The Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF) has joined the AAA as a Founding Corporate Member. This further strengthens the relationship between our two organisations. Visit their website and have a look at their amazing tour programme and see why the CAF was chosen as the model for the AAA.

Figge Art Museum by David Chipperfield who will present Black Talk 2

The dates:
Sydney 20 March — download booking form
Brisbane 21 March — download booking form
Melbourne 22 March — download booking form

somewhere near the height of his powers, and is well-placed to defend a civic and historically motivated architecture from the growing influence of computer-generated diagrams masquerading as formal experimentations.
— Icon magazine Dec 2003 on David Chipperfield

In his Black talk he will be showing his most recent work that includes some of the most prestigious European and North American projects commissioned in recent years, including the Anchorage Museum of History & Art, Alaska and the Ansalado City of Cultures in Milan.

To book a ticket download a booking form (above) or call 02 8297 7283

Glenn was interviewed last night on the ABC’s premier current affairs program, The 7:30 Report.

are we producing architecture or are we producing merchandise? I think on the whole we are producing merchandise, and that means that culturally we accept far less than we ought to accept.
— Glenn Murcutt

Read the transcript here

Within hours of appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald today, the first Architecture Harbour Cruise was sold out. There is now a long waiting list of people who want to get the watery view on architecture. More cruises will run in Sydney Harbour on the first Saturday of the month for the rest of 2005.

Having looked for a suitable high tech booking system that is within our budget and yielded nothing, I present to members and avid followers of the AAA a PDF of the recently printed White brochure detailing tours in NSW. If you want to book — we’ll accept an old-fashioned phone call — 02 8297 7283.

White: Tours of Architecture (43Kb PDF)

Part II (which is a short way off) will be a ‘Tours’ section of this website.

Part III (which is a fair way off) will be a calendar/booking system that even Steve Bezos is proud off.

The dates:
Sydney 20 March — download booking form
Brisbane 21 March — download booking form
Melbourne 22 March — download booking form

send in your booking form or call 02 8297 7283

A sell out lecture in Sydney on 20 March, followed by large crowds in Brisbane and Melbourne ensured a successful Black Talk 2.

David Chipperfield’s two hour lecture covered 14 projects spread over six countries and three continents. His concern with the users of the building was clear, ‘the building is a setting for human activity’ he makes great efforts to make large buildings friendly for humans, in his Salerno law courts building he has turned all the corridors into a series of courtyards and gardens. Most common comment at the conclusion of each event was ‘great talk’, and the fact that nobody left their seat until the end attested to that fact.

Above right—Ian Moore with David Chipperfield over dinner after a sellout lecture in Sydney.

We’ve made a few changes to our membership rates recently and have introduced some great new savings when you join for more than one year — (insert drum roll here) — 15% off if you join for two years, and a whopping 25% if you join for three years. These discounts apply to both individual and corporate members.

We have also added a Seniors category of individual membership at the reduced rate of $75 per year. Visit the membership section for more on why it’s a good idea to join.

AAA members have been issued with the notice of their first Annual General Meeting that is being held on Thursday 9 June at 6.00pm in Harry and Penelope Seidler’s apartment, Level 5, 2A Glen Street, Milsons Point.

From zero to one is a paper circulating with the notice with highlights of the first year’s activities. Founding President Glenn Murcutt notes that

one of the most significant achievements in our founding year has been opening up architecture to non-architects. Whilst the majority of our members now are architects, there are a growing number of non-architects, many of whom have joined following their participation in tours or one of our presentations to non-architect audiences.

Here are PDF copies for those interested:
AAA notice of AGM 2005 (33Kb)
AAA Annual Report 2005 (133Kb)

There are still spaces available on some of the White tours in June.

On Saturday 4 June you could do the City Walk in the morning and there are still spots available on the Architecture Harbour Cruise at 2.00pm.

On Sunday 5 June the final Newcastle City Walk starts at 10.30 am from the John Paynter Gallery. This series of eight walks has been extremely popular and attracted a lot of media attention, including television coverage.

Unfortunately already sold out are the World Environment Day Tour being held Sunday 5 June, and the Residential tour on Saturday 18 June.

However, there are still spots on the remaining Saturday morning City Walks in June, that one recent participant said

...was wonderful. I totally enjoyed it. Kerry was very informative and enlightening. I will be going on other AAA walks.

To book call 02 8297 7283 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.