The Vivid Cast

Abstract

The National Museum of Australia in Canberra (NMA) was positioned after decades of exploration of the design tactics of architectural and cultural appropriations by its architects Ashton, Raggatt McDougall. The lead designer for the project, Howard Raggatt, has been working with the device of sampling urban artefacts and architectural icons in his designs since his undergraduate days and the NMA displays an end-game of this approach. This design approach should not be appreciated in isolation but should be perceived within the framework of Raggatt's reflections on Christian faith as expressed within the architectural compositions. This paper will explore the early works of Raggatt and ARM and track how the techniques of appropriation evolved and the connection of the tactics to spiritual deliberations. This analysis will look to locating the compositional origins of the NMA and posit a reading on how the design of the NMA invites reflection on ones relationship with God.