Next Wave

Australia's climate, geographic isolation, abundance of land, and breathtakingly beautiful landscape make an ideal setting for some of the world's arresting architecture. Ever since Glenn Murcutt's unique blend of modern and vernacular sensibilities captured the attention of the international design community and the 2002 Pritzker Prize, Australia cemented its reputation as a showcase for innovative contemporary architecture. In recent years a new breed of Australian architects has boldly challenged the nostalgia of the rural mythology—with its now-overused metaphors of bush and beach—in favor of a distinctly new urban sensibility defined by a strong sense of process and exploration.

Next Wave: New Australian Architecture presents the work of sixteen of the country's most talented and cutting-edge studios who, with the support of open-minded clients, have embraced a broad range of new influences, innovative materials, and experimental design practices. Featuring stunning photography, drawings, and plans, the fifty-nine projects in Next Wave reflect the diversity of contemporary Australian architecture in its post-Murcutt generation. From Clinton Murray's modernist, recycled-wood log cabins to Minifie Nixon's radical techno-geometrics—these projects break new ground while maintaining the existing tradition of high-quality buildings that respect important issues of sustainability and environmentalism. Architects featured include, Richard Kirk, Bark Design, David Boyle, Marsh Cashman Koolloos, Adam Haddow (SJB), Clinton Murray, Cassandra Complex, Elenberg Fraser, Neil & Idle, BKK, Staughton, Terroir, Iredale Pedersen Hook, and more.