[Music]
so in public speaking school they train
you to grab everyone’s attention right
off the bat with a bold and
controversial statement so this is mine
and some of you are laughing and summer
you’re sitting there in stunned silence
I can tell but I’m actually being
serious when I show a little background
if you could tell from my accent I’m not
from here I’m an American I’m from
California I still live there actually
but I’ve been coming to Canberra
regularly and by regularly probably
seven eight times a year for the better
part of seven years working flying back
and forth
so yeah the airlines love me too but
when I first told everybody that I was
coming to Canberra especially
Australians especially Sydneysiders or
people from Melbourne they would usually
roll their eyes or laugh when I because
the Canberra was a bit of a joke right
everybody talked about it being the what
the land of what do you call them
roundabouts in public servants
I guess it’s interesting that those are
the two takeaways from Canberra so I’d
really didn’t know what to expect when I
first got here but it wasn’t I didn’t
have very high expectations I’d have to
say so I actually was quite shocked to
find that it really is a beautiful place
and I loved it and it’s it’s honestly my
favorite city in Australia
thank you but before we get into all
that in all the photos that Ingrid was
talking about and stuff I thought I’d
provide a little context because that’s
another thing you learned in public
speaking school right modernist
architecture so what is modernist
architecture the Jetsons obviously is
the first thing that comes to mind for
most people honestly people that are
really into modernist architecture hate
the fact that it always is referred to
as Jetsons architecture but I don’t
really mind that because I think Jetsons
are pretty cool but the what’s
interesting about what-what it
encapsulates is you know the Jetsons
were in this sort of style of
architecture is all about the future it
says a lot about things it’s all about
optimism and it was a very brief period
after World War two when everybody
thought that anything was possible right
better living through architecture
better living through science throw out
all the old traditional ways of living
and let’s live in glass houses in the
sky right with your jetpacks and your
your flying cars which I’m still waiting
for in that kind of captivated the
imagination of everybody you saw an
advertising like this ad for a Motorola
I think they’re advertising that ugly
stereo cabinet in the back but you know
the picture itself is pretty cool and
then you know you’d see this in every
magazine like popular science and
everything the new worlds are possible
new cities are possible anything is
possible at this point you you’re going
to zip around cities with no traffic no
traffic jams right in your personal cars
and your hovercraft and everything else
and eventually architects started
following suit so this is called the
Monsanto House of tomorrow it was at
Disneyland it was a major attraction at
Disneyland
– you get to tour the house and see how
you would be living shortly in the
future they had things like dishwashers
and you know TVs
soon entire city started getting built
that way so this is Brasilia which was
the new capital city of Brazil Brazil
decided they needed a new capital city
to represent their future and how things
were going to be in the world
so they went full jetsons as you can
tell this is Oscar Niemeyer who designed
the whole city from scratch new world
city you know new world country needs a
new capital Australia followed suit the
same way right
of course Australia did it kind of in a
little more conservative way because
they’re Australians after all it’s not
you know we’re not Brazilians it’s not
good to crazy here yeah whoa whoa whoa
you know let’s let’s let’s calm things
down a bit climb your shit down but but
that said you know they did build some
kind of crazy stuff this one was derided
by most Canberrans and Australians in
general as the Martian embassy it is
kind of Jetsons like I have to give him
that I think it’s pretty cool it’s
actually one of my favorite buildings
here what’s interesting as though as
whereas most cam barons might either
ignore it or hate it or make fun of it
people in the rest of the world actually
are interested in this building and
everything else in Canberra the rest of
the world is paying attention to what’s
here and has been for quite some time so
this is a photo of people looking at
camber architecture in a conference in
2012 in Palm Springs of all places so
think about that the rest of the world
is watching even if you’re not speaking
of Palm Springs and I live in California
an active in the Palm Springs community
I give lectures and tours there every
year and I know the owner of this house
