Martian Embassy - Shine Dome at The Australian Academy of Science in Canberra - Roy Grounds 1958

[@stevemiller7949]

I love symmetry, so I find this building very pleasing.

[@AndyBaylo]

I worked on the recent HVAC upgrade that the dome received while the new copper roof was being installed. While working there I had the chance to discuss the building with the head of facilities maintenance who knew the ins and outs of the building. -As you enter the dome you passed over some unusual circular rugs which had some slight dents underneath, now these were fountains with a shallow pool, however when in use they splashed too much water about and was deemed too dangerous to use. -When it was originally built there was a sprinkler in the centre of the roof that would spray onto the roof for use as a primitive form of evaporative cooling however the valve leaked and caused issues on the internal of the ceiling so it was was isolated, not to be used again. -The new roof that has been installed to have a steeper peak than the original design, I believe to help with drainage or something along those lines. -The acoustic strings I believe have been installed in a refurb and aren't original. Working here for a couple of months was a treat, its such a nice building. But let me tell you, as a plumber who likes to run straight pipes installing them in a circular building is a nightmare haha.

[@jakob2714]

Yes the strings were added as people felt dizzy just being in the theatre with the original design. Not sure how it works exactly unfortunately

[@grahammorgan3858]

The strings have an interesting history. Read the heritage management plan that I wrote in 2000. Yes they were partially replaced and repaired in 2000.

[@jakob2714]

Used to work at the dome a few years ago, the circles on all the tables in the theatre were actually ashtrays which were covered up at some point! Also the weird circular rugs at the two exits of the theatre are covering up a fountain that was bricked up as it was a trip hazard cause of all the water.

[@Archimarathon]

Thanks for your insights here and on the Discord server!! The fountains are interesting too.

[@grahammorgan3858]

The ash trays were covered as part of the centenary of Australia heritage refurbishment in 2000. The strings were replaced as were all the electrical and fire services. Working for Canberra consultants GHD, I was the project manager and architect for the project. The vermiculite ceiling was sprayed onto the concrete dome its water damage was repaired.

[@ln8749]

This is one of my favourite buildings in Canberra. With the moat there is actually a little set of stairs to help ducks get into and out of the water. In terms of the strings in the lecture theatre - the sound baffles while stunning created an optical illusion that made people nauseous. The strings were put in place to break the illusion without interfering with the accoustics.

[@Archimarathon]

Yeah I read about that and that idea was came up with by another scientist.

[@gabybordino6024]

All comments are amazing! Thanks Jeremy for suggesting me to come back and read them. And thanks heaps Archimarathon for another celebration of Architecture

[@grahammorgan3858]

Originally the dome had no air-conditioning. Part of the 2000 heritage project involved tunnelling under the moat to link the dome to a new AC plantroom

[@Archimarathon]

Wow

[@lvchlvn]

Phenomenal building by a phenomenal architect! Feel privileged to have such a fantastic tour of it.

[@Archimarathon]

We feel privileged to be able to go inside. We weren't expecting to be able to.

[@SketchyArc]

Amazing choice of music for the intro and absolutely dazzled by the amount of details and design considerations. the chairs on the theater room and how everything is positioned is so clever. everything built with purpose and is still relevant to this day with chalk holders or notepad holders now holding phones. the acoustics contributing to both design and is functional and bringing that detail to the outside of the theatre with the wood claddings. Love everything about this !

[@Archimarathon]

So lucky we got to go inside.

[@mfanelohlophe1084]

We love your work guys, you make the best Architecture review videos. Love it All!

[@Archimarathon]

Thank you.

[@ktsang92]

Roy Grounds’ details never cease to amaze me!

[@Archimarathon]

Roy Grounds’ buildings never cease to amaze me

[@gregsparrius9576]

Very nice! Don’t know why but I really like simple geometry in architecture. I like how there are many curved shapes that unify the place, like the curved underside of stairs and walkway, vaulted ceilings, even the dome skylights. Feels very ordered, but naive and hopeful somehow. And those chairs are just so cool, pre- Starship Enterprise. Thanks for showing us through!

[@Archimarathon]

Geometries are pure if done right. Often times they are not and it’s disappointing

[@Furnitecture]

Those stairs... so perfect 👌

[@Archimarathon]

Yes they are so beautiful

[@grahammorgan3858]

Again the stairs were modified in 2000 to achieve BCA compliance. Wonder if anyone can tell what we did and how?

