Adrian Evans is a highly respected architect with a career both in government and private practice. He has extensive experience in the delivery of prominent public and private works and was awarded the Sir James Irwin Presidents medal by the Institute of Architects in recognition of his achievements and contribution to architecture.
Adrian Evans completed his Bachelor of Architecture with First Class Honours at the University of Adelaide in 1969. Over his career Evans has held positions as an Architect for the Public Buildings Department in the SA Government, Principal Architect of the National Capital Development Commission, ACT, Corporate Head of Architecture at Hassell, Director of Architecture at Resource, and as Director of JPE Design Studio.
Evans became a Registered Architect in South Australia in 1979. He became an Associate of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1973, and then a Fellow. He was made a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects. Evans was also a Chartered Member of the Royal Institute of British Architect. His contributions to the profession of architecture have also extended to membership of various professional and representative organisations. These include time as a member of the Association of Consulting Architects (SA) Committee, a member of the Executive Committee of the SA Branch of the Australia China Business Council, and a member of the Executive Committee of the SA Branch Association of Consulting Architects.
As well as maintaining his professional practice role, Evans has been a regular contributor to architectural education in South Australia through his work as a visiting lecturer and tutor in architecture at both the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. He was a Member of the Louis Laybourne Smith School of Architecture and Design at the University of South Australia Advisory Committee from 2004 till 2012.
His work has received eight AIA Awards of Merit, numerous AIA Commendations, and three Civic Trust Awards. Evans’ expertise in project management, master-planning and architectural design led to recognition of his services to the profession when he received the 2013 RAIA SA Chapter’s highest individual honour, the Sir James Irwin RAIA Presidents medal.
Adrian Evans began his career as an architect working for the Public Buildings Department (PBD) of the South Australian Government in 1971 where he continued until 1981. The role of the PBD was to provide a range of building services to the SA Government and its departments, including the design, administration and contracting of major public building works.
Evans designs included the Youth Court of South Australia which was previously known as the Juvenile Court. The building opened in August 1975 on the corner of Wright Street and Norman Street, Adelaide and continues to be used for its original purpose. At the time of its opening, it was explained by the PBD that the building was marking an ‘advanced attitude in the treatment of young offenders’ (PBD 1975). Evans is recorded as having worked with the SA Family Court Justice John Marshall, to develop the brief for a ‘building devoid of institutional overtones’ (Australian Institute of Architects 2021). The two-storey redbrick, concrete and timber building is integrated into the surrounding streetscape and landscaped courtyards provide natural light and views into courtrooms and the entry. Solomite ceilings are punctuated by large timber clad cylindrical skylights over the public waiting areas and stair. The Youth Court of South Australia received a RAIA Award of Merit in 1976 and later the Jack Cheesman Award for Enduring Architecture for 2021, with a citation that noted ‘its judicial use continues unimpeded and the integrity of the original well-crafted design remains intact’ (Australian Institute of Architects 2021).
Another of Evans’ recognised designs is the Motor Vehicles Department office building and registration centre on the corner of Wakefield Street and Gawler Place, Adelaide which was completed in 1977. The Brutalist influenced off-form reinforced concrete building of six levels included a basement car park, public ground floor and office accommodation. Evans ‘“designed everything” on, in and around the building from door fittings, to signage, carpets, internal planter boxes, seating, light fittings and external landscaping’ (O’Sullivan 2013 p.30).
Following his graduation, Evans had travelled to both Finland and Japan and has cited Alvar Aalto as an important influence on his work, something evident particularly in his early works while at the PDB, specifically the Juvenile Court and Motor Registration Centre (O’Sullivan 2013). Kevin O’Sullivan, in his book, Concrete Expressions, has recorded that the Motor Registration Centre, ‘exhibits the strong influences of both the eclectic, humanist Aalto, particularly in regard to the original interiors and expressed materiality, and the Japanese architect Kunio Mayekawa in a distinctly Brutalist style’ (O’Sullivan 2013 p.30).
