Public architectural projects across Australia demonstrating a winning mix of ‘community spirit, intensity, humility, beauty and hope for the future’ have dominated the nation’s top architecture awards.

Complete list of winners

From urban design to public, commercial, heritage, interior and sustainable architecture, projects skilfully blending these elements took top honours presented at the Australian Institute of Architects’ National Architecture Awards, the country’s most prestigious annual architecture prizes. 2010 marks the 30th birthday for the national awards, introduced in 1961.

The 2010 awards were presented to the nation’s most inspiring recent architectural projects and architects, at a special ceremony tonight (Thursday 28 October) in Canberra. A total 33 awards and commendations across 12 categories were awarded to projects in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and offshore in Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Tanzania, Indonesia and India.

Presenting the awards, Jury Chair Melinda Dodson said: “It’s a contradictory time for architecture – we’ve had economic buoyancy followed by economic downturn. As architects we’re part of a carbon emitting industry, so it’s natural that the jury reflected on the future, applied the 'enduring architecture' test, and the essential test of sustainability. We were heartened by the many instances of architects demonstrating leadership, advocacy and innovation. Projects where a positive transformative act had occurred, resulting in new ideas for the profession and for the community about architecture; architects doing ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Often leadership and perseverance was matched by the client.”

The 2010 Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture was a clear demonstration of this – being awarded this year to the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link, Intermediate Stations in Sydney by national practice HASSELL. In a triple win for the firm, HASSELL also received the Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture for the ANZ Centre in Melbourne, and a National Commendation for Urban Design for the Adelaide Zoo Entrance Precinct in Adelaide.

Ms Dodson said the Intermediate Stations represented “a genuine evolutionary and visionary approach to station management and work environments. This all contributes to a project of unique competence and beauty that derives its architecture through common sense with sensitive design decisions”. Access elements “appear as sculptures within a space which is free of ornamentation, beautifully ordered and reliant only on light and people to colour the architecture”.

Ms Dodson said “while the 2009 jury worried about a lack of expenditure on public urban design projects, in 2010 the opposite was true”. “Most notably, Mayor Clover Moore and the City of Sydney have demonstrated a commitment to the public realm with the Pirrama Park and Paddington Reservoir Gardens projects”.

As a result, the City of Sydney and Australian public emerged as this year’s big winners, with five projects commissioned by the council picking up major awards. Surry Hills Library and Community Centre in Sydney by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (fjmt) received a National Award for Public Architecture and a National Award for Sustainable Architecture.

The much used and enjoyed Pirrama Park at Pyrmont Hill by Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects/Aspect Studios/CAB received the Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design, while the equally well-frequented Paddington Reservoir Gardens by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer with JMD Design and the City of Sydney received a National Award for Urban Design and National Award for Heritage.