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'Place of the People' in the heart of our national capital

The heart of our National Capital will have a new look following the result of a nationwide competition. A 'Place of the People' will be constructed by the shores of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, in what is generally known as the Parliamentary Triangle.

The winners of the competition were announced on 27 June by Senator Ian Macdonald, Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government and Senator Margaret Reid, President of the Senate and Senator for the ACT. Senator Reid chaired the jury panel which selected the winning design.

Leading architects and designers were invited by the National Capital Authority (the federal agency responsible for the 'national' parts of Canberra) to submit designs for a 'Place of the People' &endash; to give Australians a central place in the heart of the nation's capital. The competition emerged from the recently completed review of the Parliamentary Zone.

The site for the winning design is at the junction of Walter Burley Griffin's Land Axis and Lake Burley Griffin, between the High Court of Australia and the National Library.

Senator Macdonald praised the high standard of the entries and congratulated the participants for their inventiveness and professional skill.

Of the 73 entries received the jury was unanimous on the winning entry.

A young Australian design team, Durbach Block Architects and Schaffer Barnsley Landscape Architects took the $30,000 first prize.

The winning design was described by the jury as being 'a gentle design solution that resolves the Land Axis at the Lake's edge by cutting and forming the landscape, rather than by instigating a large building programme'.

The design provides a space for an amphitheatre, exhibition areas and a restaurant on the foreshores of Lake Burley Griffin.

Features of the winning design include a stainless steel water feature which marks the line of the Water Axis intended by Walter Burley Griffin with a ramp leading up to a cup-shaped amphitheatre.

Second prize of $25,000 was awarded to Alex Popov Architects from Sydney who proposed a series of earth berms which progress towards the water's edge.

The berm forms could also be transformed into shops and restaurants by the lake.

Congratulating the winners, Senator Macdonald and Senator Reid said they looked forward to seeing the project reach fruition as the first major outcome from the recently completed review of the Parliamentary Zone.

"I believe this competition to be one of the most important outcomes of this review. It is a great opportunity to make a significant contribution to the physical quality of the Parliamentary Zone," Senator Macdonald said.

"The centre of our National Capital should importantly be a place where Australians from all parts can come and gather. This new initiative refreshes the area and will makes it more 'pedestrian-friendly'," he said.

The first stage will be constructed during the Centenary of Federation in 2001.

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