Edmond and Corrigan
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Architecture |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Maggie Edmond, Peter Corrigan |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Architectural design, theatrical stage and set design |
Edmond and Corrigan is an architectural practice based in Melbourne, Australia, founded in the late 1970s by the partners Maggie Edmond and Peter Corrigan. The firm is noted for its significant contribution to the emergence of postmodern architecture within Australia, with a particular emphasis on suburban environments and the cultivation of a unique Australian architectural style. Peter Corrigan served as a design studio educator at RMIT University for more than three decades until his passing in 2016.
Architectural practice
The practice was formally launched in 1975 after Corrigan returned from the United States in 1974. Initial commissions were predominantly focused on religious and community structures within Melbourne’s Catholic suburban areas, including projects such as the Keysborough Church of the Resurrection (completed in 1977) and the School of the Resurrection, which received the Victorian Architecture Medal in 1979.
Their portfolio, largely situated in suburban contexts, sought to articulate an Australian architectural vernacular through competition entries like the 1977 Parliament House, Canberra Competition, The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, as well as works for the State Library of Victoria and various higher education institutions.
Subsequent projects increased in scale, with notable examples including RMIT Building 8, which embodies the notion of 'a city encapsulated within a single building.' The extensively featured Athan House (1986) is representative of their design philosophy. Additionally, the firm ventured into theatrical stage and set design for prominent organisations such as Opera Australia, the Melbourne University Theatre Group, and La Mama.
Peter Corrigan was also an active writer on architecture, promoting the advancement of an architectural language distinctly Australian.
Recognition
In 2003, Peter Corrigan was honored with the prestigious RAIA Gold Medal, representing the highest accolade in Australian architecture. Earlier, in 1993, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Architecture from RMIT University.
Twenty years later, in 2023, Maggie Edmond was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal at the National Awards ceremony, joining Corrigan among recipients. She characterized this honor as 'restorative,' emphasizing their collaboration as both innovative and singular.
Notable projects and awards
| Year | Project | Client | Location | Type | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Freedom Club Childcare Centre | Keysborough, Victoria | Education | ||
| 1977 | Church of the Resurrection | Keysborough, Victoria | Religion | ||
| 1978 | Chapel of St Joseph (currently Strabane Chapel Hall) | 27–29 Strabane Avenue, Mont Albert North, Victoria | Religion |
| |
| 1978 | Resurrection School | Keysborough, Victoria | Education | ||
| 1982 | Kew House | Kew, Victoria | Residential |
| |
| 1982 | Ministry of Housing Kay Street Housing | Ministry of Housing | 75–79 Kay Street, Carlton, Victoria | Residential | |
| 1986 | Office of Edmond & Corrigan | 46 Little Latrobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria | Commercial | ||
| 1988 | Dandenong College of TAFE, Stage 3 | Dandenong, Victoria | Education |
| |
| 1988 | Athan House | Louis & Sophie Athan | Monbulk, Victoria | Residential |
|
| 1988 | Walsh House Pool Pavilion Scheme | Residential |
| ||
| 1991 | Keilor Fire Station | Victorian Government | Keilor, Victoria | Public Service | |
| 1994 | Oakleigh Fire Station | Victorian Government | Oakleigh, Victoria | Public Service | |
| 1994 | RMIT Building 8 Extension | RMIT University | Melbourne, Victoria | Education |
|
| 1995 | Greensborough Office and Carpark | Greensborough, Victoria | Commercial | ||
| 1995 | Ringwood Library Complex and Civic Plaza | Ringwood, Victoria | Cultural |
| |
| 1996 | Windsor Fire Station | Victorian Government | Windsor, Victoria | Public Service |
|
| 1996 | Exhibition Centre Showgrounds Stage One | Ascot Vale, Victoria | Public Service |
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| 1999 | Lehrer Residence | Victoria | Residential |
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| 2001 | Drama School at the Victorian College of the Arts | South Melbourne, Victoria | Education | ||
| 2001 | Niagara Galleries | Richmond, Victoria | Arts | ||
| 2001 | Allan & Maria Myers Academic Centre at Newman College and St Mary's College | Parkville, Victoria | Education |
| |
| 2005 | Lux House alteration including front porch | Residential | |||
| 2005 | Readings Bookshop | 309 Lygon Street, Carlton | Commercial |
Further reading
- Conrad Hamann, Cities of Hope: Australian Architecture and Design by Edmond and Corrigan 1962-92, Oxford, 1993.
- Peter Corrigan, Building 8: Edmond and Corrigan at RMIT, Schwarz Transition, 1996.
- Conrad Hamann, Cities of Hope Re-membered: Australian Architecture by Edmond and Corrigan 1962-2012, Thames & Hudson, 2012.
- Michael Spooner, A Clinic for the Exhausted: In Search of an Antipodean Vitality Edmond & Corrigan and an Itinerant Architecture, Spurbuchverlag, 2013.
- Influence : Edmond & Corrigan + Peter Corrigan, Uro Publications, 2019.
- Michael Spooner, "46 Little Latrobe Street: the office of Edmond & Corrigan", RMIT Design Archives Journal, vol.10 no.1, 2020.