this is a famous house in Palm Springs
it’s called the men rad house it was
it’s one of the most photographed houses
in the in the country probably and
certainly in Palm Springs people from
Australia fly all the way out there just
to get their photograph in front of this
house it’s known as a butterfly roof
house you could probably figure out why
the funny thing is though is that you
don’t really have to fly from Canberra
or from Australia all the way to Palm
Springs to see a house like this because
you’ve got one in your alumni
you’ve actually got quite a few of them
around town this is one of my favorite
examples because it’s just so perfect
and it’s intact but so the point is is
that you do have a lot of great stuff
here you know the one in Palm Springs
has tour buses going in front of it all
the time
it drives the owner nuts I’ve never seen
a tour bus in front of this one this is
the interior of the house just next door
just down the street from the one that I
just showed you same architect designed
this one this I’ve stayed here myself
I’ve known Australians that have stayed
here listed this it’s on Airbnb and
they’ve actually stayed here just to
live in the Palm Springs lifestyle and
they could have just gone to Red Hill
save them a trip this is also Palm
Springs it’s a City Hall by the famous
architect Albert Frey this is Red Hill
again same house is the previous
interior by the famous architect Robin
Boyd
here’s a modernist interpretation of a
Greek temple this is kind of a
well-known building in Los Angeles you
don’t have to go to Los Angeles or
Pasadena in this case to see it because
you’ve got one right across the lake
another example louis kahn the famous
architect Louis Kahn designs this the
Yale it’s just the Yale
Museum of Art in in New Haven
Connecticut but you’ve got something
very similar right here in town right
nga I actually think someone’s cooler
personally but if I’m at home I’m never
gonna bid tonight I just said that in
Montreal this building was one of the
first things that sparked my interest in
modernism I you know I love modernism
part of the reason why is because it
gives me butterflies when I see a really
cool building and I try to capture that
in my photos this is called habitat it
was designed for the World’s Fair in
1967 by Moshe Safdie this is right here
you see right right in Canberra this is
student housing this was designed
Graner just might not be as cool as this
but it’s pretty it’s pretty cool come on
but I understand the students don’t like
living there but you know who cares
it still looks cool right but anyway
this is designed by John Andrews who was
a Australian architect who trained in
Harvard and also in Canada and learned
learned his craft there and then came
back to Australia this is in Vancouver
Canada this is by a famous architect
named Arthur Erickson the law-courts
there however what’s interesting about
this is that he was directly influenced
by John Andrews the previous architect
when they saw this building so that
should tell you something
camber people are paying attention to
what’s going on here even if cam brains
are trying to tear them down like this
one
googy architecture is kind of emblematic
of Los Angeles which is the space-age
kind of Jetsons like architecture right
you guys have your share here too
another example of googy architecture is
the Seattle Space Needle well you know
where I’m gonna go with this right yes
telecom tower I told it telecom tower
not telstra tower so I get like honorary
local points for that
Boston is known for its a Bauhaus
inspired architecture this is the house
of Walter Gropius who founded the
Bauhaus in Germany
and bad guys came into power and he had
to leave so he built this here and he
was at Harvard for a while it is founded
the School of Architecture there you
guys have a lot of that house inspired
architecture here as well like this one
in deacon so i guess the point of it
that all of that was just to say it’s
like to quote Thoreau it’s not what you
look at the matters it’s what you see a
lot of my experiences Canberrans have
been kind of blind to what’s around them
they don’t notice it maybe it’s because
they’re they’re locals they grew up with
it so they don’t see it anymore but just
paying attention to what you’ve got
makes all the difference and looking at
it maybe a little differently than you
would normally so a couple of examples
these aren’t in Canberra promote the
most part but this is just a house that
I photographed once really badly and
then I came back and photographed it in
the right light
and looked at it and framed it
differently this isn’t this is a library
that I’ve photographed also pretty badly
and then came back in the right light
and look at it differently this is a
bank in Palm Springs also fairly
