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Munarra Centre in the running for state architecture prize

By Khadija Hadjab

Apr 21, 2025

The Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence is on the shortlist for a top design award. Photo by Megan Fisher

The shortlist is out for this year’s Victorian Architecture Awards, with the Australian Institute of Architects announcing that Victoria received more entries than any other state, with a record 384 submissions across 15 categories.

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From hospitals to laneways, inner-city builds to regional community hubs, the awards highlight the work of architects shaping spaces across the state.

Just months after its official opening in August 2024, the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence has been shortlisted in the Regional Architecture category and stands alongside other entries such as the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital by Lyons (Public Architecture) and Geelong Laneways: Malop Arcade by NMBW Architecture Studio with ASPECT Studios (Regional Prize).

Designed by Greenaway Architects and built by Indigenous-owned company TVN On-Country, the Shepparton-based centre brings together education, cultural heritage and architectural innovation. It features state-of-the-art teaching spaces, yarning rooms, an Elders’ lounge and a child-friendly study area.

Developed through a partnership between the Kaiela Institute, Rumbalara Football Netball Club and the University of Melbourne, the building has quickly become a landmark for Indigenous-led education in the region.

The project was backed by a $30 million investment from the Victorian Government and a further $6.64 million from the University of Melbourne — marking the largest amount of funding ever awarded to a First Nations-owned and -operated company by the government.

Other standout entries this year include the Eva and Marc Besen Centre by Kerstin Thompson Architects (shortlisted for both Regional and Sustainable Architecture), and the Murran First Nations Business, Retail and Arts Hub by Dawn Architecture (Interior Architecture).

Winners will be announced at a ceremony on Friday, June 27, at the Pullman Albert Park hotel. A public exhibition of shortlisted projects opened at Deakin University in Burwood on April 7.