![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a0374c8e51c78c24faba226e43c38a233c5540b9.jpeg\")
The stunning stained-glass Great Hall inside the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.<\/p>\nIf one building symbolises Australia, it\u2019s the Sydney Opera House. We stick it on souvenirs, take endless photos of it (and with it) and adore it endlessly. But what are your next favourite in our wide, brown built land?<\/p>\n
There are wondrous structures everywhere but, if you can\u2019t get beyond J\u00f8rn Utzon\u2019s world wonder, consider these favourites from experts who live and breathe architecture and design. Some of our eclectic panel\u2019s choices \u2013 such as Melbourne\u2019s NGV, Bundanon in regional NSW and Queensland\u2019s State Library were nominated multiple times.<\/p>\n
Then there are other selections \u2013 such as Cobar Sound Chapel in outback NSW and Canberra\u2019s retro Red Hill restaurant \u2013 that are arguably more offbeat.<\/p>\n
The stunning stained-glass Great Hall inside the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.<\/p>\n
This list of 50 favourite buildings worth visiting (even if it means, in some instances, admiring them from the outside) includes fine homegrown examples of civic architecture, sacred spaces, swimming pools, urban precincts, hotels and resorts and more.<\/p>\n
Put them on your must-see list \u2013 and read on for how to view them like an expert and perhaps see them in a brand-new light.<\/p>\n
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter<\/p>\n
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.<\/a><\/p>\n THE PANEL<\/p>\n Callum Fraser, architect Qianyi Lim, architect John Doyle, architecture academic Katelin Butler, editorial director Julie Power, architecture writer Alan McMahon, interior designer Tim Ross, author and broadcaster Anthony Dennis, travel editor and writer MUSEUMS + GALLERIES <\/p>\n Heide II, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n Designed by McGlashan Everist as a home for art patrons John and Sunday Reed in 1968, Heide II, says our panelist Katelin Butler, \u201cexemplifies modernist domestic architecture with its open plan, concrete blockwork and cubic form\u201d. \u201cWhat makes it special is how naturally it connects to the surrounding garden, almost feeling like a sculpture placed within the landscape.\u201d See heide.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n National Museum, Canberra, ACT<\/p>\n Design devotee Tim Ross, from Traveller\u2019s panel of experts, is impressed with how ARM Architecture conceived the National Museum as \u201ca collage of references, stories, bits of building all held together with this idea of a knotting device\u201d. \u201cThere are many stories about this building, not least of all that it upset the sitting PM [John Howard] \u2026 famously, they stamped the word \u2018sorry\u2019 in Braille on it.\u201d See nma.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n \u201cThe NGV walks the line between radiating importance while still being approachable,\u201d says John Doyle from the Traveller panel. \u201cIt\u2019s a massive building which, handled poorly, could be overbearing, but somehow it feels friendly. As a kid, you put your hand on the water wall, which feels magical.\u201d See ngv.vic.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Mona, Hobart, Tas <\/p>\n For designer Alan McMahon from our panel, the highlight of this \u201ccultural precinct\u201d that includes a winery and restaurants is the museum itself, which \u201coffers an experience similar to exploring an underground world\u201d. \u201cCarved into sandstone along the River Derwent, visitors move through dimly lit spaces that reveal themselves gradually \u2013 this adventurous journey reflects the curated art within.\u201d See mona.net.au<\/a><\/p>\n National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT<\/p>\n The brutalist building might be imposing but it \u201ccan breathe, and it\u2019s got space with the gumtrees around it\u201d, says Ross. \u201cYou can lose yourself in it and the narratives of the national art collection are extraordinary. It\u2019s a beautiful expression of who we are and who we can be.\u201d See nga.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Naala Badu, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, NSW <\/p>\n Fans of Japanese architecture should head to Naala Badu at the Art Gallery of NSW, says panelist Julie Power. \u201cThe first project in Australia by SANAA\u2019s Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, it won the 2023 Sulman Medal for Public Architecture.\u201d In and around the light, bright, glass-walled building, find the underground Oil Tank Gallery, massive rammed-earth walls and the living artwork of gardens by Indigenous artist Jonathan Jones. See artgallery.nsw.