St Christopher’s is the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. Opened in 1939, it is the largest church in the national capital and occupies a prominent site on the corner of Canberra Avenue and Furneaux Street in Manuka.
The re-imagining of Canberra’s St Christopher’s Cathedral Precinct emerged from a desire to unite the many functions of the Church into one central location.
The Archdiocese administration, a community hall, archive store and independent living units are all located within one development and united by a design approach rich in theological idea.
The new buildings center around the existing heritage-listed Cathedral and were designed by Cox Architecture to create a vibrant community of residents, office staff, parishioners, and clergy.
A new public space behind the Cathedral, referred to as the Cloister, has been designed to comfortably accommodate large gatherings of people, while another more private space provides a secure outdoor environment for residents.
An accessible path runs through the site and uses playful stonework to subtly distinguish between public and private realms.
The integration of sustainability was important to both the client and the Cox Architecture design team.
Trees were retained wherever possible to provide shade and respite.
And the topography of the site was embraced to naturally ventilate the carpark and to enable the collection of rainwater.
With good proximity to public transport, onsite car parking was minimised, and provision made for electric car re-charging stations.
Project Awards
- Architecture Award, Interior Architecture, Australian Institute of Architects ACT 2018
- Architecture Award, Public Architecture, Australian Institute of Architects ACT 2018
- Commendation, Urban Design, Australian Institute of Architects ACT 2018
- Architecture Award, Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing, Australian Institute of Architects ACT 2018
Project Details
Completion date – 2017
Project Team
Architecture
Cox Architecture
COX is a design-focused contemporary architectural practice with studios located in every major Australian city and a history spanning 60 years.
Key to their ethos is supporting the public life of our cities. Cox does this by ensuring each project makes positive contributions to its public realm – giving more than it takes.
Landscape Architecture
Tract
Tract is a national planning and design practice specializing in town planning, urban design, landscape architecture, and associated digital media.
Photography
Ben Wrigley
Ben Wrigley is an architectural photographer, creating images of the built landscape for Australian architects and builders.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2020 Cox Architecture. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Ben Wrigley. All Rights Reserved.
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