well-known it’s okay but that photo is
also kind of crappy I can say that since
it’s my photo but this you know look at
it differently look at it in a way that
frames the thing that is most
interesting about it this is it’s a nice
view but you can’t really tell the
building that much because it’s the
sun’s in the wrong place it’s not lit
the right way come back and look at it
when it’s the right time of day this
building in Paris by Luc Corbusier it’s
one of the first modernist buildings in
the world if my alma mater the
University of Paris photograph it in a
way look at it in a way that emphasizes
the thing that’s interesting about it
but most often what Institute tends to
happen is we see as soon as the building
gets built things get built up around it
you know we put car parks in front of it
and you put up really shitty signs you
know in front of it in light poles and
utility boxes and you tend to lose that
what the architect was trying to say the
message the architect was trying to
convey with all of the crap that gets
accumulated around it almost immediately
after its built but especially over the
years but what happens if you take all
that stuff away let’s see it again
there you can see a little more clearly
so what I’m trying to say is try to
train your eye to look past all that
stuff and at the building itself I do
that all the time I drive people nuts
because I’ll say I’m on the brakes and
just stare at a building and I haven’t
caused a traffic jam yet but anyway look
at this building here it’s just a car
park and you know a building in a city
in Portland look at it in the way the
architect drew it and then strip all the
crap away this is right here in Canberra
I actually thought these buildings were
gone because I couldn’t I didn’t
couldn’t find him for a long time it
turns out they’re still there but
they’ve just been pasted over so they
were despite by Bauhaus but now look at
what they look like it’s just right
across the street over here they’ve been
coated in the layer of stucco this
building the cinema over in Civic on the
other side I also thought this one was
gone it wasn’t it turns out they just
painted a beige they made it try to
disappear let’s let’s make it that’s too
crazy let’s just try to tame this down a
little bit this building they were so
proud of they made a postcard at one
point in fact Canberrans this used to be
the tallest building in Canberra and
there was a observe a shindig anybody
visiting Canberra would have to go up
there and see it they painted that beige
– that’s right across the street by the
way I’ll bet you didn’t notice it though
look at the the overhangs on this build
this is in Torrance this is the shops in
Torrance
see what the architect did is they were
in thinking about the shadows when they
did it in the pattern that would form on
the ground not anymore
I guess the beam started rotting so they
just got rid of them
didn’t replace let me just get rid of
him it’s cheaper that way right look at
this one here this is you probably all
recognize this the law-courts of a CT
you can free Minh I love this building I
love the sculpture in front of it too
but now looks like the sculpture is
crying doesn’t it it’s just like oh god
these idiots anyway sorry you’re not
supposed to insult your host so I’m
that’s awkward this is the old archives
building and Mitchell it’s been it’s
it’s been emptied it’s probably
threatened now unfortunately but it’s a
beautiful building I was stunned to find
this when I was just driving around my
favorite building is this is in wooden
the old tape it’s was a CT offices then
and now it’s solely getting abandoned
death by neglect right you can see it
hasn’t been cleaned or taken care of in
a while they’re probably waiting for it
to get so rundown people asked them to
tear it down this building is definitely
getting torn down it’s just for across
the Civic on the other side and you know
there’s a big bill
on the side of it advertising the boring
apartment building that’s going to be
put there instead you probably all
recognize this one Bruce hall
we just lost this one despite a fight to
keep it they’d like to claim asbestos is
the most famous the popular went around
here to use as an excuse to tear it down
when they want to tear it down for other
reasons these buildings here are
probably the most intact Street in
Incivek over on West Civic on University
I love them but most I know people that
go to the cutting room for breakfast and
they’ve never noticed the building it’s
in they didn’t even recognize this photo
it looks a lot like a sculpture to me
like Donald judge sculpture although
they wouldn’t hesitate to tear that down
and they probably this is worth millions
so they probably wouldn’t tear that down
right across the street another view and
then look at this one there’s again this
