A Melbourne architecture team have impressed the judges with their spectacular design for a bar to be used at the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2012 National Architecture Awards held in Perth on 1 November.

The Ketel One Bar Design Competition – run in collaboration with the Institute, the emerging architects and graduates network (EmAGN) and National Award sponsor Ketel One - gave emerging graduate architects the opportunity to design and organise the construction of a bar to be used at the National Awards in front of Australia’s most prominent architects.

Institute members Matthew Dwyer and Felicity Brown along with colleagues from Y2 Architecture in Melbourne were unanimously selected from 34 nation-wide entries by the jury for their design ‘which has a beauty and a poetic quality to it as well as a thorough understanding of assembly, bar usage and adaptability’.

Y2Architecture’s winning design incorporates salvaged materials from architecture offices.

The winning scheme impressed the jury by equally meeting the three core criteria of innovation, functionality and style.

“The repetitive design using simple materials allows a clarity of design with subtle changes- the undulating form suggests a ‘K’ which references the Ketel One brand, the tube can be used to grow fresh mint, to hold bottles, to hang glasses, and to contain lighting,” the jury noted.

Three commendations were also given by the jury to schemes which took a very different approach to the same brief – Hyojin Kwon, Corinne Trang and Gregory Demaiter of T.Sushi for The Flow Bar; Mark McQuilten and Ben Attrill for The Sleeper Cell; and Leon Eyck and Briony Darcy of de atelier architects for MOED.

The 2012 National Awards ceremony will be held at Midland Railway Workshops, a colourful collection of early 20th century industrial buildings in Perth’s north-east. This will be the first time the National Awards have been held in Perth in its 31 year history.

Celebrating excellence in architecture, the National Architecture Awards are considered the most prestigious awards in the design and construction industry, influencing architects, clients and aspiring designers alike.

In addition to the National Awards ceremony, the Institute will be showcasing shortlisted projects at a special exhibition at the Gallery of Australian Design in Canberra in November which will include a Short Film competition, Archiflick.

Tickets for the awards night are now on sale and available to purchase online. For more information on the 2012 National Architecture Awards including ticket sales, competitions, prizes and exhibition visit www.architecture.com.au/awards2012.