A number of regional and individual interpretations of modernist architecture are present in Canberra, along with the major developments of the post-war international, brutalist and organic styles.

Also notable is the presence of work by both leading Sydney and Melbourne architects, resulting from the movement of government from those cities in the period after 1950.

Canberra’s modernism explained

Have you ever wondered about that house built with concrete blocks and large sheets of glazing? Or the low-slung place down the road with a flat metal deck roof and lots of timber framed windows? The various styles of modernist architecture found in Canberra are explained below.

• Inter-war functionalist
• Post-war international
• Post-war Melbourne regional
• Late twentieth century Sydney regional
• Late twentieth century stripped classical
• Late twentieth century organic
• Late twentieth century brutalist
• Twentieth century post modern