[@Archimarathon]

The extra rods?

[@Furnitecture]

​@@Archimarathon I think you're right if you look carefully it looks like the dimensions of the balusters alternate so infill was added for compliance?

[@Furnitecture]

@@grahammorgan3858 The how is the tricky part! Drill holes through the top rail (spaced between the existing balusters), use the hole to mark a second hole in the stair with a plumb bob, insert new steel rod, weld, grind and paint?

[@taracull-archienglish5174]

I need to take a moment to acknowledge how amazing that opening sequence is. I was hook straight away on all the curves. Especially the cantilevered stairs. You’ve captured it beautifully and I honestly feel like you really help me to see architecture so differently. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@taracull-archienglish5174]

Hooked... straight away

[@Archimarathon]

I am still surprised how many people actually liked this sequence (as opposed to all other b-roll sequences I have done)

[@taracull-archienglish5174]

@@Archimarathon I don't know why I particularly liked this one. I normally like them all but this one was great.

[@forgottencreation]

IIRC the 'gavel' circles in the main room replaced microphones that used to be there for conferences.

[@Archimarathon]

Awesome. Thanks for the clarification. I would still like to think they had built in wireless chargers in 1958 though.

[@Archimarathon]

Actually someone did a deep dive and in our Discord, he showed us photos that they used to be ashtrays!

[@Nynke_K]

@@Archimarathon nooo! I was afraid they might have been ashtrays, then was relieved at the microphones idea, and now I'm disappointed again! Some things do get better over time though :)

[@shenanigans3710]

@@Archimarathon OMG awesome!

[@WelcomeToSteph]

@@Archimarathon my first thought was also ashtray!

[@gabybordino6024]

Wow! I can´t stress enough how much I´m loving all these Canberra episodes. This building is amazing. I´m impressed with the structure and the subtle details in the interior. A celebration of the curves. Makes me think about many buildings dedicated or related to the sciences with curved shapes. The stair is awesome! And the copper roof I can imagine how it´ll look when time adds a patina on it Ps. I was expecting for some Bowie´s Life on Mars lol

[@Archimarathon]

Got to use royalty free music for KZbin though.

[@gabybordino6024]

@@Archimarathon yes I know, just made me think about Bowie

[@Archimarathon]

Ground control to Major Tom....

[@canberrabybike]

Another great tour. Thanks for showing one of my favourite buildings in Canberra. I’m lucky to have been inside a few times for lectures, and when I’ve been able to get a seat downstairs in the theatre, it makes me feel like I’m on the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I rode to the Dome last weekend. The copper has oxidised again, but the moat is full, and a Pacific black duck sat on the moat edge.

[@Archimarathon]

Ahh so it’s no longer shiny ✨. I would like to see the most full though. Lucky they didn’t put fencing all around it. #nannystate

[@JeremySalterXIV]

One of the coolest buildings in Canberra! Lucky you have seen it freshly surfaced. I wonder if the desk disks/iPhone holders were plugs for what would have previously housed a lamp or microphone arrangement for the users!?

[@Archimarathon]

Dunno. But great building to explore. Very lucky that we were able to go inside

[@shenanigans3710]

Yeah, feels like something that's been added later to cover up some redundant technology

[@JeremySalterXIV]

@@shenanigans3710 turns out that redundant technology was an ashtray lol. Someone that used to work there mentioned it on the Archimarathon Discord channel. There are also some photos in the Australian National Archives you can view.

[@TheDeluxeDuck]

thank you for featuring Canberra once again =)

[@Archimarathon]

So much to see. There are a few more things we didn’t get to see that time.

[@crouchsoft]

Love that building. Used to live and work near it and even had a meeting in there.

[@Archimarathon]

Nice! And did you also use the function room?

[@crouchsoft]

@@Archimarathon unfortunately not the function room, just in the theatre.

[@Archimarathon]

Yeah the theatre is the special bit

[@scharftalicous]

"what's that? A wireless phone charger?"... Um that's where the ashtray used to be. Different times

[@SteenMango]

would love to roll some things down the top of that roof haha. even internally, the recurring curve motif is so interesting !!

[@Archimarathon]

I tried to roll Andrew down it. Didn’t work.

[@davidchannon6004]

AmaZING. I wonder if the planter circles at the entrance were originally designed as recessed up lighting?

