The 'Lodge on the Lake' competition to re-design the Prime Minister's official residence, The Lodge, in Canberra has been officially launched on Australia Day.

The 'Lodge on the Lake' competition to re-design the Prime Minister's official residence, The Lodge, in Canberra has been officially launched on Australia Day.

The competition is part of the celebrations for the Centenary of Canberra in 2013 and is being organised by the University of Canberra and the Gallery of Australian Design and is offering a first prize of $80,000 with second and third prizes of $20,000 and $10,000.

The brief for the competition is that the design must provide a 'comfortable and secure residential environment for the Prime Minister and his or her partner and family with accommodation for occasional guests and support staff'.

The 6.8 hectare site for where the new Lodge will be placed is at Attunga Point on the southern foreshore of Lake Burley Griffin in the central national area of Canberra.

Bushland and mountains surround the site which is currently used as a recreational open space with pedestrian paths and a yacht club nearby.

For the purposes of the competition, entrants are to assume that services for sewer, storm water, gas, electricity, communications etc are available to the site.

Entry is restricted to any Australian design professional who holds registration, accreditation or membership of a professional institution required for professional practice in Australia

Canberra was originally designed through a competition held in 1912 and the organisers of this latest competition are looking for creativity and a permanent place for the Prime Minister.

"The objectives of this latest competition are to demonstrate the creativity and depth of talent of Australia’s designers and to showcase Canberra as a symbol of our identity as a democratic nation. It is entirely appropriate that the centenary of the naming of Canberra should be marked by exhibitions of design ideas for the permanent official residence of the Prime Minister."

Registration closes on the 5 April 2013 with the announcements of winners to take place on 23 May 2013.

Madeline Prince

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