Celebrating The Embassy of Australia at Melbourne Design Week
Melbourne Design Week celebrates design in an annual 11-day program across Australia’s creative capital, bringing together designers, educators, enthusiasts, thinkers, and businesses to share projects, ideas, and much more.
Bates Smart contributed in 2024 by presenting an enduring symbol of our nation: The Embassy of Australia in Washington D.C. Hosted within Bates Smart’s ground floor gallery space, the exhibit showcased the architecture, art, and design of the project, exploring its connection to history, the Australian landscape, and cultural identity. A digital experience of the space is also available.
Attendees were welcomed to an immersive gallery space featuring a 1:2 scale recreation of the copper façade and the timber lined atrium, transporting visitors to experience the building’s architectural qualities and materiality.
Two plinths conceived as life sized mood boards captured qualities integral to the building’s character and atmosphere. These included Australian-designed and manufactured furniture and lamps, specialty rugs based on First Nations artworks, and a scaled model of the building and its surroundings, providing context to the architecture, interiors, furniture, and art of the project.
Adding further context to these moments were printed and digital displays showcasing numerous commissioned Australian artworks, detailed plans of the building’s layout, and sketches highlighting the process and passion that went into the project.
Johan Hermijanto
Studio Director
We thank everyone who joined us on opening night and throughout Melbourne Design Week. We also extend our gratitude to all who helped organize, produce, and deliver the exhibition, including the generous partners Laminex and designcraft for their support in providing exhibition materials and joinery.
Congratulations to all our collaborators who made this installation a success.
