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Unit 3
The Griffin Legacy
Walter Burley Griffin Research Poster
Activity
Setting the scene
The location of Australia's National Capital had been decided. A world competition was held to find a design that would incorporate an ornamental lake, Parliament House and all the necessary government buildings. An architect from Chicago called Walter Burley Griffin (and his wife and partner, Marion Mahony Griffin) won the competition with a design that incorporated the natural environment and scenic mountain views. Walter Burley Griffin moved to Canberra to oversee the construction process.
Of his design Griffin would write:
I have planned a city not like any other city in the world. I planned it not in a way that I expected any government authorities in the world would accept. I have planned an ideal city - a city that meets my ideal of the city of the future .
What to do
- Investigate.
- Research.
- Decorate.
- Display.
Investigate the architect Walter Burley Griffin and present your research in the form of a large research poster.
Key points within your report should answer the following questions:
- Why was the design submitted by Walter and Marion chosen as the winner of the 1912 competition?
- Were the Griffins admirers of the Australian environment?
- How did Walter Burley Griffin present his winning design?
- What did Marion Mahony Griffin do to help in the design process?
- Do you think Marion Mahony Griffin has been recognised appropriately for her contribution towards the competition design for the National Capital?
- How did Walter Burley Griffin use the contours of the land when designing the National Capital?
- Is there still evidence of Walter Burley Griffin's design in Canberra today?
Be creative
Present your poster using written information, photographic records (both past and present) and a design process similar to that used by Marion Mahony Griffin in the 1911-1912 competition.
