Architect Philip Thalis paid the price for being outspoken. Now he’s won the profession’s gold medal
By Julie Power
Australia’s newest gold medal winner for architecture, Sydney’s outspoken Philip Thalis, has called on fellow architects, engineers, urban planners and others who shape our cities to be braver, bolder and more vocal.
He said architects were collegial and supportive, but a shortcoming of the profession was its failure to speak to society at large.
Sydney architect Philip Thalis has won the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest award, the gold medalCredit: Nic Walker
“As a professional, you are meant to be servant of society. Architects, engineers and planners … we don’t talk to the public anywhere near enough,” said Thalis, who on Friday was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour for an individual architect.
“The conversation is dominated by others. You know, this is our day job. Architects have this incredible breadth of experience and knowledge of the city and of how to make buildings.”
Thalis said others were often too scared to speak out, and he knows that being outspoken and criticising government can come at a price.
He was part of the team that created an international competition-winning scheme for Barangaroo that proposed a public park along the full length of the waterfront. It was subsequently abandoned by the state government, to the shock and outrage of many.
As a result of his criticism of the decision, saying it put private interests ahead of public good, his practice failed to win any government work for the better part of a decade.
Now, he says, no more big competitions.
The citation by the jury recognised Thalis as a vocal and public figure. “Using architectural knowledge as an instrument of change and a force for good in our cities and suburbs, Thalis is a role model for the architect as a public intellectual,” it said.
Thalis, who cofounded Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects with his partner Sarah Hill 32 years ago, was also recognised for the way he had combined policy and advocacy for the built environment. He was an elected independent councillor with the City of Sydney between 2016 and 2021.
It was this capacity to span both private and public arenas that placed Thalis in a pivotal position within the practice of architecture, the citation said.
His projects range from the small to the large. They include award-winning projects Studios 54, a multi-residential block in Surry Hills; Verve Apartments in Newcastle; Wedge Studios, a boarding house; Pirrama Park in Pyrmont; and the Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk.
A public transport and public housing advocate, Thalis is also the co-author of Public Sydney, a book and later a jigsaw puzzle.
The architect is a dedicated walker, racking up 15,000 steps most days. He says every walk provides insights into how our city is made, how we work, travel and live, showing how design can influence how hot the street gets, the shade, and the way people interact.
There is also a joy that comes from density that we don’t celebrate often enough, he says.
Thalis said a major challenge of the 21st century was how to do density well in a climate that was getting hotter and more extreme. “We have to do it by talking to people, showing them good buildings, and contrasting those with the bad.”
As he flew into Melbourne, he saw blocks with black glass and almost no open windows, presumably relying on air conditioning.
“If the power goes down, they are literally uninhabitable. There’s no excuse for building poorly when it will affect hundreds if not thousands of people’s lives for centuries to come. ”
Jess Scully, who served with Thalis on the Sydney City Council, told Architecture Australia, Thalis’ daily walks were one of the reasons he had such an ingrained, intimate sense of the city, block by block, building by building.
Other architects recognised by the Australian Institute of Architects include Naomi Milgrom, receiving the National President’s Prize; Monica Edwards, the Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize; and Simon Anderson, the Neville Quarry Architectural Education Prize.
NSW’s state architect Abbie Galvin and Paulo Macchia (NSW) won the Leadership in Sustainability Prize.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.