Project Description
The National Arboretum Canberra redefines the meaning of a public garden in the 21st Century. It comprises 100 forests of endangered tree species from around the world on a 250 hectare former fire ravaged site. Growing out of the very real issues of sustainability, biodiversity and public environmental concern, the National Arboretum is a strategy, a program and an ongoing event, not a design chiefly based on aesthetics.
The project was selected by a jury of some of the world’s most dynamic architects and designers. It overcame competition from a shortlist of 11 entries.
The jury commended the project, saying “Out of the ashes, the grid form nature of the arboretum provides a contrast of the radial garden city nature of Canberra. What separates arboretum from the wetland garden is its uniqueness, its presentation of global landscape heritage and the legacy left for future generations.”