New Parliament House
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Canberra, the capital of Australia, is home to the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia. This enormous structure sits on the top of Capitol Hill, which is at the physical and symbolic centre of the city.
Although the Parliament House has many functions, the most important purpose for this building is to allow members and senators to:
"X Represent people of Australia
"X Make laws
"X Examine the current government
"X Form a government
"X Hold Parliamentary meetings
It is because the function of Parliament House is so vastly important that the House is so significant, both politically and architecturally. It represents a place of where Australias freedom is fought for and maintained, and is representative of our identity because it is where our values and beliefs are forged.
Australias long-standing pride in its own produce resulted in over 90% of all materials used to build Australian Parliament House. The flagpole that sits over the middle of the building is unarguably the most striking feature of the construction, representing both the Parliament of Australia and Canberra. Although the exterior of the house was designed to epitomize the modern and forward-thinking values of a nation, the interior design was designed to reflect the rich and varied history of Australia. The architect Romaldo Giurgola designed the building to reflect Australia- it has a strong relationship with the earth and this connection with the earth comes to everyone who lives in Australia. It is very spontaneous because of the character of the country and the affinity of Australian people with the land.
Guirgola achieved this by using natural light to illuminate the interior of the House whenever possible, through skylights and large windows...