I heart Parliament House

Ok, so by now it's pretty obvious that I love taking photos of Parliament House! It's such a photogenic building, and there are so many different architectural and historical facets that make it so interesting to study. This little abstract is from one of the viewing rooms for The Senate. I'll let the government website explain:

"The Senate is one of the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament. It consists of 76 Senators, twelve from each of the six states and two from each of the mainland territories. It has virtually equal power to make laws with the other House of Parliament, the House of Representatives. It is elected by proportional representation, so that its composition closely reflects the voting pattern of the electors...

...Proportional representation also makes it easier for independents and the candidates of the smaller parties to be elected. In recent decades this has meant that the government party usually does not have a majority of votes in the Senate and the non-government senators are able to use their combined voting power to reject or amend government legislation. The Senate's large and active committee system also enables senators to inquire into policy issues in depth and to scrutinise the way laws and policies are administered by ministers and public servants. The Senate is thus a house of review and a powerful check on the government of the day. Detailed analysis of election results makes it clear that many Australians deliberately cast their votes in Senate elections with this review role in mind."

Yee-haw, I do so love the machinery of politics!

Reduce, re-use, recycle!

Doing their bit for the environment on the Queen's Terrace, Parliament House.

Going down down down

Continuing with staircases/steps, this is the Grand Staircase in the Entrance Foyer at Parliament House.

Sum of all the parts (part 2)

A view of the roof, and spectacular reflection of the sky at the National Portrait Gallery. Sadly it doesn't capture the warmth of the timber ceiling. Various timbers were used throughout the building, including Hoop Pine, Southern Blue Gum from Tasmania, Spotted Gum from inland Queensland, Jarrah from Western Australia, Blackbutt Eucalyptus pilularis from along the Eastern Seaboard, Mountain Ash and Tasmanian Oak. Once again the use of such a wide variety of timbers was a deliberate design decision, once again reflecting Australian biodiversity.

Sum of all the parts (part 1)

Opened in December 2008, the new National Portrait Gallery of Australia bulding has been constructed and crafted in much the same vein as Parliament House. Incorporating stones and timber from each state and territory, the building's design reflects the natural diversity of elements found in Australia in a sleek and minimal way.

Since moving to Canberra, I have developed a newfound appreciation, almost fondness, for polished concrete within the realm of architecture, and this building is no exception. Despite its geometric design, it's a building of real warmth and character, especially as the afternoon light floods through the massive glass panels at either end of the building. Well worth a visit, even if you don't get to see any familiar faces.

Further abstractions

Floor of the Entrance Foyer, Parliament House.

Abstraction

Foyer, National Gallery of Australia

Designed in the Brutalist architectural style, the angular structure of the NGA is based around the triangular form. This manifests itself most strikingly in the triangular grids of the gallery's ceilings. I'm not a big one for monotonous patterns, but whenever I'm at the NGA I always find myself looking up.

Hanging by a thread

Foyer, National Gallery of Australia

Everything old is new again

Having the distinguished honour of being the oldest building in Canberra (being built in 1913), the now refurbished Kingston Powerhouse is home to a dedicated contemporary glass arts centre. The strikingly atmospheric building ebbs seamlessly between its historic industrial architectural features and the contemporary art it houses. Especially comforting on cold, windy winter mornings!

Stranger in a strange land

The spectacular foyer of Parliament House is designed, through use of materials and architectural concept, to represent the European arrival in Australia (this sense of symbolism permeates the entire building). Using white, grey-green and black marble sourced from Italy, and flooded with natural light, the 48 pillars in the foyer represent the once vast eucalypt forests which greeted the first European arrivals to this land. If you look closesly, fossilised crustaceans can be seen in the surfaces of the black marble.