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Bundanon Art Museum\/Riversdale Boyd Education Centre, Illaroo, NSW<\/p>\n Visitors to late artists Arthur and Yvonne Boyd\u2019s South Coast property can experience not one but two winners of the Australian Institute of Architects\u2019 Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings, Butler says. \u201cThe Boyd Education Centre by Glenn Murcutt, Wendy Lewin and Reg Lark was designed as a verandah between native bush and cultivated homestead landscape,\u201d she says. Newer buildings, by a team led by Kerstin Thompson Architects, comprise the Bridge and a new art museum. See bundanon.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n MUSIC + THEATRE<\/p>\n Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n Callum Fraser from the Traveller panel says that according to those who knew architect Barry Patten, his design for the Myer Music Bowl was a cross-section through Satchmo\u2019s trumpet. \u201cHe was obsessed with jazz and music and Louis Armstrong, and he loved that instrument. Sometimes architects just do these things that are so simple and so magical.\u201d See artscentremelbourne.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Marion Cultural Centre, Adelaide, SA<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a building that tries to have multiple viewpoints,\u201d Doyle says, of the suburban hub incorporating a theatre and a library. \u201cARM Architecture is playing with pop, with the use of text. From a certain angle, it spells out \u2018Marion\u2019, but it\u2019s not stuck on the building in the form of text.\u201d See marion.sa.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Angel Place, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n Power says the laneway, fronting City Recital Hall, was \u201cused exclusively by service trucks until 15 years ago, when the art installation Forgotten Songs changed everything\u201d. \u201cEmpty birdcages, suspended above the lane, are accompanied by the songs of 50 birds once heard in central Sydney before European settlement. The art brought people and restaurants to what\u2019s now one of Sydney\u2019s busiest lanes, and landed a range of urban and architecture prizes.\u201d See cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n The Capitol, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n Doyle can\u2019t help but think this is one of those projects that could not be repeated. \u201cThe geometry is complex and to think [Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin] did that all with pen and paper? It\u2019s like a Gaudi.\u201d See rmit.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n Arts Centre Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a strange building because the public spaces are all underground,\u201d says Ross. \u201cThe lush interiors are highly camp but highly beautiful with all these mirrors and brass fittings \u2013 [interior designer] John Truscott understood the power of theatre.\u201d See artscentremelbourne.com.au<\/a> <\/p>\n Cobar Sound Chapel, Cobar, NSW<\/p>\n Housed in an old water tank outside Cobar in north-west NSW, this tiny chapel, chosen by Power, was designed by Glenn Murcutt, Australia\u2019s only winner of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture. \u201cIt\u2019s a stop for the soul, with music by Georges Lentz on a continuous loop. Call the tourist office for the key.\u201d See cobarsoundchapel.com<\/a><\/p>\n State Theatre, Sydney, NSW <\/p>\n \u201cWith floors and walls covered with murals, art and tile work by the Melocco brothers, this heritage-listed building is a time capsule of when men were warriors and chiefs, and women were mere butterflies,\u201d says Power. See statetheatre.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n RETAIL + HOSPITALITY<\/p>\n Fish Lane, South Brisbane, Qld<\/p>\n This once under-used urban space beneath an elevated railway line has been \u201cincrementally transformed into a lush and active civic space\u201d, says Traveller panelist Qianyi Lim. \u201cLed by a private developer, the project demonstrates how collaboration between commercial interests, council and infrastructure stakeholders can create highly curated and enduring public realms,\u201d she says. See explorefishlane.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n MACq 01 Hotel, Hobart, Tas<\/p>\n For McMahon, MACq 01 captures a \u201ccontemporary interpretation of Hobart\u2019s historic wharf sheds\u201d. \u201cTimber cladding, warehouse proportions and balcony cut-outs reference maritime heritage while the interiors use storytelling, artefacts and layered materials to evoke narrative-driven spaces,\u201d he says. See macq01.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Strand Arcade, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n What the Strand\u2019s always done is \u201celevate the experience of shopping\u201d, says Ross. \u201cThere\u2019s something so beautiful about being able to walk back in time and feel the energy of when people used to dress up to go to the city, and you would go to get your watch repaired. There\u2019s something incredibly romantic about that.