The High Court Building
Introduction
The High Court building is one
of Australia's National Buildings and also one of Canberra's
major tourist attractions. It is situated on 3.4 hectares
(8.4 acres) of land in the Parliamentary Triangle, on the
shores of Lake Burley Griffin between the National Science
and Technology Centre and the National Gallery of Australia.
The building was designed by
the architectural firm of Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Briggs
Pty Ltd, who were the winners of a national architectural
competition held in 1972 and 1973. The builder, PDC Constructions
(ACT) Pty Ltd, began construction of the building in 1975,
and it was completed in 1980 at a total cost of $46.5 million.
It was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
on 26 May 1980.
Structural Features
The 40-metre tall building is
essentially one of concrete and glass comprising a number
of major functional elements, namely a large public hall,
three courtrooms, an administrative wing, and Justices chambers.
The forecourt and main entrance
of the building are approached via a long, paved ceremonial
ramp underneath which is a carpark, warehouse and machinery
rooms. A waterfall, designed by Robert Woodward and constructed
of South Australian speckled granite, runs the full length
of one side of the ramp.
Most of the external and internal
walls created by the 18,400 cubic metres of concrete used
in the construction have been subjected to a process known
as "bush hammering", carried out with a percussion
instrument, which has flaked the surface and exposed the aggregate
within the concrete.
The glazed areas total some 4,000
square metres and these are mainly on the northern and southern
faces of the building. The use of steel frame supports for
the glazed areas has meant that generous expansion allowances
have had to be provided to cope with Canberra's relatively
wide temperature range. A system was devised so that the glass
in the walls can "creep" up or down according to
the temperature changes and any movement in the concrete structure.
The internal floor area of the
building is approximately 18,515 square metres. The building
itself covers 0.32 hectares (0.8 acres) and is surrounded
by nearly 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of quarry tiles.
Evolution of Construction
of the Building
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The Federal Government approved
the transfer of the High Court to Canberra in 1968. (Since
1973, the Court's Principal Registry had been located in Sydney,
and for 45 years prior to that it had been in Melbourne).
The National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) was authorised
to initiate design studies for the building at a lakeside
site within the Parliamentary Triangle.
In 1972 the NCDC completed its
design studies and recommended a precise site for the building.
The Government approved the site and at the same time asked
the NCDC to conduct an architectural competition for the design
of the building.
A total of 158 designs were eventually
submitted in the competition. In December 1972 a committee
of assessors carried out preliminary adjudication of the designs
and reduced the number to 9. From these, a list of 6 finalists
was chosen in January 1973.
The finalists were then briefed
further about the design intentions for the building and given
until July 1973 to flesh out their original proposals to incorporate
these intentions.
In October 1973 the Prime Minister,
Mr Whitlam, announced the winning design, submitted by the
Sydney firm of Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Briggs Pty Ltd.
In mid-1974 the NCDC advertised
for interested contractors to tender for the construction
of the building. The successful tender was submitted by PDC
Constructions Pty Ltd, who commenced work on the building
in April 1975.
The Foundation Plaque to commemorate
the commencement of construction was unveiled by the Prime
Minister in September 1975.
The building was completed in
April 1980 and was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II on 26 May.
Design Concept and
Architectural Rationale
The original architectural competition
conditions for the High Court building stated the following:
"The national functions
of both the High Court and the Parliament are strongly related.
In simple terms, the former interprets Federal law established
by the latter.
The locating of both the
High Court and the Parliament in proximity to one another
in the Federal Capital has strong symbolic significance.
Together they represent the basis of government and justice
at the national level.
The High Court building,
in one sense, is visually related to the Parliament but
at the same time must be seen to stand separate from, and
independent of, the Parliament. In its constitutional independence,
its objectivity of deliberation and freedom from political
influence, the High Court can be seen as a powerful influence
within this relationship. An expression of both the unity
of purpose and the independence of status is the essence
of the physical symbolism that has been achieved.
In its siting and in its
form, the High Court building imparts a sense of strength
and security. The visitor is made to feel aware of the rights,
privileges and responsibilities of the Australian judicial
system."
Thus the overall concept for
the building was framed. At the time Edwards Madigan Torzillo
and Briggs (EMTB) were chosen as the winners of the design
competition, the firm was already involved in the design and
construction of the National Gallery building next door. The
design process for both buildings was carried out using a
"collaborative design method", which involved a
team of architects establishing a "design law" to
guide the evolution of the buildings.
