Walter Burley Griffin's contribution to the establishment of Canberra as the nation's Capital
Walter Burley Griffin’s contribution to the establishment of Canberra as the nation’s capital.
Walter Burley Griffin who was the architect, landscape architect and designer of Canberra, was born on 24 November 1876 at Maywood, near Chicago, United States of America, and was the eldest of four children of George Walter Griffin, insurance agent, and his wife Estelle Melvina. Griffin attended high school at Oak Park, graduated from Nathan Ricker 's renowned school of architecture at the University of Illinois in 1899 and was admitted as an associate of the American Institute of Architects.
He first worked as a casual employee of Dwight Heald Perkins and other architects in Chicago 's Steinway Hall, then in 1901-06 as an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright at Oak Park. He also undertook private commissions, the most notable of which were the Emery house (1903) and the landscape designs for the grounds of the state normal schools of Eastern Illinois (1901) and Northern Illinois (1906). Griffin started his own practice in Steinway Hall in 1906 and by 1910, when his work was featured in the Architectural Record, was becoming recognized as a practitioner of what eventually became known as the Prairie School of architecture.
In 1908, the Canberra district was selected as the site of the future capital of Australia. The government wanted the new capital would be ‘the finest capital city in the world’ and announced an international competition for the design of the city. More than 130 architects and town planners from Australia, North America and Europe submitted plans. In May 1912, the government announced that Walter Burley Griffin, a young American architect and landscape architect, had prepared the winning design.
In 1911, soon after he started work on his plans for Canberra, Griffin married Marion Mahony, another architect and a gifted artist in Wright’s office. Marion worked with Walter on the design of Canberra and presented his designs in a series of vivid
Walter Burley Griffin who was the architect, landscape architect and designer of Canberra, was born on 24 November 1876 at Maywood, near Chicago, United States of America, and was the eldest of four children of George Walter Griffin, insurance agent, and his wife Estelle Melvina. Griffin attended high school at Oak Park, graduated from Nathan Ricker 's renowned school of architecture at the University of Illinois in 1899 and was admitted as an associate of the American Institute of Architects.
He first worked as a casual employee of Dwight Heald Perkins and other architects in Chicago 's Steinway Hall, then in 1901-06 as an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright at Oak Park. He also undertook private commissions, the most notable of which were the Emery house (1903) and the landscape designs for the grounds of the state normal schools of Eastern Illinois (1901) and Northern Illinois (1906). Griffin started his own practice in Steinway Hall in 1906 and by 1910, when his work was featured in the Architectural Record, was becoming recognized as a practitioner of what eventually became known as the Prairie School of architecture.
In 1908, the Canberra district was selected as the site of the future capital of Australia. The government wanted the new capital would be ‘the finest capital city in the world’ and announced an international competition for the design of the city. More than 130 architects and town planners from Australia, North America and Europe submitted plans. In May 1912, the government announced that Walter Burley Griffin, a young American architect and landscape architect, had prepared the winning design.
In 1911, soon after he started work on his plans for Canberra, Griffin married Marion Mahony, another architect and a gifted artist in Wright’s office. Marion worked with Walter on the design of Canberra and presented his designs in a series of vivid
References: Birrell, J. 1964. Walter Burley Griffin. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, p. 74. Nationalcapital.gov.au. 2013. Fact Sheets. [online] Available at: http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=254&Itemid=248#6 [Accessed: 13 Sep 2013]. Swirk.com.au Interactive Schooling. 2013. The construction of Canberra. [online] Available at: http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-43_t-52_c-154/the-construction-of-canberra/nsw/the-construction-of-canberra/australia-between-the-wars-1920s/an-event-in-the-1920s [Accessed: 13 Sep 2013].