\u201d See strandarcade.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef, Qld<\/p>\n Fraser says when the late Guilford Bell designed this resort<\/a>, originally \u201cRoyal Hayman\u201d, he \u201cseamlessly integrated the architecture into the landscape\u201d. When Fraser first visited the resort he was \u201cflabbergasted by the way [Bell\u2019s] multi-storey concrete structures sit along the contour lines into the hills. It just made me relax instantly and that\u2019s, like, a miracle.\u201d See haymanisland.intercontinental.com<\/a><\/p>\n Lunetta, Red Hill, Canberra, ACT<\/p>\n Formerly the Carousel Restaurant, this curious, dodecagon (12-sided) landmark \u2013 chosen by our panelist Anthony Dennis \u2013 commands the national capital\u2019s 720-metre high Red Hill. A true product of Canberran multicultural creativity, it was commissioned in the early 1960s by Croatians, designed by a Czech and now operates as a lauded and brilliantly reimagined two-storey Italian restaurant. See lunetta.au<\/a><\/p>\n James Street precinct, Brisbane, Qld<\/p>\n \u201cRichards and Spence\u2019s work on the [Fortitude Valley] precinct over almost 15 years demonstrates how architecture can come to define a place,\u201d says Butler. \u201cPrimarily a retail area, vibrant public spaces have been created through private commissions \u2013 and civic generosity is at its peak here. Concrete and brick colonnades, canopied edges and pop-out windows are draped with verdant greenery, making moving in and around the shops a pleasurable experience.\u201d See jamesst.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n The EVE Hotel, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n The EVE Hotel succeeds<\/a>, says McMahon, in reflecting the character of its inner-city Redfern\/Surry Hills location. \u201cIt\u2019s a great example of urban renewal, transforming a former shopping centre site into a vibrant mixed-use destination,\u201d he says. \u201cThe project thoughtfully integrates architecture, interiors, landscape and hospitality.\u201d See theevehotel.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Krakani lumi camp, north-east Tasmania<\/p>\n There\u2019s only one way to experience the quiet beauty of this coastal campsite tourism venture \u2013 and that\u2019s to do the four-day, Indigenous-owned and led wukalina Walk<\/a>. Chosen by Butler, the krakani lumi standing camp, by Taylor + Hinds Architects, is where you\u2019ll snuggle into Indigenous-inspired shelters featuring clever half-dome timber interiors. See wukalinawalk.com.au<\/a> <\/p>\n PARKS + GARDENS<\/p>\n Fletcher Jones Factory and Gardens, Warrnambool, Vic<\/p>\n \u201cThe site is a throwback to when a town could be built around one industry and there was pride that would go with that,\u201d says Ross of the former garment factory established in 1948. Today, visitors can browse onsite markets and stroll the heritage-listed gardens. See visitgreatoceanroad.org.au<\/a> <\/p>\n Bowali Visitor Centre, Kakadu, NT<\/p>\n This gateway \u2013 one of Kakadu National Park\u2019s two visitor centres \u2013 and proffered by Dennis, was designed by Glenn Murcutt, who worked closely with traditional owners. With rammed-earth walls, ironwood floors, stone features and a \u201cbillabong\u201d to help catch monsoonal rains, the centre magically merges with the Top End landscape. See kakadu.gov.au<\/a> <\/p>\n North Head viewing platforms, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n Power says during whale-watching season, \u201cthere\u2019s nowhere more magical to be on land than the North Head viewing platforms \u2013 Burragula and Yiningma \u2013 in Sydney Harbour National Park\u201d. \u201cThe words of the traditional call to the whales by the local Indigenous people are engraved on its northern lookout.\u201d See nationalparks.nsw.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, NT<\/p>\n Doyle is a huge fan of architect Gregory Burgess\u2019s work. \u201cHe\u2019s non-Indigenous, but he\u2019s really interested in how architecture might represent Indigenous stories and narratives,\u201d Doyle says. Burgess\u2019s cultural centre \u201cbuilds upon aspects of the Western canon, but it\u2019s just completely radical in terms of the conversation about relationship to Country\u201d. See uluru.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Reservoir Gardens, Paddington, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n \u201cOld sandstone walls and iron columns from a former reservoir frame sunken gardens open to the elements,\u201d says McMahon. \u201cTransforming this infrastructure into a calm, poetic space highlights the coexistence of history and nature. It offers a tranquil escape within Paddington and feels like an urban sanctuary.