[@Archimarathon]

Oh that’s a thought…. Just highlighting the landing curves

[@JeremySalterXIV]

I also wonder if they are the same diameter as the stair treads halved?

[@Archimarathon]

Nah they are smaller

[@tracyboyd4867]

This was my dads favourite building to work on because it was going to contain phar laps heart once finished he was one of few Aboriginal men that could get work in canberra back in the day he had a good reputation and work crew he also worked on a lot of the other canberra landmark buildings including the captain Cook Fountain...

[@Archimarathon]

Amazing story

[@WelcomeToSteph]

Those things are defnitely hiding ashtrays 😅 I can't even imagine getting anyone to actually agree to build something with those excellent details like the acoustic strings. Also, with the balustrade, do you think the thin ones were added later for compliance? The glass balustrade over the entry bridge is definitely an extremely recent addition - shame they couldn't have done something more sensitive to the curves and style...

[@Archimarathon]

Yeah they are so ugly

[@chrisbell1878]

I live in Canberra, and seem to recall at some stage that there were no balustrades on the bridges, but it was a recipe for disaster!

[@WelcomeToSteph]

@@chrisbell1878 I used to live in Canberra and thought the balustrade free bridge was more a thrill than anything! Hope the resident moat ducks have returned since they finished construction 🤞🏼

[@Archimarathon]

The balustrade is only on the bridge

[@mirakarchitect7945]

Just awesome.❤🔥🙌🏽 Every element in design follows design idea. Nice

[@RB-zm4fk]

Canberra now on my to visit list!

[@Archimarathon]

Good to hear.

[@greatdividingrange1785]

Do it.Its a great place. So many different things to see.Youll wonder why you didnt do it sooner.Spring season would be my recommendation. From a NSW native.

[@happyfeetwanderers5034]

I think the desk circles are for inkwells . We used them up to the 60’s

[@Archimarathon]

That’s another good theory.

[@BillWoodillustrator]

I’ve always wanted to see what’s inside this Dome - so many thanks for bringing that to life today. It’s a shame that in many prominent buildings, the public don’t get a chance to see the internal design of them at all- especially since 9-11 and recent terrorist threats on all sorts of businesses and institutions.

[@Archimarathon]

Yes I have never seen the inside of it and it far exceeded expectations.

[@ricohact]

Keep an eye out for events in the the local media, I’ve been in there several times for public events. I’ve been to an open day, a Bureau of Meterology centenary exhibition and another event to celebrate to 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

[@mddawson1]

This building, particularly the theatre, was used in the 1971 movie 'Demonstrator'

[@Archimarathon]

Thanks for the heads up

[@AnthonyGriz]

I wonder if those gavel blocks may well have been ashtray holders way back during the 50's when it would have been considered quite normal to have smoked within buildings? A wonderfully inspiring building - thank you for sharing!

[@Archimarathon]

Yes they were.

[@grahammorgan3858]

GHD architects and engineering consultants Canberra office undertook the Federal Government part funding centenary of federation heritage management and refurbishment project in 2000. professor Shine

[@fabledobituaries]

Fun to see you both so excited about the building. You're always interested in the buildings you tour but not always like this, like two kids out of breath.

[@Archimarathon]

First time inside for both of us. Pleasantly surprised

[@fepeerreview3150]

7:12 Ashtray? It would have been a normal accessory back then. Probably they were removed and the hole covered up. This building is an exquisite example of the best of Mid-century Modern design.

[@Archimarathon]

Yes ashtrays. It’s been verified

[@forgottencreation]

Acoustics 👽👌

[@Archimarathon]

Yes it’s amazing

[@batpeople8946]

well i search for image like sections or floor plan but is quite hard to find ,but when i saw this video is easy to find but why in google I can't get an HD image either -the purpose for Jurnal Literatur where i can find easily hd section plan or floor plan?

[@Archimarathon]

I don’t think it’s easy to find

[@shokoladniybegemot]

Amazing project, reminded a bit of the dome auditorium at the Communist HQ in Paris, also ramped. Rather liked that hammered copper, wish they didn't have to cover it.

[@Archimarathon]

Communist HQ in Paris by Oscar Niemeyer. Never been inside

[@kelanzhi7269]

anyone knows the intro music?

[@Archimarathon]

artlist.io/song/8101/kingdom-come

[@kelanzhi7269]

@@Archimarathon thanks

[@prawiraagung4011]

👽🖖🏻

[@Archimarathon]

They came in peace