Walter Burley Griffin (1876-1937) was a distinguished modernist American architect, landscape architect and town planner. His work attracted world-wide attention in 1912 when he won the international competition to design a new capital city for Australia. Griffin was also a prolific lecturer and writer. In this edition, his 71 pieces of writing have been thematically categorised under ten headings to reflect the variety and interrelations of his professional interests: Canberra; Town and Campus Planning; Residential Communities; Designing the House; Building the House; Landscape Architecture; Public Buildings; India; Architecture and Politics and the Future of Architecture. At a time when Griffin's design for Canberra has attracted renewed attention, this canon of his work provides unparalleled access to his thinking about architecture and town planning.
Providing a detailed look at the work of one of the most original architects the United States has produced, this volume features nearly 200 photographs of Walter Burley Griffin's structures and landscapes, as well as a chronological catalog of standing buildings, a list of demolished works, a location guide, and a selected bibliography.
On 23 May 1912, American Walter Burley Griffin was announced to the world as the winner of the international design competition for the new Australian capital to be built on a sheep paddock they called Canberra. Almost a century later, Griffin's design - but most of all its implementation - is still hotly debated. Who was this man and what was his vision? How did he come to Canberra, what happened once the Australian establishment tore him to shreds, and what was the role of his wife, helpmate, fellow architect and equal creative partner, Marion Mahony Griffin? In this definitive new biography of Griffin husband and wife, Alasdair McGregor delineates the role each played in the production of their greatest works - Canberra, Castlecrag, Newman College and the rest - and charts their lives, from their childhoods and meeting in Chicago in the employ of the larger than life Frank Lloyd Wright, to their battles in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney, and their swansong in India. This is a tale of many parts. It traces the lives of two individuals of great talent and vision and their fight against mediocrity. It is the story of the birth of Canberra, one that tells us as much about the Griffins as it does about ourselves and the troubled birth of the Australian national identity. It is a portrait of a pioneering woman who achieved extraordinary things but was rarely credited with that achievement. And it is an examination of the nature of fame in a young country uncertain of its position in the world. The Griffins' story resonates through the years, and their fight to see their idealistic vision realised is one that goes on in Australia today. 'This biography . . . is a treasure.' Dimity Reed, Sunday Age 'This handsome book . . . is the latest in a growing line of books about the Griffins, and it is perhaps the most successful to date.' Roger Pegrum, Canberra Times 'a meticulously detailed account of the Griffins' professional output.' Annabel Lawson, Australia Coast to Coast Country Style 'This belongs on every architect's bookshelf.' Susan Hewitt, West Magazine
Marion Mahony Griffin (1871–1961) was an American architect and artist, one of the first licensed female architects in the world, designer for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Chicago studio, and an original member of the Prairie School of architecture. Largely heralded for her exquisite presentation drawings for both Wright and her husband, Walter Burley Griffin, Mahony was an adventurous designer in her own right, whose independent and highly original work attracted attention at a moment when architectural drawing and graphic illustration were becoming integral to the design process. This book examines new research into Mahony’s life and paints a vivid portrait of a woman’s place among the lives and productions of some of our most noted American architects. The essays included take us on an ambitious journey from Mahony’s origins in the Chicago suburbs, through her years as Wright’s right-hand woman and her bohemian life with her husband in Australia—whose new capital city, Canberra, she helped to plan—up until her golden years in the middle of the twentieth century. Filled with richly detailed analyses of Mahony’s works and including and populated by an international cast of characters, Marion Mahony Reconsidered greatly expands our knowledge of this talented, complex, and enigmatic modern architect.
She was the American woman who changed Australian history. She broke through barriers for women in architecture and spent 15 years working for Chicago architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in the formative years of the Prairie School of Architecture. Then she teamed up with Walter Burley Griffin working with him in winning the design contest for the new Australian capital city, Canberra. She was an architect, artist, environmentalist, social observer and community builder, yet her work has been constantly overshadowed by the famous men in her life. The first biography of Marion Mahony Griffin in her own right, Making Magic tells Marion's story. It dates back to the days of Abraham Lincoln who was friends with her grandparents as a travelling lawyer in Illinois. It follows the story of her life over three continents - America, Australia and India. And her love affair with her husband which produced such historic results. A woman with a fierce sense of idealism and a passion for nature, Marion always had a mind of her own. She developed fine artistic and architectural skills which helped to make Wright and then Griffin famous. A woman in a man's world, she made history with her pioneering role as a female architect. Her creative work was sheer magic. Faced with her own challenges, she drew on her energy and creativity to refashion her role in a new country. She was instrumental in setting up a unique community in the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag. Her paintings, drawings and descriptions of the Australian bushland produced another exercise in magic. Yet few know her real story. Making Magic comes as Marion's role is now being recognised with accolades in America and Australia. Northwestern University Professor David Van Zanten describes her as the Frida Kahlo of the Chicago school of architecture. "Everywhere and nowhere, forgotten then suddenly remembered, unique in her work." Drawing on her diaries and historical records in libraries in Australia and America, and conversations with Griffin experts home owners and others with links to Marion's life, Making Magic tells the story of a most unusual woman. It puts the case for her recognition as an important figure who emerged from Chicago's Prairie School of architecture and tells an inspiring story of a woman and her own special brand of magic. About the Author: Glenda Korporaal is a journalist and writer based in Sydney, Australia. She has lived in Canberra and Washington, DC, and has a Master of Arts (Economics) from George Washington University, Washington, DC. The author of four books, she has a long time fascination with the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and interest in the ties between Australia and America.
Once there was nothing. Then there was something . . . Come on a fascinating journey through time - from the explosive beginnings of our planet through the formation of the Australian landscape, from the deeply entrenched history of our Indigenous people to modern-day Australia. Beginning with the creation of our country's landmass and climate, 'Australian Story: An Illustrated Timeline' presents the key moments in our country's geographical, faunal and floral formation, and later human settlement. Illustrated with a striking collection of photographs and images from the NLA's digital collection, this is history for children like never before. A fascinating snapshot of our country, 'Australian Story' tells who we once were, who we are today . . . and where we are going.
Walter Burley Griffin, when he wrote about his conception of the proposed Roman Catholic College on Christmas Day, 1915, emphasised the users' experience of facilities and functions of the new building. As an artist, he did not write about its form, but instead embedded his ideas in its plan, characterisation and appearance. Accordingly, this book is in two Parts. An exhaustive description of functions, facilities and construction process comprises Part 1: Specific. The building's form was read to explore Griffin's ideas and design method in Part 2: Form.
The Griffin Legacy sets a new course for Canberra as the nation's capital with it's strategic framework for the city's development in the 21st century.
