Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023

Pop Architecture, Australia

Pop Architecture has been selected by Wallpaper* Magazine as one of 20 architecture studios worldwide to join their emerging practice watchlist.

Article (written by Ellie Stathaki)

The full list for the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023 has been revealed, celebrating 20 studios as our finest emerging architects to watch. 

Conceived in 2000 as an international index of architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 23rd edition. 

Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Congo, Ecuador, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UAE, the UK, the USA and Vietnam, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.

Pop Architecture, Australia

'The Pop Art movement, dry humour and architecture' brought practice partners Katherine Sainsbery and Justine Brennan together, when they set up Pop Architecture over six years ago. Their portfolio brings together a site-specific approach with their own take on materiality and formal expression. For them, 'excellence in architectural practice supports the vision of the studio and consists of using a tried, tested and flexible design process to achieve successful outcomes; happy clients and collaborators; and continuous improvement'. 

The female-led practice promotes 'balance in the workplace, discouraging overtime and modelling sharing of responsibility'. It encourages staff development through collaboration and communication. At the same time, the word 'Pop' captures key tenets of its ethos, the founders explain. 'The process used to generate artwork by artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein resonates with [us]. The notion of removing the artist's hand and producing work via a production line draws parallels with contemporary architectural practice – both in terms of the number of people involved in completing a project, and in the creative opportunities which lie in the process of trying to simplify or optimise a design.'


Link to full article on Wallpaper*
Featured in the October 2023 issue of Wallpaper* Magazine