Edmund Barton Building - Heritage Value and Art

Heritage Value and Art

The Edmund Barton Building is regarded as one of Harry Seidler's most important Australian buildings. The building was placed on the Commonwealth National Heritage List in June 2005, as 'an outstanding example of the Late Twentieth-Century International Style of architecture in Australia and is the largest such example in the National Capital'.

The building has also achieved recognition through the 25 Year Award for its architectural merit, from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA), ACT Chapter, as well as being on the RAIA's Register of Significant Twentieth Century Architecture (as the Trade Offices).

The Edmund Barton Building site is the location of several significant pieces of sculpture. These include:

two important works of public art by Norman Carlberg, the internationally acclaimed American sculptor who worked in the modular constructivist style and studied under Josef Albers at Yale in the late 1950s. Black Widow is the free standing black painted steel form standing 4.8m high in the west courtyard. Concrete Form is the 7.3m high precast concrete sculpture in the east courtyard. These two important works were installed in 1975.

In addition to these works, a memorial sculpture of Sir Edmund Barton stands at the south-west corner of the building, facing Kings Avenue.