\u201d See cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Phoenix Central Park, Chippendale, NSW<\/p>\n \u201cSculpted, curved spaces make this venue (Durbach Block Jaggers\/John Wardle Architects) feel handcrafted and intentionally designed,\u201d says McMahon, \u201ccreating an atmosphere that draws visitors into a thoughtfully staged environment. This is architecture that feels both theatrical and intimate.\u201d See phoenixcentralpark.com.au<\/a> <\/p>\n OFFICE + TERTIARY<\/p>\n 140 William Street, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n Fraser says the gridded facade of the former BHP House is \u201ca perfect democratisation of space\u201d. \u201c[Its architect] Barry Patten is Australia\u2019s most important modernist architect \u2013 I put him up alongside Harry Seidler.\u201d See 140williams.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Quay Quarter Tower, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n Thanks to clever upcycling by Danish architects 3XN with BVN (also designers of the new Sydney Fish Market), Circular Quay\u2019s Quay Quarter Tower was named World Building of the Year in 2022 at the World Architecture Festival, due to its adaptive reuse of an existing 1976 building, says Power. While there, graze Quay Quarter Lanes at ground level. See quayquartersydney.com.au<\/a> <\/p>\n Council House, Perth, WA<\/p>\n Ross says the City of Perth\u2019s 13-storey administration hub, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1963, is \u201cone of the finest modernist buildings in the country\u201d. \u201cIt still looks as new and as exciting and as forward-thinking today as it did in the 1960s,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd there\u2019s always something \u2013 like exhibitions \u2013 in the foyer that you can go inside and see. There are a few new fandangle lights on it [at night] to make it appealing.\u201d See visitperth.com<\/a><\/p>\n Australia Square, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n Lim admires Harry Seidler and Associates\u2019 \u201cmodernist icon\u201d. \u201cAt the time, it was the tallest lightweight concrete structure,\u201d she says. \u201cThe circular tower form makes way for more public space on the ground, while the tapered structural fins and concrete ribbed geometry on the soffit [eaves] were hallmarks of engineering innovation.\u201d And who can resist the allure of that rotating restaurant on the 47th floor? See obardining.com.au<\/a>; australiasquare.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n UTS Business School, Ultimo, NSW<\/p>\n The late Pritzker Prize-winner Frank Gehry\u2019s \u201ccrumpled\u201d 12-storey UTS Business School (also known as the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building) is affectionately known as the \u201cpaper bag\u201d. Power says he was inspired by the idea of a treehouse \u2013 a growing, learning organism with many branches of thought. See uts.edu.au <\/a><\/p>\n Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n RMIT\u2019s Doyle swoons over his own workplace and Lim is also an admirer of the buildings that comprise New Academic Street \u2013 part of RMIT\u2019s Melbourne City campus. \u201c[The project] transformed a whole block of Swanston Street\u201d, says Doyle. \u201cThe Garden Building is one of my favourites \u2013 it\u2019s innovative in its use of mass timber. It\u2019s four storeys with a passive ventilation system \u2013 I take my students inside there because it\u2019s an amazing case study of what a building can be.\u201d For Lim, Edmond & Corrigan\u2019s Building 8 is a \u201cpostmodern masterpiece\u201d. See rmit.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld<\/p>\n This Princess Alexandra Hospital building, by Wilson Architects and Donovan Hill, is an unlikely pick but \u201cfor those interested in how Queensland architecture can show itself in a large-scale building, it\u2019s worth a visit\u201d, says Ross. \u201cIt\u2019s such a thoughtful building \u2013 the atrium is completely open, and it finds the breezes.\u201d See tri.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n PUBLIC + PRIVATE<\/p>\n Shine Dome, Canberra, ACT <\/p>\n Designed by Melbourne-born architect Sir Roy Grounds (who also designed the NGV) and completed in 1959, the Shine Dome \u201chas a bold, futuristic shape that still feels striking today\u201d, says Butler. \u201cHowever, the real gem is its central auditorium with a single encircling wall under the soaring apex of the dome \u2013 complete with famously comfortable seating designed to feel like \u2018the back seat of a Humber\u2019.\u201d See shinedome.org.au<\/a><\/p>\n Federation Square, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an enormous undertaking at that time.