Lake House

Design Competition

Canberra, Australia

Images by Kim Young Woo & Jong Ho Son

The Lake House

The new residence of the Prime Minister of Australia is envisioned with a water roof, a plane of water that reflects the changing light and surrounding natural conditions on the lake that dominates the national capital.

Symbol of Shared Land

The level surface of the water symbolises the continent, shared by many nations. The undulating ceiling below symbolises the many nations that share the continent, comprising the First Nations which have occupied of the land for over 60,000 years, and the colony of Australia which has forcibly occupied the land for around 200 years.

The sovereignty of the First Nations has never been ceded. In defiance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Australia denies rights to the First Nations, including the right to live free of discrimination, the right to land and its resources, and the right to self-determination.

Water Roof

Changing natural conditions of light reflecting off the water reach the interior through glazing between the curved strips of the ceiling. The Water Sky Courtyard provides separation of the Prime Minister’s home and study.

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