reminds me of a sculpture a lot of these
were designed to look like works of art
this one what does this remind you of to
me looks like a Mondrian painting so I
guess the closing I would say let’s
enjoy what we have take another look at
these things so I put up another few
photos more that I’ve taken just to
close out on a high note instead of
being a you know a downer but not just
the famous buildings as everybody
certainly recognizes the high court and
you know the inside is beautiful if
you’ve never been inside it’s definitely
worth a look especially in the right
time of day it’s great and then you know
next door same architects designed the
NGA I love this building – and then the
Karelian of course everybody knows about
these buildings and they’re probably not
threatened but there are other buildings
that are equally cool and that nobody
seems to notice or care about and I
would just encourage everybody to take a
look at those – like this little modest
Church in your alumni which looks like a
Harry Seidler building it’s not or this
one which is also probably threatened it
looks at pretty like they’re emptying it
out this is by Robin Boyd famous
architect beautiful pond and the
courtyard way too efficient now because
like 80% of the land is occupied by a
pond instead of the building itself so
that’ll that’s probably threatened
these buildings here by Enrico taglioti
great architect – very much inspired by
Frank Lloyd Wright in organic
architecture another one over in
Mitchell by the same architect as you
can probably tell another one by the
same architect the much loved and hated
Dixon library but look at the I mean the
gardens in there and the courtyards and
the fountains it’s it’s amazing I just
love it
probably recognize this one right I hope
please it’s right outside you know this
David Jones is even the David Jones is
great and then you know and more
sculptures so a lot of these buildings
were designed to be like sculptures to
be art and to play off light and shadow
throughout the day so take a look at
them at different times a day and watch
how the light changes them they will
change completely in front of your eyes
it’s quite fascinating so all I would
ask is you know just take another look
at your city and be proud of what you’ve
got preserve what you’ve got
let Canberra keep its sense of self and
sense of place in its soul thank you
[Applause]
so in public speaking school they train
you to grab everyone’s attention right
off the bat with a bold and
controversial statement so this is mine
and some of you are laughing and summer
you’re sitting there in stunned silence
I can tell but I’m actually being
serious when I show a little background
if you could tell from my accent I’m not
from here I’m an American I’m from
California I still live there actually
but I’ve been coming to Canberra
regularly and by regularly probably
seven eight times a year for the better
part of seven years working flying back
and forth
so yeah the airlines love me too but
when I first told everybody that I was
coming to Canberra especially
Australians especially Sydneysiders or
people from Melbourne they would usually
roll their eyes or laugh when I because
the Canberra was a bit of a joke right
everybody talked about it being the what
the land of what do you call them
roundabouts in public servants
I guess it’s interesting that those are
the two takeaways from Canberra so I’d
really didn’t know what to expect when I
first got here but it wasn’t I didn’t
have very high expectations I’d have to
say so I actually was quite shocked to
find that it really is a beautiful place
and I loved it and it’s it’s honestly my
favorite city in Australia
thank you but before we get into all
that in all the photos that Ingrid was
talking about and stuff I thought I’d
provide a little context because that’s
another thing you learned in public
speaking school right modernist
architecture so what is modernist
architecture the Jetsons obviously is
the first thing that comes to mind for
most people honestly people that are
really into modernist architecture hate
the fact that it always is referred to
as Jetsons architecture but I don’t
really mind that because I think Jetsons
are pretty cool but the what’s
interesting about what-what it
encapsulates is you know the Jetsons
were in this sort of style of
architecture is all about the future it
says a lot about things it’s all about
optimism and it was a very brief period
after World War two when everybody
thought that anything was possible right
better living through architecture
better living through science throw out
all the old traditional ways of living
and let’s live in glass houses in the
sky right with your jetpacks and your
your flying cars which I’m still waiting
for in that kind of captivated the
imagination of everybody you saw an
