Events

Please join us for the Melbourne School of Design’s opening Dean’s Lecture Series for 2026.

Speaking at the University of Melbourne for the first time, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, architect and co‑founder of Snøhetta, will introduce the evolving history and guiding philosophy of the global architecture and design practice. Founded in Oslo in 1989 and inspired by the UN’s Our Common Future report, Snøhetta is built on the belief that design and architecture can strengthen the relationship between people, nature, and the built environment.

Today, Snøhetta is a transdisciplinary practice spanning architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, art, and product design, with seven studios across Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia.

In this keynote lecture, Thorsen will explore how architecture and design can act as catalysts for cultural transformation and social sustainability. Through the lens of cultural precincts and performance spaces, he will highlight the creative potential of built environments in shaping inclusive futures. In addition, the talk will introduce the evolving role of public art, inviting the audience to imagine speculative futures. It will also examine the nuanced interplay between landscape and architecture as a foundation for cultural resilience.

Image: Render by MIR / Snøhetta

The Glasshouse Theatre (Queensland Performing Arts Centre), currently under construction, due for completion in 2026.In May 2019, Snøhetta was announced the winner of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) design competition together with local Meanjin (Brisbane) based partner Blight Rayner. 

Bula vinaka and welcome to our second Conversation Series event this year.

We invite you to attend a talanoa (discussion) with guest speaker Dr. Joeli Varo, Head of Discipline Land Management and Development at the University of South Pacific. Dr. Varo will talk on the topic of land governance in the Pacific, followed by a light lunch.

Please email dietary requirements to oceania-events@unimelb.edu.au by Friday 17th April.

Talanoa: Dual Land Governance in the South Pacific

Many people ignore that there is a duel land governance or system in the Pacific. Land governance in the Pacific is a very sacred and darling topic of discussion. It is woven into the very fabric of our societies. Land is life. Land is basis of all activities, trade, construction, etc,. It is thought that the widely known western system is the only system in the world. However, it is a different reality when you are in the Pacific region. Thus, a substantiated and grounded understanding on this topic is essential in order to solve housing crisis, crimes, health hazards and environmental degradation in the Pacific.