The winning entry was submitted by Walter Burley Griffin, a architect and landscape artist from Chicago, Illinois. Although not mentioned on the submission, the entry was done in collaboration with Walter's wife, Marion Mahony Griffin.
Aiming to create "a habitable second nature" that drew reference from its natural setting, the Griffin's were well known for not only designing buildings, but landscapes, communities, gardens and cities also.
The main feature that won the Griffin's the competition was the way they responded directly to the site's natural features.
"The Griffins delineated a land axis, aligned with the summits of four local mountains. It went from Mount Ainslie to Mount Bimberi in the Brindabellas, passing through Camp Hill and Kurrajong. Crossing this at right angles was a water axis along the river, which in the plan became a chain of ornamental basins. By integrating the site’s topography with their design, the Griffins presented the site itself as a symbol ‘of a democratic national identity’." (Vernon, 2002)
A key feature within these axis' was the proposal for the Capitol building atop the highest hill (Kurrajong, know referred to as Capital Hill), which was to commemorate the achievements of Australians.
As Canberra lacked in cultural history, the Griffin's focused on the natural scenery and landscape instead; using axis and ornamental waters to create a complex geometry.
Above: Parts of the Griffin's winning entry.
(Image and Information Source: http://www.idealcity.org.au/win-1.html)
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