The PBD was also responsible for heritage buildings owned by the SA Government, and while at the PBD Evans worked on the State Library of South Australia and Art Gallery Master Planning, major renovations to the Art Gallery of SA, and to the Old Attorney General’s Building.
In 1981, after working at the PBD for over a decade, Evans moved to work as Principal Architect of the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) in Canberra, a position he held for one year (1981-2). During this time the NCDC, whose role it was to plan, develop and construct Canberra as Australia's national capital, was engaged in projects aimed at benefitting the community in Canberra (‘NCDC program’ 1983). Evans concentrated on Parliamentary Zone master planning and design of infrastructure support for the New Parliament House being designed and overseen by architects Mitchell Giurgola Thorpe.
Evans returned to Adelaide in 1982 seeking to engage in the private sector after 12 years of government service. He initially established his own practice Adrian Evans Architecture and Urban Design at Prospect and received some minor commissions but was soon asked to join the Commonwealth Department of Works on contract to assist with the design of the new Darwin Airport and then to design the Australian National (Railways) Headquarters at number 1 Richmond Road Keswick. The Darwin project did not proceed at that time although the Headquarters was successfully completed and continues as high-quality commercial offices.
In 1984 Evans joined Hassell Architects and later became a Principal and the Corporate Head of Architecture spending considerable periods of time in interstate offices helping to develop the practice. Evans designed many landmark buildings across Adelaide, including the Holden Pavilion at the Birdwood National Motor Museum, Wyatt House in Grenfell Street, Adelaide and the Southern Wing at St Andrews Hospital, Adelaide.
Other award winning projects were Sturt Police Centre at Bedford Park, Bankers Trust Tech Centre (now Westpac) also at Bedford Park (RAIA Award of Merit 1997), Enterprise House (SA Business Chamber) Greenhill Road, Unley and the ETSA Relocation and Recycling of Converter Building, Rymill Park, Adelaide. He also designed Galaxy Tech Park (now Lockheed Martin) at Mawson Lakes for the SA Government.
Finlaysons’ Office Building in Flinders Street, Adelaide was designed for legal firm Finlaysons in 1990. The 12-storey office building included not only the Finlaysons’ office but also commercial tenancies, basement car parking and rooftop entertaining area. Evans was the Project Architect with the design team. Evans wrote that ‘In the design of the building we were searching for forms for a commercial building with a distinctly Australia identity … views, … glass, …sunshading, … consideration of which led to the light transparent fenestration, the twin towers, the roof form laced with pergolas … simple but dramatic effect.’ (The building won the Commercial and Interiors categories RAIA Awards of Merit in 1991, the Commercial Jury found the building to be ‘elegant and simple in its presentation to the city skyline and Flinders Street street-scape’ (‘Award of Merit Commercial’ 1991, p.13). While the Interiors Jury praised the natural light and ‘the feeling of understatement in design and detail’ (‘Award of Merit Interiors,’ 1991, p.17).
The Sir Donald Bradman Stand on the southern edge of the recognised heritage site of Adelaide Oval, although now demolished, received a New Building Commendation from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects SA Chapter in 1990 with a citation which praised its ‘contextual character’ and the ‘close attention … given to the design of the new stand to ensure that it blends with and complements the existing heritage stands along the western side of the oval’ (‘Commendation – Sir Donald Bradman Stand’ 1990, p.20). Another venue for which Evans was the lead designer was the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. It was designed to be a landmark multi-purpose indoor venue to host rock concerts, arena events, and sporting events. It opened in 1991. Also, in the recreation category of projects, the Santos Athletics Stadium at Mile End, was designed by Adrian Evans at Hassell to host local and national athletics competitions and was used for schools sports carnivals. The $8.3 million project opened in 1998 (Ward 1998).
The Adelaide College of the Arts on Light Square, Adelaide (1999-2000) which is known as the Roma Mitchell Arts Centre is another of Evans’ designs which reflects the local importance of redbrick in its design. Scott Drake has noted it as ‘a dynamic composition in brick, glass and stainless steel’ with an ‘“honest” display of structure and services … allowing for impromptu performances and display of the art practiced and produced in the surrounding studios’ (Drake 2001, p. 76). The centre includes facilities for the teaching of theatre, dance, fine art and the media arts, with its functions expressed externally as the façade is ‘punctuated by the two theatres, which are rotated and protrude into the square. Clad in stainless steel, they boldly announce the function of the building’ (Powell 2003 p.119). It won the RAIA SA Chapter Award of Merit for a new building in 2001.
