Sean Godsell Architects, 2012

Founded in 2007, the RMIT Design Archives is part of a vibrant research hub in the city of Melbourne. It sits adjacent to the Design Hub building on the north-west corner of Victoria and Swanston Streets, Melbourne on the former Carlton United Brewery (CUB) site. The two buildings form Building 100 which was awarded the Victorian Architecture Medal and the William Wardell Award at the 2013 Victorian Architecture Awards.

The RMIT Design Archives (RDA) actively collects material relating to Melbourne design from the twentieth century onwards, and holds a unique place among Australia’s collecting institutions for its exclusive focus on design practice across all disciplines. It holds exemplary collections of many of Melbourne’s most important and influential post-war designers. The Archives and its staff support research into Melbourne’s designed environment, design professions and practices by providing access to a diverse range of digital and analogue records. Located within the Design Hub, the RDA publishes a biannual Journal about Australian architecture and design, contributes to academic and exhibition research, and hosts a range of programs, including practice-based research programs for students.

TOUR

A guided tour inside the RMIT Design Archives with Ann Carew, Curatorial Officer, Harriet Edquist, Professor of Architectural History, and Simone Rule, Archives Officer.

JOURNAL
LAUNCH

Join the launch of the RMIT Design Archives Journal, Vol. 10 No. 1, 2020 Architecture, Editor, Harriet Edquist.

WATCH

Keith Deverell, Highlights from the Design Archives, RMIT University

Photo credits:

1. RMIT Design Archives exterior, Building 100, RMIT University, c. 2007, photograph by Georgina Matherson
2. Active Archive, RMIT Design Archives, Building 100, RMIT University, July 2019 Open House Melbourne, photograph by Vicki Jones Photography
3. Permanent Store, RMIT Design Archives, RMIT University, July 2019, Open House Melbourne, photograph by Vicki Jones Photography
4. RMIT Design Archives interior, Building 100, RMIT University, c. 2007, photograph by Georgina Matherson
5. Active Archive, RMIT Design Archives, Building 100 RMIT University, 2019, photograph by Matt Houston Photography
6. RMIT Design Archives and Building 100 from Victoria Street, March 2020, photograph by Rute Chaves Studio