THE LOCAL FILES | CORBETT LYON: ARCHITECTURE, ART AND THE POWER OF PLACE

Step inside the mind of one of Australia’s most visionary architects and art collectors, and you'll find a world where creativity, legacy, and human connection shape every decision. For Corbett Lyon, co-founder of Lyons Architects and creator of Melbourne’s celebrated Lyon Housemuseum, architecture isn’t just about form and function. It’s about feeling.

Corbett and his family have a long history and deep roots on the Mornington Peninsula, and now the coastal haven of Mount Martha has quietly become a sanctuary for both rest and reflection. For Corbett, Mount Martha is more than a destination, it’s a lifelong touchstone. "We spent all our childhood summers down here," he says. “My parents rented in Walpole Street, then built a house on Dominion Road. Those summers defined my childhood.”

That early connection eventually inspired him to return, this time with his own family. “We rented a house one summer, then found a block on Bay Road that Sam Danckert was selling. My eldest daughter and I designed a house together and we moved in about 18 months ago. It’s been a joy.”

Swimming in the calm, clear waters of South Beach is still a ritual for Corbett. “It’s one of the best beaches in the world,” he reflects. “Exactly as I remember it. The rocks where we used to go spearfishing are of course still there. That essence of Mount Martha - the beach, the community, the quiet - hasn’t changed.”

Corbett’s professional story is inseparable from his family’s legacy. “My grandfather designed many of Melbourne’s iconic hotels, including the Southern Cross,” he explains. “His son - my uncle - was an architect, as were my father, another uncle, my cousin, my three brothers, and now my two daughters. It’s a bit of a dynasty.”

So what keeps generation after generation drawn to architecture?

“It was the creative energy around us,” he says. “Our mother was an art teacher and architectural renderer. We grew up drawing and model-making, it was an integral and natural part of life. I’m a very creative person at heart. While my schoolmates were thinking about law or medicine, I knew I wanted to build things that would make people feel something.”

Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre

After studying at the University of Melbourne, Corbett won a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, before working in New York for the renowned architect Robert Venturi. Returning home, he co-founded one of Australia’s most awarded architectural practices with his brothers. Today, Lyons has received  over 130 awards and employs more than 100 architects.

Unlike many architects who build homes and offices, Corbett’s career has largely been dedicated to public architecture - hospitals, universities, research institutes, and courthouses. “We don’t design for architecture’s sake,” he says. “We design for people. Our practice is grounded in humanist architecture.”

At the heart of this approach is a philosophy called salutogenic design - a concept Corbett introduced to Australia. “It’s about how spaces make people feel,” he explains. “How do you create a hospital that isn’t cold and clinical? A courthouse that doesn’t intimidate? It’s not about cost, it’s about care.”

Queensland Children's Hospital

Lyons’ Queensland Children’s Hospital was the first salutogenic building in Australia and has since been recognised globally for its uplifting, patient-focused design.

While Corbett’s work has shaped the public realm, one of his most personal and pioneering projects sits in Melbourne’s suburb of Kew: the Lyon Housemuseum.

“I started collecting Australian contemporary art in 1990 and I met my wife Yueji in 1993. We have been collecting together ever since” Corbett says. “As the collection grew, we needed a space that could house both the artworks and our family. So I designed a building that’s equal parts house and museum.”

The result is an architectural anomaly - neither home nor gallery, but both. “Most people said, ‘keep the house and museum separate.’ I did the opposite. I mashed them together. And it worked.”

The Housemuseum became the first building in the world purpose designed from the ground up to serve this dual purpose. Over the years, it has welcomed thousands of visitors, including the Director of the Tate Museum, Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud, and actor Pierce Brosnan.

“For our visitors it’s a unique experience,” Corbett says. “Even after we moved out in 2023, we’re still sharing the space. In 2013, we gifted the Housemuseum and most of our collection to a not-for-profit foundation we set up so that they can continue to inspire others.”

Corbett Lyon has quietly reshaped how Australians experience public spaces. From Mount Martha’s tranquil shoreline to the country’s most advanced hospitals, his legacy is built not just in concrete and steel, but in how people feel when they walk through his buildings. “I’ve been in this profession for over 45 years,” he says. “And I still love it.”

https://www.lyonsarch.com.au