\u201d Doyle says, altering \u201cMelbourne\u2019s orientation [and] creating an anchor point to the south end of the CBD that didn\u2019t exist before. The square itself and the bowl that\u2019s created through the shaping of the landscape is an iconic location for music, for events, for protests \u2013 it\u2019s a public confluence that never existed before.\u201d See fedsquare.com<\/a><\/p>\n Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, NSW<\/p>\n \u201cThe pavilion is both historic and closely connected to daily beach life,\u201d McMahon says. \u201cFollowing its restoration it remains familiar, featuring open verandahs, community-focused social spaces and uninterrupted ocean views that enhance its iconic status. It embodies adaptive reuse, blending original character and modern function while serving the community.\u201d See bondipavilion.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n High Court of Australia, Canberra, ACT<\/p>\n For Lim, it\u2019s the brutalist building\u2019s monumentality that stands out. She admires its bush-hammered concrete, its expansive glass facade, its \u201cdramatically voluminous\u201d 24-metre-tall public hall with sculptural concrete pillars and the large ceremonial ramp traversing the building and connecting courtrooms to the hall. See hcourt.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Perth, WA<\/p>\n \u201cCompleted in 1974 by Forbes and Fitzhardinge Architects, this City Beach church is a surprising addition to a suburban hilltop,\u201d says Butler. \u201cA series of curved brick walls sweep around the site\u2019s topography, internally and externally. For me, this building is like suburban Perth\u2019s Ronchamp [Le Corbusier\u2019s iconic French chapel].\u201d See holyspiritcitybeach.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Waterloo Community Centre, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n The most delightful time to view the centre, also known as Weave Youth & Community Services, says Lim, is \u201cwinter when the trumpet vine blooms bright orange\u201d. \u201cA clever metal mesh crown structure allows plantings to take over, changing with the seasons.\u201d See collinsandturner.com<\/a><\/p>\n State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld<\/p>\n Butler says this South Bank building, also a Doyle favourite, is \u201coften described as one of Australia\u2019s great public living rooms\u201d. \u201cOriginally designed in the 1980s by Robin Gibson and Partners, and redeveloped by Donovan Hill and Peddle Thorp Architects in 2006, it\u2019s an open and welcoming space,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a remarkably porous building with overlapping indoor and outdoor spaces, making the most of Brisbane\u2019s subtropical climate.\u201d See slq.qld.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n Reader\u2019s Digest Building, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n \u201dJohn James\u2019s Reader\u2019s Digest building in Surry Hills is as unusual \u2013 a bit gothic, a bit brutalist \u2013 and as eclectic as its architect,\u201d says Power. \u201cNow being updated, it has exterior sculpture, a rooftop garden and a Mad Men-type interior. Home to the Digest for years and built around a floor-sized computer, it was James\u2019s last hurrah in architecture before he quit Australia to study French gothic cathedrals.\u201d See johnjames.com.au<\/p>\n Punchbowl Mosque, Sydney, NSW<\/p>\n \u201cThis incredible building reinterprets traditional mosque architectural features through an artful concrete structure, light and volume,\u201d says Lim. \u201cThe 99-concrete-domed ceiling brings pinholes of natural light into the main hall.\u201d See candalepas.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Dorney House, Sandy Bay, Tas<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the greatest houses in the country,\u201d Ross says of the circular modernist family home that architect J. H. Esmond Dorney built in 1978 in the prestigious Hobart suburb of Sandy Bay. \u201cThe City of Hobart owns it [and] they\u2019re still trying to work out what to do with it.\u201d See hobartcity.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n STADIUMS + LEISURE<\/p>\n Prince Alfred Park Public Pool, Surry Hills, NSW<\/p>\n A public swimming pool is a great public living room and the 2004 decision to revitalise the near-derelict Prince Alfred Park Pool was a wise one, says Butler. \u201cThe Neeson Murcutt Architects\/Sue Barnsley Design collaboration produced a space where buildings sink into the landscape for privacy from the adjacent park. The delightful yellow umbrellas are almost a signpost for the pool\u2019s location.\u201d See cityofsydneyleisure.