Eight Iconic Buildings in Canberra: Australia's Capital Architecture

Canberra's planned design (Walter Burley Griffin) created a city of institutional landmarks. Eight defining buildings:

1. Parliament House (1988) – Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp. Grass-covered roof, 81m flagmast. Public tours, question time.
2. National Museum of Australia (2001) – Ashton Raggatt McDougall. Postmodern, "jigsaw" theme; social history, First Nations, Phar Lap heart.
3. Australian War Memorial (1941, expanded) – Byzantine style; Hall of Memory, Tomb of Unknown Soldier, Roll of Honour, world-class galleries.
4. High Court of Australia (1980) – Edwards Madigan Torzillo Briggs. Brutalist grandeur; 24m courtroom; public sittings.
5. National Gallery of Australia (1982) – Colin Madigan. Brutalist; Indigenous art (largest), Blue Poles (Pollock), Asian, European.
6. Questacon – National Science & Technology Centre (1988) – Interactive science; 200+ exhibits; earthquake sim, free-fall slide.
7. Royal Australian Mint (1965) – Deakin. Produces all circulating coins; gallery, robot viewing, press your own $1.
8. Old Parliament House (1927–1988) – John Smith Murdoch. Now Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) – historic chambers, prime ministerial offices, rose gardens.

Bonus: The Plan Itself

The Parliamentary Triangle (land axis: Mount Ainslie → War Memorial → Old Parliament House → Parliament House; water axis: Lake Burley Griffin) is the ultimate "building" – a landscape of democratic symbolism.