Canberra's Parliament House is a masterpiece of symbolic architecture buried beneath a hill.

Design · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Designed to emerge from the earth rather than loom over the people, Australia's Parliament House features grass-covered roofs that allow citizens to walk above their representatives. This architectural choice reflects a deliberate democratic philosophy, housing the nation's legislature and executive within a structure that blends ancient tradition with the Australian landscape.

Opened on 9 May 1988, the current Parliament House in Canberra replaced the provisional building used since 1927. The project was the result of a massive international competition that drew 329 entries from 29 countries. The winning design, by Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects, famously involved burying much of the structure under Capital Hill. This design choice was intentional: by allowing the public to walk on the grass roofs over the chambers, the building physically represents the people standing above their representatives.

The interior design is equally symbolic, blending European democratic history with Australian identity. The foyer features grey-green columns reminiscent of ancient temples in Karnak and Persepolis, while the House of Representatives and Senate chambers use muted tones of eucalyptus green and outback ochre. The building's central axis is anchored by a massive 81-metre flagpole, which serves as a recognizable national symbol. The complex is vast, containing 4,700 rooms and a significant art collection of over 6,000 works.

Unlike many other Westminster-style governments, Australia’s executive branch—including the Prime Minister’s office and the Cabinet room—is housed within the same building as the legislature. This arrangement originated from a lack of office space in Canberra when the government moved from Melbourne in 1927. The project was a significant financial undertaking, costing over $1.1 billion at the time of construction, with a designed lifespan of 200 years. Today, the building serves as both a functional seat of government and a public space, featuring a forecourt mosaic by Indigenous artist Michael Nelson Jagamarra that emphasizes the site as a traditional gathering place.

The construction process was a feat of engineering, requiring the excavation of about one million cubic metres of rock to shape the site. The architects prioritized visual aesthetics, even reversing traditional roles by having a landscape architect direct the civil engineers. The result is a structure that balances the weight of history with a modern, democratic ethos, ensuring that the seat of government remains deeply connected to the land it occupies.

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