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n AAMI Park, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n Most major Australian sports stadiums are utilitarian affairs, not architectural statements, says Dennis. Sydney\u2019s Olympic Stadium is praised for its mammoth temporary seating capacity for the 2000 Games but never for its design. An exception is Melbourne\u2019s rectangular Cox Architecture-designed AAMI Park. The boutique, 30,000-seat stadium with its cumulus-like \u201cgeodesic dome\u201d roof won a major prize at the 2012 World Stadium Awards, and deservedly so. See aamipark.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Wylie\u2019s Baths, Coogee, NSW<\/p>\n Built by swimmer and amateur builder \u201cHarry\u201d Wylie, and later a heritage restoration by Allen Jack + Cottier, the baths are perched on cliffs south of Coogee. \u201cThe timber-framed deck structure houses change rooms, a tuck shop and more,\u201d says Lim. \u201cWhile below, bathers seek shade under the structure or sunbathe on the concrete and sandstone rock beds. Watch out for urchins in the pool.\u201d See wylies.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, South Australia <\/p>\n The bold, if not risky, collaborative redevelopment and redesign by Cox Architecture, Walter Brooke and Hames Sharley 12 years ago of this icon of South Australian sport has proved an aesthetic and functional triumph, says Dennis. Today, with seating capacity of more than 50,000, Adelaide Oval, which dates to 1873, is considered one of the world\u2019s most beautiful cricket grounds for players and spectators alike. The behind-the-scenes tour is a must for sport and architecture fans alike. See adelaideoval.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n KGM Centre, Melbourne, Vic<\/p>\n The radicalness of what was originally the 1956 Melbourne Olympics swimming venue stems from its structural gymnastics, says Doyle. \u201cWhen it was built, it was this upside-down triangle and part of what\u2019s called the heroic Melbourne period \u2013 an era when modernism was landing in Melbourne. This building [now home to Collingwood Football Club] is a confident assertion of that and what Australian modernism might look like. Architects Peter McIntyre and Kevin Borland were also very young, which is astonishing. It\u2019s part of the built legacy of those Games.\u201d See afl.com.au<\/a> <\/p>\n Related Article
Founder of Fraser & Partners, whose projects include Melbourne\u2019s The Queensbridge Building, incorporating Hannah St Hotel and the Mondrian Gold Coast. See fraserandpartners.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n
Co-director of Sibling Architecture, a socially engaged architectural practice with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. Her work includes Bega\u2019s award-winning SECCA (South East Centre for Contemporary Art). See siblingarchitecture.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Associate dean and head of architecture at RMIT University\u2019s School of Architecture and Urban Design. He is also a director of Common ADR, a Melbourne-based architecture firm. See rmit.edu.au<\/a><\/p>\n
Editorial director at Architecture Media, where her role includes custodianship of Architecture Australia and curation of the Design Speaks event series. See architectureau.com<\/a>; architecturemedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Senior writer at The Sydney Morning Herald, was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects\u2019 2025 NSW President\u2019s Prize for her contribution to the public\u2019s understanding of the built environment.<\/p>\n
Founder and creative director of MAC Design Studio, an interior design practice with projects including Osborn House and Ardour Milton Park in the NSW Southern Highlands. See macdesignstudio.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n
Sydney-based design enthusiast, author and broadcaster, spent last summer touring Australia and talking architecture with Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud. See modernisterbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n
Editor of Traveller in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, writes regularly on architectural, design and heritage themes for this title.<\/p>\n![\"Heide](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5bad18cf3987ee527e308c9308bbe509c851c2ad.jpeg\")
Heide II feels like a sculpture placed within the landscape of its Yarra River setting.<\/p>\n![\"Canberra\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ccf35d8803d6743c42b1cff3b6261b3e13c89c00.jpeg\")
Canberra\u2019s National Museum of Australia is spectacularly set on Acton Peninsula on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f37daedeea453d77af14ea4f0fab5499e5ce0f75.jpeg\")
The NGV Waterwall is one of the gallery\u2019s most cherished design elements.<\/p>\n![\"Hobart\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/94ee7e06422a320afd9ff9f438e32112d4951bcd.jpeg\")
