Canberra sites ~ sites in and around the
national capital
Sculpture
Garden ~ National Gallery of Australia
An Introduction
Landscape Architects: Harry Howard & Associates
Location: Canberra Initial construction: 1982
In 1978 Harry Howard and associates were commissioned to design the landscape setting for the proposed High Court and the National Gallery – two prominent buildings sitting within Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle. Both the High Court and the National Gallery precinct have been nominated on Australia’s National Heritage List as they represent a successful integration of a group of late 20th century buildings and landscape by a co-ordinated design team.
In 1994, the Sculpture Garden was listed on the Register of the National Estate. The landscape team included the principal architect, Colin Madigan (EMTB), Harry Howard and Barbara Buchanan (Harry Howard & Associates), Roger Vidler (EMTB) and James Mollison (NGA Gallery Director).
The design is also important because an Australian bush character was regarded as a suitable setting for overseas sculptural works.
“Howard and Buchanan assert the place of the ancient local bushland (artfully re-established on a cleared site by Lake Burley Griffin) as an integral part of the most civilized and modern of settings – the home of high art and culture, the National Gallery. Eucalyptuses and wattles, stringy bark and fallen leaves frame the great sculptures of Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore.” (Catherin Bull 2002)
It challenges the predominantly exotic landscape developed in the parliamentary triangle – a landscape of deciduous trees and lawns, reliant on high inputs of resources and maintenance.
The creating of a setting for the NGA Sculpture garden was Howard’s most important commission and one he is best remembered for. In 1996, four years prior to his early death, he was awarded an Australian Award in Landscape Architecture for his life’s work. In a survey conducted in 1999, this landscape was regarded by practicing Landscape Architects as one of the most significant landscape projects to the profession and the community. Howard was also nominated as one of a group of influential practitioners working in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory during the 1960s to 1980s.
Design Team
Howard collaborated with the Gallery’s architects, Edwards Madigan Torzillo Briggs (EMTB) on the project. He had worked with EMTB as an architect from 1959 until 1965, so was familiar with their work and at the same time wanted to create a human scale landscape experience for visitors in an Australian bush setting. Barbara Buchanan, Howard’s assistant indicated that the architects had a significant input into the landscape and that the resulting landscape is “inseparable from the buildings” (Buchanan 2001).
During 1978 the principal architect Colin Madigan and the gallery Director, James Mollison went on an overseas study tour of sculpture gardens. According to the galleries documents - “They returned with the conviction that the one they would create in Canberra would be of international significance”. (Pikains)
The Brief
The aim of the proposed sculpture garden was to provide a co-ordinated display of sculpture within the garden as well as extending the visitor experience from inside the gallery. ( While the sculptures have been successfully integrated into a cohesive bush landscape the link between the monolithic built form and the garden is at best tenuous.)
A series of enclosed rooms of different character were to be created as a setting for the sculptures. The sculptures should be viewed in diffused light and were not to be seen at the same time as the lake. This was to be set in a bushland setting using native plants mainly from the Canberra region.
Form – extending triangle concept into landscape
The triangle concept used in Walter Burley-Griffin’s plan for Canberra’s parliamentary triangle (expressing the notion of democracy) was used to generate the built form of the Gallery. In turn this triangle was extended through into the Sculpture Garden with a paved avenue extending from the main terrace of the Garden through to Lake Burley Griffin.
Whilst indicated as a strong architectural element on the plans submitted in 1979 (perhaps to satisfy the planning bodies responsible for the Parliamentary Triangle and the architects) Howard’s perspective sketch was a true depiction of the landscape as it matured. Today the avenue is understated and softened by the irregular forms and over spilling plant material. As Howard was influenced by the bush gullies of Sydney’s north shore, this was no doubt the effect he was trying to create. Howard remarked “for the first time in the development of Canberra building and water have been brought together in some measure.” Howard 1982, 214)
Landscape Materials
Hard materials were used which would link the landscape to the building. The winter garden is paved with Mintaro slate (a South Australian product), whilst long horizontal concrete walls link to the building’s concrete façade.
The Four Seasons
The Landscape Plan indicate that the proposed Garden was to be divided into four sections based on the seasons. As the plants flowered in each section exhibitions could be staged in that particular section.
