The Geelong Laneways: Malop Arcade project has been recognized with the 2025 National Award for Small Project Architecture, earning praise as an outstanding example of small-scale urban intervention that transforms private commercial space into vital public infrastructure. Located in Geelong, Victoria on Wadawurrung Country, this innovative project represents the first completed component of a broader laneway network planned for central Geelong.
The award-winning design successfully converts a two-story shop into a vibrant green pedestrian passage that creates essential connections between cultural institutions, university precincts, and the waterfront area. According to the jury citation, the project serves as a compelling demonstration of how thoughtful urban planning can forge meaningful links within a city's fabric while honoring its historical significance.
The development process was deeply rooted in comprehensive consultation that included First Nations engagement, detailed archaeological investigation, and extensive heritage collaboration. This thorough approach allowed the design team to honor the layered histories of the site while proposing an emergent civic identity that reflects the community's values and aspirations.
The construction phase showcased exceptional attention to sustainability and historical preservation. Demolition work was undertaken with remarkable precision and care, with teams carefully salvaging and reusing materials to retain the memory of the site within the urban fabric. Brick and timber fragments from the original structure were creatively repurposed as tactile expressions of past use, while necessary steel bracing required for structural integrity was thoughtfully integrated as a spatial design element.
The completed Malop Arcade has been activated through strategic plantings, innovative rainwater choreography, and carefully designed resting spaces that invite community interaction. This approach fundamentally reconceptualizes traditional building design by treating structures as permeable, regenerative pathways that contribute to the urban ecosystem rather than simply occupying space within it.
The project demonstrates how reverent dismantling and creative reuse of existing structures can yield meaningful, inclusive, and ecologically attuned public spaces that serve diverse community needs. The comprehensive project team included NMBW Architecture Studio as the lead architect, with team members Marika Neustupny, Nigel Bertram, Lucinda McLean, Jonathon Yeo, Fiona Robertson, Laura Bruscia, Matthew Mackay, Terence Stapleton, and Xiao Lin contributing to the design process.
Additional project credits include Aspect Studios serving as landscape architect, Rendine Constructions as the builder, and Akt. Project Management handling project management duties. The engineering and consulting team featured FMG Engineering for structural engineering, WSP for civil and electrical consulting, ZINC Cost Management as quantity surveyor, and BSA Building Surveyors providing building surveyor services. The project was documented by photographer Peter Bennetts and featured in the November 2025 issue of Architecture Australia magazine as part of the 2025 National Architecture Awards coverage.