advertising like this ad for a Motorola
I think they’re advertising that ugly
stereo cabinet in the back but you know
the picture itself is pretty cool and
then you know you’d see this in every
magazine like popular science and
everything the new worlds are possible
new cities are possible anything is
possible at this point you you’re going
to zip around cities with no traffic no
traffic jams right in your personal cars
and your hovercraft and everything else
and eventually architects started
following suit so this is called the
Monsanto House of tomorrow it was at
Disneyland it was a major attraction at
Disneyland
– you get to tour the house and see how
you would be living shortly in the
future they had things like dishwashers
and you know TVs
soon entire city started getting built
that way so this is Brasilia which was
the new capital city of Brazil Brazil
decided they needed a new capital city
to represent their future and how things
were going to be in the world
so they went full jetsons as you can
tell this is Oscar Niemeyer who designed
the whole city from scratch new world
city you know new world country needs a
new capital Australia followed suit the
same way right
of course Australia did it kind of in a
little more conservative way because
they’re Australians after all it’s not
you know we’re not Brazilians it’s not
good to crazy here yeah whoa whoa whoa
you know let’s let’s let’s calm things
down a bit climb your shit down but but
that said you know they did build some
kind of crazy stuff this one was derided
by most Canberrans and Australians in
general as the Martian embassy it is
kind of Jetsons like I have to give him
that I think it’s pretty cool it’s
actually one of my favorite buildings
here what’s interesting as though as
whereas most cam barons might either
ignore it or hate it or make fun of it
people in the rest of the world actually
are interested in this building and
everything else in Canberra the rest of
the world is paying attention to what’s
here and has been for quite some time so
this is a photo of people looking at
camber architecture in a conference in
2012 in Palm Springs of all places so
think about that the rest of the world
is watching even if you’re not speaking
of Palm Springs and I live in California
an active in the Palm Springs community
I give lectures and tours there every
year and I know the owner of this house
this is a famous house in Palm Springs
it’s called the men rad house it was
it’s one of the most photographed houses
in the in the country probably and
certainly in Palm Springs people from
Australia fly all the way out there just
to get their photograph in front of this
house it’s known as a butterfly roof
house you could probably figure out why
the funny thing is though is that you
don’t really have to fly from Canberra
or from Australia all the way to Palm
Springs to see a house like this because
you’ve got one in your alumni
you’ve actually got quite a few of them
around town this is one of my favorite
examples because it’s just so perfect
and it’s intact but so the point is is
that you do have a lot of great stuff
here you know the one in Palm Springs
has tour buses going in front of it all
the time
it drives the owner nuts I’ve never seen
a tour bus in front of this one this is
the interior of the house just next door
just down the street from the one that I
just showed you same architect designed
this one this I’ve stayed here myself
I’ve known Australians that have stayed
here listed this it’s on Airbnb and
they’ve actually stayed here just to
live in the Palm Springs lifestyle and
they could have just gone to Red Hill
save them a trip this is also Palm
Springs it’s a City Hall by the famous
architect Albert Frey this is Red Hill
again same house is the previous
interior by the famous architect Robin
Boyd
here’s a modernist interpretation of a
Greek temple this is kind of a
well-known building in Los Angeles you
don’t have to go to Los Angeles or
Pasadena in this case to see it because
you’ve got one right across the lake
another example louis kahn the famous
architect Louis Kahn designs this the
Yale it’s just the Yale
Museum of Art in in New Haven
Connecticut but you’ve got something
very similar right here in town right
nga I actually think someone’s cooler
personally but if I’m at home I’m never
gonna bid tonight I just said that in
Montreal this building was one of the
first things that sparked my interest in
modernism I you know I love modernism
part of the reason why is because it
gives me butterflies when I see a really
cool building and I try to capture that
in my photos this is called habitat it
was designed for the World’s Fair in
1967 by Moshe Safdie this is right here
you see right right in Canberra this is
student housing this was designed
Graner just might not be as cool as this