The Winter Garden
The Winter Garden is located adjacent to the building and is given protection from westerly winds whilst obtaining winter sunlight. This large area is paved with slate broken up with openings with plant material which act to soften the overall effect. Large shrubs such as the Winter flowering Acacia iteaphylla (Flinder’s Ranges Wattle) and Eucalpyts soften the massive concrete structure (23 metres high) and provide a human scale to the landscape. Low concrete walls introduce a horizontal element to the space and human scale providing informal resting and viewing opportunities.
This area displays figurative sculptures from the late 19th to early 20th century. Works include sculptures by Rodin, Maillol, Bourdelle and Lachaise. Maillol’s voluptuous sculpture of a reclining naked woman, entitled ‘The Mountain’ (should women be offended by this naming or does it convey the strength of women?) sits on a plinth and nestles in amongst Banksia, Acacia and Correa. Lachaise’s Floating Figure, a stylized female form, seemingly hovers over the elongated pond.
The Summer Garden
This area punctuated by groves of Casuarinas and Eucalyptus generates dappled shade over the gravel surface is reminiscent of local river beds which often dry out during long hot summers. Wind moves through the Casuarina needles creating a soothing sound. Nearby is the marsh pond planted with a variety of wetland plants. Apparently this water source was discovered by a member of the architectural team skilled in water diving.
Two dominant sculptural elements are placed within the Summer Garden – the large aluminium structure Cones which provides distorted reflections of visitors and surrounding trees, as well as Henry Moore’s organic bronze Hill Arches placed as a focal point across the pond. Other more subtle sculptures occur in this area. The fog sculpture, an absolute delight on a hot summers day, emitting a fine spray which hangs in the air and droplets hang glisteningly on Casuarina needles. On the beach, a timber boat-like structure which bridges the pond and the shore is another subtle art work.
The Spring Garden
The Spring Garden consists of a series of intimate spaces heavily enclosed by dense vegetation stands featuring smaller scale sculptures.
The Autumn Garden
Original drawings included an Ampitheatre, Kiosk and toilet block. Due to cost estimates the kiosk was removed and the earthworks for the amphitheatre were completed and the whole area grassed. Howard (1982) imagined that a kiosk in the Garden and accompanying outdoor eating area would create ‘life’ to this space and was hopeful that it would be soon built. It never was. However a temporary restaurant was located on the marsh pond restricting access around the pond and only suitable for use during the warmer months of the year.
Plant Material
Planting within the garden is informal and uses a range of Australian native plants many of them local to the Canberra region. Rather than massing plants in a contrived way Howard & Associates aimed to create differing planting layers to create a more naturalistic feel. Species from the following genuses were included: Eucalyptus, Acacia, Melaleuca, Banksia, Grevillea and Hakea. As the garden has matured the understorey experiences greater shade and has led to the introduction of more shade tolerant species such as Correa.
Maintenance
Howard & Associates produced a maintenance manual to preserve the original design intent. The garden was maintained from handover by City Park’s Administration until 1992 where due to financial reasons maintenance responsibility was handed to the National Capital Planning Authority, whilst the Gallery maintains ownership of the land and art works in the collection.
Whilst the design has matured to create a delightful distinctly Australian landscape maintenance of the plant material appears lacking with straggly and dead plants requiring remediation.
Edwina Richardson (AAILA)
REFERENCES
Aitken, Richard and Looker, Michael (eds) (2002) The oxford companion to Australian gardens Oxford University Press: Oxford.
Buchanan, Barbara (2001) ‘Precint of the National Gallery and High Court, Australia’ (letter to the editor) Landscape Australia, 2, p8.
Bull, C & Ward, L (2000) ‘In what way influential? The projects, people & events that Landscape Architects consider significant in Australia’ Landscape Australia 2
Department of Environment and Heritage (nd) Australian heritage database www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/ahdb/search.pl?mode=place_detail;place_id=105745
Howard, Harry (1982) ‘Landscaping of the High Court of Australia and the Australian National Gallery – the Sculpture Gardens’ Landscape Australia no 3, 208-215.
Piekains, H. ‘Art in landscape’ www.nga.gov.au/sculpturegarden/essay.htm
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