Behind the familiar gold-tiled columns of the South Building in Civic Square unbeknowns to many people in Canberra, the new ACT Legislative Assembly is under construction.
It is almost half-way through. The new $12.7 million Assembly is expected to be ready for occupation in February and the MLAs and their many support staff can move out of the present building in the ACT Administration Centre which costs $2 million a year to rent.
The Speaker, Roberta McRae, led some tours of the building yesterday _ the builders’ rostered day off.
Leaving aside the question of whether $12.7 million should be spent on our nascent Assembly, the design is masterful. The architects are Mitchell, Giurgola and Thorp, who designed Parliament House. Architect Hal Guida explained the design.
The brief was to use the South Building, which was built in the late 60s and early 70s, as far as possible. The South Building is four-sided with a quadrangle in the middle. The chamber would not satisfactorily fit in the narrow confines of that building, so it is being built diagonally across the quadrangle, with the public entrance at the northern end on Civic Square. It will be single storey. The three-storey surrounds will house committee rooms and support staff on the ground floor, MLAs’ offices, Speaker and Opposition Leader on the first floor and the Executive of the second floor.
Those on the first and second storey will be able to look on to the chamber roof, and indeed, walk on to small roof-top terraces. The roof has modular semi-circular shapes to allow diffused natural light into the chamber and to cut the visual boredom of the South Buildings block lines.
Existing windows, exterior walls, stairs, lifts and the splendid copper roof of the south building will be left in place. Corridors will go along the outside along the London Circuit and theatre sides with glass looking out. The corridors will be a noise buffer but allow occupants to look at the city when they go between offices. They will help the public know where they are (unlike the big House).
In general the public part of the building is on the Civic Square side.
Placing the chamber diagonally across what was the quadrangle results in two courtyards. The Chamber’s north-south axis will allow for maximum sun on the courtyards at midday when they will be used most. One will be public the other for MLAs and guests.
The Chief Minister’s office has a small outdoor balcony overlooking London Circuit.
Smoking will not be permitted inside the building.
The MLAs offices have kitchenettes and space of support staff. They do not have bathrooms or showers, unlike the existing arrangements.
In all the building will provide 7000 square metres of space, about 500 of that being the chamber.
The project manager is John Hindmarsh (ACT) Ltd.