but it’s pretty it’s pretty cool come on
but I understand the students don’t like
living there but you know who cares
it still looks cool right but anyway
this is designed by John Andrews who was
a Australian architect who trained in
Harvard and also in Canada and learned
learned his craft there and then came
back to Australia this is in Vancouver
Canada this is by a famous architect
named Arthur Erickson the law-courts
there however what’s interesting about
this is that he was directly influenced
by John Andrews the previous architect
when they saw this building so that
should tell you something
camber people are paying attention to
what’s going on here even if cam brains
are trying to tear them down like this
one
googy architecture is kind of emblematic
of Los Angeles which is the space-age
kind of Jetsons like architecture right
you guys have your share here too
another example of googy architecture is
the Seattle Space Needle well you know
where I’m gonna go with this right yes
telecom tower I told it telecom tower
not telstra tower so I get like honorary
local points for that
Boston is known for its a Bauhaus
inspired architecture this is the house
of Walter Gropius who founded the
Bauhaus in Germany
and bad guys came into power and he had
to leave so he built this here and he
was at Harvard for a while it is founded
the School of Architecture there you
guys have a lot of that house inspired
architecture here as well like this one
in deacon so i guess the point of it
that all of that was just to say it’s
like to quote Thoreau it’s not what you
look at the matters it’s what you see a
lot of my experiences Canberrans have
been kind of blind to what’s around them
they don’t notice it maybe it’s because
they’re they’re locals they grew up with
it so they don’t see it anymore but just
paying attention to what you’ve got
makes all the difference and looking at
it maybe a little differently than you
would normally so a couple of examples
these aren’t in Canberra promote the
most part but this is just a house that
I photographed once really badly and
then I came back and photographed it in
the right light
and looked at it and framed it
differently this isn’t this is a library
that I’ve photographed also pretty badly
and then came back in the right light
and look at it differently this is a
bank in Palm Springs also fairly
well-known it’s okay but that photo is
also kind of crappy I can say that since
it’s my photo but this you know look at
it differently look at it in a way that
frames the thing that is most
interesting about it this is it’s a nice
view but you can’t really tell the
building that much because it’s the
sun’s in the wrong place it’s not lit
the right way come back and look at it
when it’s the right time of day this
building in Paris by Luc Corbusier it’s
one of the first modernist buildings in
the world if my alma mater the
University of Paris photograph it in a
way look at it in a way that emphasizes
the thing that’s interesting about it
but most often what Institute tends to
happen is we see as soon as the building
gets built things get built up around it
you know we put car parks in front of it
and you put up really shitty signs you
know in front of it in light poles and
utility boxes and you tend to lose that
what the architect was trying to say the
message the architect was trying to
convey with all of the crap that gets
accumulated around it almost immediately
after its built but especially over the
years but what happens if you take all
that stuff away let’s see it again
there you can see a little more clearly
so what I’m trying to say is try to
train your eye to look past all that
stuff and at the building itself I do
that all the time I drive people nuts
because I’ll say I’m on the brakes and
just stare at a building and I haven’t
caused a traffic jam yet but anyway look
at this building here it’s just a car
park and you know a building in a city
in Portland look at it in the way the
architect drew it and then strip all the
crap away this is right here in Canberra
I actually thought these buildings were
gone because I couldn’t I didn’t
couldn’t find him for a long time it
turns out they’re still there but
they’ve just been pasted over so they
were despite by Bauhaus but now look at
what they look like it’s just right
across the street over here they’ve been
coated in the layer of stucco this
building the cinema over in Civic on the
other side I also thought this one was
gone it wasn’t it turns out they just
painted a beige they made it try to
disappear let’s let’s make it that’s too
crazy let’s just try to tame this down a
little bit this building they were so
proud of they made a postcard at one
point in fact Canberrans this used to be
the tallest building in Canberra and
there was a observe a shindig anybody