Following his departure from Hassell in 2001, Evans worked for a short period in 2001 at Resource Architecture (‘Radar Headlines’ 2001). He designed a new state government building for J P Morgan (now DXC Technology) at the corner of O G Rd and Payneham Road Felixstow. The building is specifically designed for technology service companies.
Evans then joined South Australian practice Jackman Gooden Architects as Director in 2002 when the practice was renamed Jackman Parken Evans. Since 2008 it has been known as JPE Design Studio. His notable projects while with JPE include the Mayfair Hotel, the Margaret Tobin Centre, and the Wave Building.
The Mayfair Hotel Redevelopment of the Colonial Mutual Limited (CML) heritage listed building (originally designed by Hennessy and Hennessy in 1934) at 41-49 King William Street, Adelaide received a Commendation in the Heritage category of the RAIA Award 2015. The 2014-15 conversion of the former 14 storey office building into a boutique 5-star hotel of 170 rooms necessitated attention to the new functions of the building. An additional contemporary 6 storey structure was placed to the south of the main building. While a rooftop bar within the mansard roof and terrace with views over the city added to the offerings.
The Wave Apartment and Office Building at Gilles Street is a 12-storey mixed use building with two levels of carpark, ground floor retail and restaurant facilities, five office levels and four levels of apartments. With its eastern façade following a curving wave shape to give views over the parklands and Adelaide Hills, the Wave became home to the JPE office on level 4. Nearby, and linked together in a base podium of 3 storeys, The Edge commercial office building is a 12 storey, 5 Star Green Star on King William Street, Adelaide (Jensen Plus website 2025).
Among other buildings Evans was involved with at JPE was the heritage listed Adelaide High School Redevelopment with the new Charles Todd Building awarded AIA Award Commendations for Interior Design and Education in 2015. The original campus was designed by Fitzgerald and Brogan and built in the 1940s, and the new 3 storey linear learning centre was to sit in harmony with these buildings. The precast concrete panels, colour matched to the exiting buildings’ brickwork, are broken up with glazing and with horizontal shadow lines running their length. Another award-winning school overseen by Evans was Marryatville High School which won the 2015 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Design Award.
The Margaret Tobin Centre at the Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park was designed as a mental health facility with an ‘emphasis on care, education and research’ (JPE website 2025). A brief for medium density housing for elderly residents of Masonic Homes resulted in the Lumina Apartments at Somerton Park. The 38 three and four storey apartments were integrated into an existing complex and designed to include as part of the project a community centre and integrated landscaping. Constructed by Mossop, they won the 2013 Master Builders Association National Excellence Award.
Other projects by JPE which Evans led included the Ancient DNA Laboratory and Offices in Trambarn A at Hackney, Queens Townhouses at Symons Place, Adelaide and Pridham Hall (with Snohetta and Jam Factory) at the University of South Australia, City West campus. Adrian Evans retired from JPE and practice in 2020.
Along with the numerous buildings and projects designed and led by Adrian Evans across South Australia, one other important project was his own home at Parkside with progressive extensions undertaken over 40 years, much of which he built by hand.
In a career which spanned fifty years, Evans’ work has shaped South Australian architecture. Of Adrian Evans, the RAIA South Australian President Steve Grieve, said, he ‘has not only made outstanding contributions to architecture in South Australia but also exemplifies many of the qualities that define an architect … throughout his career he has been true to his values and true to his unswerving passion for design and the pursuit of excellence’ (Chua 2013).
Citation details
'Evans, Adrian Dennis', Architecture Museum, University of South Australia, 2025, Architects of South Australia: [http://www.architectsdatabase.unisa.edu.au/arch_full.asp?Arch_ID=180] | 
Architects of South Australia, Copyright 2008, Updated regularly