Winner: Small building 2020. In Absence is the fifth annual architecture commission from the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.

The purpose of the annual commission is to highlight the erasure of Indigenous knowledge and memory from Australia's national story.

The void within the centre of the work – the false absence of a people – leads the audience inwards to a twin pair of chambers that enable a space for deep listening and knowledge-sharing.

Thousands of handmade black glass Yams bleed out from the cracks of the chambers, signifying echoes of truth and memories seeping from the walls.

Judges comments: "The project is compelling as a gesture in terms of materiality,  and also as a space which leads to reflection. It’s a beacon of hope; powerful and visceral."

Architect: Edition Office and Yhonnie Scarce
Project: In Absence
Read more on Dezeen: Edition Office