Images of Canberra - Ugly New Building in the Heart of Civic

i really like it! it’s a lot more interesting than if it didn’t have the grate-thing in front of the building.

i just don’t like that they’ve built right up to the road. makes it feel cramped. and i definitely do not like that it has taken years to do!

Speaking of town centre buildings, I really dislike that Sky Plaza thing in Woden….it might look better when it’s painted, by I’m not counting on it.

Samuel

Agree on the awards bit! I guess my point was that perspectives can be different. Your ugly is my interesting.

Dysfunctional should never be allowed. This is the ongoing argument with the Cameron Offices in Belconnen. Allegedly an outstanding example of the ‘brutalist’ style of architecture, the architect is still fighting it’s demoltion. Wants it heritage listed in fact. Sadly it’s dystfunctional and it would take a fortune to reverse that state. Whatever it’s value as art, as a building it’s a failure and should go. (IMHO)

Agree that Canberra has some superb stuff, but on the whole our Town Centres are bland bland bland.

It looks well dodgy, but like Vic, I’ll wait until its done before passing judgement.

Having said that, be it in art or architecture, I always appreciate anything that evokes a reaction. Positive or negative.

Sadly Canberra is a city whose buildings are usually so similar that that no reaction at all is forthcoming.

It’s not as ugly as the Canberra Centre carparks next door. But we’re used to them. And we’ll grow used to this new youth centre too.

And no, Samuel, this frame is not supporting the building, it is just a design feature.

I believe Canberra is adopting the Melbourne modern school of architecture (yay?), eg:

Red Poles
Federation Square

When the building settles into the poorly-compacted clay, then the girders will be in perfect alignment.
It takes a great deal of architectural skill to second-guess the lousy work of some of the builders around here….I know, it’s happened to my house.

It’s different, that’s for sure.

I’ll hold off my final judgement until it’s all finished though.

I just hope it isn’t supporting the building as it looks like it’s about to topple over from the other side.

“Monstrosity” is about the most I can say for it.

Samuel

Um. May I say ‘crap’ again?

Yup, and then they use that knowledge to do the best they can with what the client is willing to pay.

So make your own judgments about the “Quality” of this project.

Do people actually go to Architect School so that they can ‘design’ such crap?

Gah it’s amking me dizzy.Let;s hope it’s not on anyone’s walk home from their favourite nightspots

Girders 5 and 6 (from the left) appear to be leaning towards each other too.

Wonder if that’s intentional?