Cooling Brothers Wins Dual National Awards at 2025 AGWA Design Awards
Cooling Brothers Glass is proud to announce recognition at the 2025 Australian Glass and Window Association (AGWA) Design Awards, receiving both National Design of the Year and National Winner – Bespoke Glass Project. These honours were awarded for the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial — a landmark public artwork in East Fremantle that commemorates the 357 lives lost during World War II.
The AGWA Design Awards, presented during AusFenEx25, celebrate innovation and excellence across Australia’s glass and window industry. Bringing together leading manufacturers, fabricators, and designers, the annual awards showcase projects that set new benchmarks in design, technology, and craftsmanship. Cooling Brothers was honoured with two national titles: 2025 National Design of the Year and National Winner – Bespoke Glass Project for the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial in East Fremantle, WA.
Paul King, Managing Director of Cooling Brothers Glass
“The HMAS Perth Memorial is more than a structure - it is a place of remembrance and respect, honouring those who served. To contribute to something of such cultural and emotional significance is a privilege I will never forget.”
Located in East Fremantle, the HMAS Perth (I) Memorial combines complex architectural design with precision glazing. At its heart is the striking “ship’s prow”, two steel-framed, digitally printed glass walls that converge at a sharp angle to symbolise the bow of the warship cutting through the sea. The glass was produced using ImagInk™ high-resolution ceramic printing, incorporating archival photography, naval imagery, and interpretive storytelling. Each panel was then custom laminated before being structurally glazed into position.
Rhys Aizlewood, Cooling Brothers’ Commercial Glazing Manager, highlighted the complexity of the installation.
“Glazing glass at sharp and unusual angles—especially within a landmark memorial of this significance—demanded absolute precision. Every element, from the engineering of the panels to their seamless integration into the ship’s prow design, required meticulous execution. Even a margin of a few millimetres could have compromised alignment, making this one of the most technically demanding projects we’ve delivered.”
Vince Bianchini, Sales and Marketing Director of Cooling Brothers Glass
“Projects like the HMAS Perth Memorial remind us why craftsmanship matters. Every sheet of glass we produced carried the weight of history and memory, demanding not only technical precision but also deep respect for the story it tells. For our team, this recognition is as much about honouring those we remember as it is about celebrating innovation in glass.”
The result is an immersive space where visitors can step into the memorial and connect with the stories of those who served. This recognition at the 2025 AGWA Awards is not only a milestone for Cooling Brothers but also a reminder of what’s possible when design, technology, and craftsmanship come together in service of cultural legacy.