Hobart\u2019s Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) is one part of a cultural and lifestyle precinct that also encompasses a winery, restaurants and accommodation.<\/p>\n![\"\u201cA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/15129e39542fb04e9933f0e103f31fe427bb3a3e.jpeg\")
\u201cA beautiful expression of who we are and who we can be.\u201dVisitCanberra<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/81f93a7897321dae9229e7d71bf9dc06034ad292.jpeg\")
The \u201clight, bright, glass-walled\u201d Japanese-designed Naala Badu at Sydney\u2019s Art Gallery of NSW, which opened in 2022. <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/84610a1f22cf32d96484fa7b1c9e3e15d2405c71.jpeg\")
The Bridge for Creative Learning, part of the Bundanon Art Museum expansion.Destination NSW<\/p>\n![\"Myer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fc6d7f6ba1616ed440cad444f4fbdf5fc5ab4b0e.jpeg\")
Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne.Visit Victoria<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f61644f977b382e2620d33eafd665d04bcb7e274.jpeg\")
The sinuous Marion Cultural Centre.John Gollings<\/p>\n![\"\u201cForgotten](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/65a37566e63b26da2e03dce825c6d22bed0a306f.jpeg\")
\u201cForgotten Songs\u201d installation, featuring hundreds of suspended birdcages in the Angel Place laneway.Abril Felman<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/41d4ba02b9ca1e6d1d9719b816c88d3a1ad56e95.jpeg\")
The sheer mastery of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin\u2019s Capitol Theatre could never be repeated.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fd9f0909a713fa8e87ca37fc34fce38463511e1a.jpeg\")
The Arts Centre Melbourne\u2019s versatile 884-seat Playhouse venue forms part of what is Australia\u2019s largest performing arts complex.<\/p>\n![\"Housed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a1a05b9c7788f24668caaa435424ccc42ce81bbd.jpeg\")
Housed in an old water tank and designed by Glenn Murcutt, the Cobar Sound Chapel is \u201ca stop for the soul\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"Sydney\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/257b2464ff48223781b857f8cd77368301e9b429.jpeg\")
Sydney\u2019s extravagantly decorated State Theatre is a marvellous melange of murals, art and tile work.<\/p>\n![\"Brisbane\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a45069b3abf93cfa69baa28d010af099592b37a0.jpeg\")
Brisbane\u2019s Fish Lane, a once underused space, is today a \u201clush and active\u201d civic space.<\/p>\n![\"Hobart\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c32559a645b593237e1621b29750c78d9df062ec.jpeg\")
Hobart\u2019s 114-room, luxury MACq 01 Hotel represents a \u201ccontemporary interpretation\u201d of the Tasmanian capital\u2019s historic wharf sheds.<\/p>\n![\"Elegant](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/284906c939bef9cba35bf80e6e638513838180a2.jpeg\")
Elegant Victorian design at Sydney\u2019s Strand Arcade.Destination New South Wales<\/p>\n![\"Intercontinental](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7c46d042c41a1776e58445dc838135f0aa5af415.jpeg\")
Intercontinental Hayman Island Resort\u2019s striking terraced design.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/22d8d431dbb2e5e321646c40d1eb84ec2627bf05.jpeg\")
The glamorous, Italian-inspired Lunetta restaurant is housed in a modernist icon atop Red Hill overlooking the national capital.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/13cdb305f2f7f7914d29519b7efc9bda988cb888.jpeg\")
A slice of subtropical urbanism at the leafy James Street precinct.Cieran Murphy<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/07844c8d96b4e291626b6b833ee64bc7b3a49bdf.jpeg\")
The rooftop pool at The EVE Hotel, \u201ca great example of urban renewal\u201d in Sydney\u2019s inner-city.<\/p>\n![\"krakani](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dabdf4cc0f4087a30342ef070180053fa45eeacf.jpeg\")
krakani lumi (place of rest), is an Indigenous-inspired campsite in Tasmania\u2019s Wukalina\/Mount William National Park.<\/p>\n![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c05884cfc9baf4d6df9ef961bfc85c44c69a9dec.jpeg\")
Former quarry turned marketplace and gardens \u2026 Fletcher Jones Factory.Belinda Van Zanen<\/p>\n![\"Bowali](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9bb7252919f47fdb45ca3226a72ad250a9d23653.jpeg\")
Bowali Visitor Centre\u2019s airy, open-plan tropical design.Jon Harris<\/p>\n![\"Perfect](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/de8f0e10126a5bbc744e612ca9cba21dec848d5c.jpeg\")
Perfect for whale-watching season.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5e5c57d24ad1af0033c9b50b2197a7a53664d1ab.jpeg\")
The award-winning Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre was opened in 1995 to mark the 10th anniversary of Ulu\u1e5fu-Kata Tju\u1e6fa being handed back to its Traditional Owners.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/d33b6293ea01b77c4502b235829583b5d83c613f.jpeg\")
