The Chapel is the first stage of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACCC) located adjacent to the Parliamentary Triangle on Kings Avenue. The ACCC is envisaged as a non-denominational spiritual gathering place for the nation, a place for reconciliation and a place for theological study and research. The building is conceived as a grassed berm – the concrete planes of abstracted cave forms emerge from below the grass berm and reveal the landscape as the articulation of Australian spirituality. The expression of the building looking back towards Kings Avenue is compositionally related to the more monumental buildings of the Triangle and Kings Avenue. The Chapel is the front door of the future Centre and forms the “edge” to the site. It has been designed for a variety of uses and can be converted for music, speech or religious service for 200 people seated. Large doors open to reveal the landscape and diminish the delineation between inside and outside. This allows for many more people to gather on the periphery of the building during service or performance. A small meeting/conference room - the “Upper Room” is located in a suspended mezzanine floor above the Chapel. Access to this floor is only by the external ramp, which allows the sculpted expression on the leading entry wall.

Awards

2004 RAIA ACT Commendation for Public Buildings