visiting Canberra would have to go up
there and see it they painted that beige
– that’s right across the street by the
way I’ll bet you didn’t notice it though
look at the the overhangs on this build
this is in Torrance this is the shops in
Torrance
see what the architect did is they were
in thinking about the shadows when they
did it in the pattern that would form on
the ground not anymore
I guess the beam started rotting so they
just got rid of them
didn’t replace let me just get rid of
him it’s cheaper that way right look at
this one here this is you probably all
recognize this the law-courts of a CT
you can free Minh I love this building I
love the sculpture in front of it too
but now looks like the sculpture is
crying doesn’t it it’s just like oh god
these idiots anyway sorry you’re not
supposed to insult your host so I’m
that’s awkward this is the old archives
building and Mitchell it’s been it’s
it’s been emptied it’s probably
threatened now unfortunately but it’s a
beautiful building I was stunned to find
this when I was just driving around my
favorite building is this is in wooden
the old tape it’s was a CT offices then
and now it’s solely getting abandoned
death by neglect right you can see it
hasn’t been cleaned or taken care of in
a while they’re probably waiting for it
to get so rundown people asked them to
tear it down this building is definitely
getting torn down it’s just for across
the Civic on the other side and you know
there’s a big bill
on the side of it advertising the boring
apartment building that’s going to be
put there instead you probably all
recognize this one Bruce hall
we just lost this one despite a fight to
keep it they’d like to claim asbestos is
the most famous the popular went around
here to use as an excuse to tear it down
when they want to tear it down for other
reasons these buildings here are
probably the most intact Street in
Incivek over on West Civic on University
I love them but most I know people that
go to the cutting room for breakfast and
they’ve never noticed the building it’s
in they didn’t even recognize this photo
it looks a lot like a sculpture to me
like Donald judge sculpture although
they wouldn’t hesitate to tear that down
and they probably this is worth millions
so they probably wouldn’t tear that down
right across the street another view and
then look at this one there’s again this
reminds me of a sculpture a lot of these
were designed to look like works of art
this one what does this remind you of to
me looks like a Mondrian painting so I
guess the closing I would say let’s
enjoy what we have take another look at
these things so I put up another few
photos more that I’ve taken just to
close out on a high note instead of
being a you know a downer but not just
the famous buildings as everybody
certainly recognizes the high court and
you know the inside is beautiful if
you’ve never been inside it’s definitely
worth a look especially in the right
time of day it’s great and then you know
next door same architects designed the
NGA I love this building – and then the
Karelian of course everybody knows about
these buildings and they’re probably not
threatened but there are other buildings
that are equally cool and that nobody
seems to notice or care about and I
would just encourage everybody to take a
look at those – like this little modest
Church in your alumni which looks like a
Harry Seidler building it’s not or this
one which is also probably threatened it
looks at pretty like they’re emptying it
out this is by Robin Boyd famous
architect beautiful pond and the
courtyard way too efficient now because
like 80% of the land is occupied by a
pond instead of the building itself so
that’ll that’s probably threatened
these buildings here by Enrico taglioti
great architect – very much inspired by
Frank Lloyd Wright in organic
architecture another one over in
Mitchell by the same architect as you
can probably tell another one by the
same architect the much loved and hated
Dixon library but look at the I mean the
gardens in there and the courtyards and
the fountains it’s it’s amazing I just
love it
probably recognize this one right I hope
please it’s right outside you know this
David Jones is even the David Jones is
great and then you know and more
sculptures so a lot of these buildings
were designed to be like sculptures to
be art and to play off light and shadow
throughout the day so take a look at
them at different times a day and watch
how the light changes them they will
change completely in front of your eyes
it’s quite fascinating so all I would
ask is you know just take another look
at your city and be proud of what you’ve
got preserve what you’ve got
let Canberra keep its sense of self and
sense of place in its soul thank you
[Applause]
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