The heritage-listed Reservoir Gardens in Paddington, Sydney, serve as an urban sanctuary for locals and visitors alike.<\/p>\n![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1713b244ad00124ca6cc3e4dc4dfe48db479c628.jpeg\")
Phoenix Central Park Sydney.Jordan Munns<\/p>\n![\"Yuncken](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/717f3b98bb7400d6434bdc5a9c136790e94afc31.jpeg\")
Yuncken Freeman-designed 140 William Street (formerly BHP House).<\/p>\n![\"Sydney\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f6b6d7f4cc7cc268252c24c978b6f4cee66dc139.jpeg\")
Sydney\u2019s Quay Quarter Tower.Fred Holt<\/p>\n![\"Perth\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/eb4f43d705aaaec93d1883b4eab02fe2998585ba.jpeg\")
Perth\u2019s Council House ranks as \u201cone of the finest modernist buildings in the country\u201d. <\/p>\n![\"Australia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/e4aa179092c70ada94de0253e7b4df19c0b43510.jpeg\")
Australia Square, designed by architect Harry Siedler.<\/p>\n![\"Sydney\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7c2a2d008bdc9b92f363d5498a02b33f9e7f390a.jpeg\")
Sydney\u2019s UTS Business School was designed by Frank Gehry, the late and great Canadian-American architect. Jessica Hromas<\/p>\n![\"Urban](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/8c9eb439e3da77209e24650721bf43c91dd66458.jpeg\")
Urban design precinct RMIT New Academic Street in Melbourne.RMIT<\/p>\n![\"Translational](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ba167e39bbe1d8753698fcc3b54e6a3400dbbf3a.jpeg\")
Translational Research Institute: lets the breeze in.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/591363536760cb6ae8bea078f24f1545980cce31.jpeg\")
The futuristic design of Canberra\u2019s 1959 Australian Academy of Science\u2019s Shine Dome \u201cstill feels striking\u201d to this day.<\/p>\n![\"Melbourne\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/6512dbcfa3850667880ce5eaf61bf11f462418f2.jpeg\")
Melbourne\u2019s Federation Square has evolved into an iconic gathering point for music, events, celebrations and public protests.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/b6325a324bdba81b3f6bff5a33531c862de99247.jpeg\")
An anchor to the country\u2019s most iconic beach, Bondi Pavilion.Brett Boardman<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/f307bc8414660c2cf70018e5a5e938e9edf24b76.jpeg\")
The High Court of Australia in Canberra\u2019s Parliamentary Triangle.Visit Canberra<\/p>\n![\"Holy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a0af3b02aa421c09d9af996ad2c50b481b407346.jpeg\")
Holy Spirit Catholic Church.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/d5cc35db56ec9accc1ad30372b8b5794a8cded46.jpeg\")
The mesh metal structure of the youth and community services centre in Sydney\u2019s inner-city Waterloo allows plantings to take over.<\/p>\n![\"Brisbane\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a0ddde3aff6e7da5683802b60597c7c188a967db.jpeg\")
Brisbane\u2019s State Library of Queensland has been described as \u201cone of Australia\u2019s great public living rooms\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/51a4f7c09dc14ab1870b1ddf8c4f68b111be713a.jpeg\")
The Reader\u2019s Digest Building has a a Mad Men-type interior.<\/p>\n![\"Punchbowl](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/657bd77232b5fd06eafe4968b1672a7eedc9e1a4.jpeg\")
Punchbowl Mosque reinterprets traditional mosque architectural features.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2cf47d25131e152955ecbbf0690fcdec17b8024c.jpeg\")
The mosque\u2019s concrete-domed ceiling allows pinholes of natural light into the main hall.<\/p>\n![\"Prince](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/c7a6704964fed400a10155b5b1df69d3d7350fc5.jpeg\")
Prince Alfred Park Public Pool features \u201cdelightful yellow umbrellas\u201d that \u201care almost a signpost\u201d for the pool\u2019s inner Sydney location.<\/p>\n![\"Melbourne\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/d635eebdbb0f48e1377f4aeffe6fde32847bf275.jpeg\")
Melbourne\u2019s boutique rectangular stadium, AAMI Park, was lauded at the 2012 World Stadium Awards.<\/p>\n![\"Heritage-listed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/81f76e553bef86d107ad6428587a4cef53a5bc4b.jpeg\")
Heritage-listed rock pool Wylie\u2019s Baths, Coogee.Destination NSW<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/966469f7ef72f9e87f57cda1168a7123b4497678.jpeg\")
The redeveloped Adelaide Oval has been \u201can aesthetic and functional triumph\u201d for the South Australian capital.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44bf7954a09679853554a20e7d9df15e533d54d5.jpeg\")
The KGM Centre: Australian modernism.Joe Armao<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/251484cb46491c4c8c589b16e34115fcdb6e2c1c.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n