The design of the High Court
building was continually refined during the documentation
phase. The EMTB design was aimed at emphasising a feeling
of spaciousness within the building. The primary materials
used (ie. the concrete, glass and wood) are exposed in order
to enhance the nobility of the building and to "include"
visitors in the way the building works.
The form of the building expresses
both its symbolic nature and its working functions. The public
areas within and around the High Court, for instance, give
a distinct sense of it being a National Place, but transitional
areas within the building allow the visitor a smooth perceptual
change from the exterior towards the judicial character of
the courtrooms within.
In the end, the design complements
the vision expressed in the competition conditions, providing
the High Court with a grand building, visibly and emphatically
relating to the democratic base from which the Law emanates
within the context of the surrounding spaces and adjacent
buildings.
The Public
Hall
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The public hall is a large space
having a 24-metre high ceiling which is supported by two large
concrete pillars. The tiles on the floor are cut from Aurisina,
an Italian marble, one of the very few imported materials
in the building. Access to all three courtrooms is gained
from the public hall. The hall is also a frequent venue for
cultural exhibitions and musical concerts.
Photographic portraits of all
Chief Justices and Justices of the High Court since its inception
are displayed in the public hall. Also located in the public
hall is a display case, containing interesting historical
items concerning the history and operation of the Court, and
a theatrette featuring a short film about the Court's judicial
work. The film itself was prepared and presented to the Court
by the Australian Bar Association in 1994.
A licensed public cafeteria is
situated at the Lake Burley Griffin end of the hall.
The building contains three courtrooms
of different size which are used for different purposes.
Courtroom
1
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No. 1 Courtroom is the building's
focal point; it is used on all ceremonial occasions and for
all cases where a full bench of the seven Justices of the
Court is required to sit. The room measures 17.5 metres from
floor to ceiling and has two levels of public gallery. The
wall panelling is finished in red tulip oak timber from Queensland
and New South Wales, as is the furniture in the gallery. The
long curved bench and bar table are made of jarrah timber
from Western Australia. Aurisina marble has been used on the
floor as well as the face of the bench. Blackwood panels have
been used in the ceiling of the room.
The Courtroom's acoustic treatment
complements a sophisticated sound reinforcement system, the
audio output of which is also reticulated to a remotely located
room which accommodates the Court Reporting Service. Television
cameras installed in the Courtroom allow video monitoring
of the Court's proceedings to facilitate the production of
transcripts by the Court Reporting Service.
Click for a closer look
A woven tapestry in the form
of a banner - 4.3 metres long and 2.5 metres wide - incorporates
the badges of the States from the Shield of Arms of the Commonwealth
surmounted by the Crest of the Commonwealth. It decorates
the narrow but prominent wall adjacent to the bar table. It
was woven in the Victorian Tapestry Workshop in South Melbourne.
Doors for each of the three courtrooms
incorporate a special design, those of Courtroom No. 1 featuring
a silvered bronze grid partly recessed and fixed into the
laminated plate glass. The theme of the design is a shield,
emphasising the Court's function as a protector of the Constitution
and the liberties of the citizen. The door handles continue
the emblematic design.
Courtroom
2
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No. 2 Courtroom is described
as the "Working Courtroom", as it is the venue for
the majority of hearings. It is mostly used in cases where
a full court of fewer than seven Justices is sitting. It has
similar wall panelling and fittings to No. 1 Courtroom, although
the ceiling is of painted moulded plywood.
No. 2 Courtroom is also used
for hearing applications for leave to appeal by video link.
It therefore is fitted with special equipment for the transmission
and reception of pictures and sound between the Courtroom
and other cities in Australia.
Courtroom
3
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No. 3 Courtroom has been designed
for cases which will be dealt with generally by a single Justice
and is the smallest of the three courtrooms. It has a jury
box so that a trial can be conducted on the rare occasions
that such a case comes before the High Court. The Courtroom
has been furnished with coachwood timber with a ceiling mainly
of glass which provides a high level of natural lighting.
In Courtroom No. 1 are portraits
of the first three Justices of the High Court. In Courtroom
No. 2 the portraits of the second, third, fourth and fifth
Chief Justices are displayed, and in Courtroom No. 3 are the
portraits of the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth Chief Justices.
Photographic portraits of all
Chief Justices and Justices who have sat on the Court since
its inception are displayed along the wall outside Courtroom
No. 1.
