| Kerstin Thompson | |
| Birth Date: | 1965 |
| Birth Place: | Melbourne |
| Citizenship: | Australian |
| Occupation: | Architect |
| Years Active: | 1989— |
| Alma Mater: | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
| Awards: | RAIA Gold Medal 2023, Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture 2022, Melbourne Prize 2022, Robin Boyd Award 2020, Victorian Architecture Medal 2020 |
| Practice: | Kerstin Thompson Architects [KTA] |
| Significant Projects: | Bundanon Art Museum & Bridge, Melbourne Holocaust Museum, East Street House, Broadmeadows Town Hall |
Kerstin Thompson is an Australian architect, born in Melbourne in 1965. She is the principal of Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA), a Melbourne-based architecture, landscape and urban design practice with projects in Australia and New Zealand. She is also Professor of Design at the School of Architecture at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and adjunct professor at RMIT University and Monash University.
Kerstin Thompson's career as an architect commenced with studies at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) where she earned her Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1989. During her undergraduate studies she worked in the Milan-based studio of Matteo Thun[1] (1987) and the Melbourne-based practice of Robinson Chen (1988–89). In 1990 she worked for Perrott Lyon Mathieson Pty Ltd as an Assistant Site Architect for the Telecom Corporate Tower project. From 1990 to 1994 she was a lecturer in architectural design at RMIT. In 1998, Kerstin completed a master's degree in Architecture at RMIT.
In the decade from 2000 to 2010, Kerstin's projects broadened to include civic projects. The first of many emergency /community services buildings received recognition including local, national, and international shortlisting's. During this decade, Kerstin's design thinking was the subject of exhibitions, and a significant body of critique, ‘New Trends of Architecture in Europe and Asia-Pacific’,[2] ‘Living in the Modern: Australian Architecture’.[3] The National Portrait Gallery's inclusion of KTA in “Thinking about Architecture and Portraiture” by Dr Christopher Chapman, in 2009.[4]
In 2005, Kerstin was appointed as the Creative Director for the RAIA National Conference [5] and one of the Creative Directors for Australia's 2008 Venice Biennale exhibition, Abundant Australia.[6] Her contribution to education was recognised by her appointment as an adjunct professor in architecture at RMIT in 2009. Thompson was appointed as a member of the Federal Government's BEIIC Advisory Committee in 2008.
In years from 2010 to 2020, Kerstin's academic contribution was recognised by appointments to Monash University as an adjunct professor in architecture (2012—) and to Victoria University Wellington as Professor of Design in Architecture (2010—2018). Her contribution to the profession was recognised by appointment as a Life Fellow by the Australian Institute of Architects (2017—) Kerstin's design leadership was also recognised by her appointment as a panel member of the Victorian Design Review Panel (VDRP) with the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (2012—). Kerstin has also curated multiple exhibitions, including ’Architectural Urbanism: Melbourne/Seoul’,[7] “Diverse Practice” Exhibition and Symposium at Victoria University of Wellington [8] and ‘Repair: Australian Pavilion’ at the Venice Biennale 2018.[9]
As part of her ongoing engagement in the industry, Kerstin continues to write and deliberate on ethics and design, 'Spatial Continuums: Linear, Radial, and Clustered Architectures in Practice’ [10] ‘The Burden of Landscape’, Architect Victoria, ‘Feeling Climate’ Architecture Australia and ‘Museum as Place-maker’.[11] Her commitment also extends to various speaking opportunities including Keynote Speaker, Heritage Address Open House Melbourne,[12] Symposium Contributor, RMIT ‘Edmond and Corrigan + Peter Corrigan: INFLUENCE’ [13] and Robin Boyd Foundation: Ethics of Architecture.[14]