Why Brisbane should embrace pink and restore an appetite for colour

October 13, 2026 — 5:00am

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Brisbane is at the beginning of its cosmopolitan journey. It’s a remarkable thing – cities breed art, culture, diversity, vibrancy and economic resilience the world over. This changing social landscape will mean our buildings change too. How do we hold on to what makes Brisbane, Brisbane?

If we look overseas at cities much older than ours – New York, London, Copenhagen, Paris – their unique identities developed long before globalisation in a time when building materials were bound by geographic proximity. Each city’s architecture is distinct, a representation of available building materials, and a response to climate and local culture.

The challenge for Brisbane, indeed any modern city facing rapid development, is the impeded ability of designers to safeguard a coherent city identity.

It’s not an easy job. Each new development competes with its predecessor, and the idea of hiring an architect to produce something that looks like the neighbour isn’t exactly a priority for a paying client.

On top of this, global trade networks have........

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