haasnoot, director of Curious Practice, told the Herald that the design was based on a series of pavilions that were \u201cpulled apart in some areas to allow for the views, and in others to create more protected enclaves away from the wind\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"CowrieCowrie Hole house\u2019s kitchen, above the living area, includes a concrete bench as a landing platform between levels.Clinton Weaver<\/p>\n

To its owner (name withheld), it was a legacy project: \u201cI see myself as its caretaker, creating a place where my children can grow \u2026 and always have somewhere special to return home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other award winners included EA House in Mittagong by Bokey Grant, which also won the Blacket Prize for regional architecture. The jury said that the small home, \u201cstripped of excess\u201d, skilfully negotiated a complex site that was previously overlooked as unbuildable.<\/p>\n

OK House by Stephen Collier Architect<\/a> in Scarborough, south of Sydney, negotiated a similar challenge, building on a steep block within metres of a railway line. The other winner was Queenscliff House by Chenchow Little.<\/p>\n

\"QueenscliffQueenscliff House by Chenchow Little won an award for new homes. Kattherine Lu\"StephenStephen Collier in the home he designed that won an award for residential housing in the 2026 NSW Architecture Awards. Mathieu Ravier\"EAEA House designed by Bokey Grant won an award for residential housing in the 2026 NSW Architecture Awards. Clinton Weaver\"EAEA House designed by Bokey Grant.Clinton Weaver Homes: Alterations and additions<\/p>\n

In Sydney, Anthony Gill Architects also reinvented the terrace to give it a warehouse vibe and won the highest award for alterations and additions to homes and apartments, the Hugh and Eva Buhrich award for residential architecture.<\/p>\n

Gill restored a derelict old terrace \u2013 facing one street \u2013 and expanded the home across a difficult and derelict L-shaped empty site with access to another street.<\/p>\n

It connected the two wings with \u201ca clever set\u201d of stairs around internal courtyards, said architect Stephen Varady, who visited the home, called Darlinghurst House.<\/p>\n

\"WinnerWinner of the Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award for residential architecture for houses: Darlinghurst House by Anthony Gill Architects. Rory Gardiner<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what architects do that others can\u2019t,\u201d said Varady, who has taught architecture across Australia. \u201cThey think about space differently, and come up with ideas that others can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

The owners said that Gill had created a strong environment that cocooned them. \u201cAs we settle in, and the garden grows, the house gets better.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DarlinghurstDarlinghurst House, by Anthony Gill Architects, is a restored terrace that stretches across two sites.Rory Gardiner<\/p>\n

Other award winners included House Gretchen by Lintel Studio for Architecture, Lilyfield House by Tribe Studio Architects, Surrey 112 by Smart Design Studio (which also won the John Verge award for interior architecture for the same project), and The Corner Shop House by Downie North.<\/p>\n

\"SurreySurrey 112 by Smart Design Studios.Romello Pereira.\"AA bathroom in House Gretchen by Lintel Studio. Luc Remond\"LilyfieldLilyfield House designed by Tribe Studio Architects. Tasha Tylee\"OwnerOwner Will Blackwell at the Corner Shop in Camperdown.Sitthixay DitthavongBig Sydney projects<\/p>\n

Sydney Fish Market by architects 3XN, in association with BVN and ASPECT Studios, scooped the pool to win the 2026 Premier\u2019s Prize, the Sir Arthur G. Stephenson award for commercial architecture, and an award for public architecture.<\/p>\n

\" Views of the new Sydney Fish Market when it opened, after some delays, on January 19, 2026.Wolter Peeters<\/p>\n

Premier Chris Minns said it was a \u201cnew, iconic landmark rising straight out of our harbour\u201d. The jury said its soaring timber canopy, which resembles fish scales, set a benchmark for low-carbon construction.<\/p>\n

Another one of Sydney\u2019s largest projects, the transformation of the 1906 Central Station by Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan + Partners, took out the NSW Architecture Medallion and won the Sulman Medal for public architecture.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\"TheThe transformation of Central Station took out the NSW Architecture Medallion and won the Sulman Medal for public architecture. \"TheThe new northern cycleway to the Harbour Bridge won a range of architecture awards. The jury said it was a graceful addition to one of Australia\u2019s most important landmarks.\u00a0 James Brickwood<\/p>\n

For full list of winners, visit Architecture Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Julie Power is a lay juror for the Australian Institute of Architects\u2019 NSW Architecture Awards and served on the panel for multi-residential housing.<\/p>\n

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\"JulieJulie Power<\/a> is a senior reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":779014,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":["post-779013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-design","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=779013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/779013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/779014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=779013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=779013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=779013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}