A series of large wavy strips distinguishes the roof of Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station, a recent building by Grimshaw.

The project is a reinterpretation of the traditional shed roof, with the station’s ventilation system naturally exploiting the airflow that is created along the cuts in the cover, made according to the direction of the prevailing winds.

The glazed facades of the building are detached from the ground and roof, allowing air to circulate. In June 2007 the building was awarded the Lubetkin Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the best building constructed outside the European Union. Silvia Monaco