The architectural style of Adelaide is comprised primarily of six different styles:

1. Old colonial

2. Victorian

3. Federation

4. Interwar

5. Postwar

6. Late 20^th Century

However, the architectural makeup of Adelaide is as diverse as that of Australia itself. Some other notable styles which have made their mark on Adelaide’s landscape include Victorian, Edwardian, Federation, Colonial, Italianate, Modernism, Contemporary, and Art Deco.

Adelaide is home to a vibrant architecture scene, with architecture jobs in abundance. They have a yearly Festival of Architecture and Design Adelaide, a public architecture conference Adelaide with regular attendance in the thousands. Architecture in Adelaide has influenced and inspired Australian design as a whole for decades. Architecture in Adelaide is known for its eccentric qualities – possibly a result of the melting pot of cultural inspiration from which many of Adelaide’s architects draw.

Adelaide has a strong connection to history which shines through in its architecture. Adelaide is nicknamed the “city of churches,” and has 529 Christian churches listed in the online Yellow Pages. This may be a little confusing, because Adelaide is not the Australian city with the most churches – Sydney takes that title with 1,742 churches listed – nor does it have the highest ratio of churches to people (Hobart wins with 57.64 churches per 100,000 people). So, what makes Adelaide the city of churches?

The answer lies in its cultural ideology. Adelaide was a city founded on ideals of religious tolerance. Soon after its founding in 1836 Adelaide became a beacon of religious freedom all around Australia. Adelaide’s first church – and indeed the first church in the entirety of South Australia – was actually one of the city’s first completed buildings, opening in 1838. Adelaide’s biggest church is St Peter’s Cathedral, which is 152 years old.

Adelaide has nurtured a number of famous architects over the years. Some of Adelaide’s most iconic architects include

5. John Morphett

4. Russell Ellis

3. George Gavin Lawson

2. Stroma Buttrose

1. Walter Bagot

Adelaide’s best architects: The best architecture and interior design firms still operating in Adelaide today

5. Capital Architecture

capital architects adelaide

Captial Architecture is an elusive Adelaide architecture firm with a proficiency in sustainable and non-traditional spaces. The firm prefers an old school approach rather than the online bells and whistles typically employed by architecture firms today. Read more about their history here.

4. PLY Architecture

PLY Architecture is a renowned Australian architecture practice primarily based in Adelaide. Their design philosophy hinges on a commitment to cohesion, believing that small details united create a singular materialisation.

3. Energy Architecture

Energy architecture is an Adelaide-founded firm with a strong commitment to sustainability. They residential architects known and commended for environmentally conscious designs, leading the charge for social, environmental and economic sustainability in Adelaide.

2. Brett Aylen Architecture

Brett Aylen Architecture is an Adelaide-based firm with a focus on sustainable architecture and specialties in home extension. Their designs are sleek and practical, and each project is uniquely tailored to the client.

1. Cox Architecture

cox architecture adelaide

Cox Architecture is one of Australia’s leading architecture and interior design firms. Their locations span across every major Australian city, including – you guessed it – Adelaide. The characteristic Cox architecture style is defined by a structural focus which is enhanced through craft, art and nature. Cox Architects’ architects and interior designers use these three pillars as a philosophical scaffolding to inspire all of their work.

Architectural styles Australia

Adelaide has a number of diverse buildings that comprise the iconography of the city landscape. Each one has a unique style, influence, history and design. Here is an outline of some of the most famous buildings in Adelaide.

Architecture Adelaide: The most iconic examples of South Australian architects and building design Adelaide

06. Wakefield House

One of the most contentious of Adelaide’s many design styles is the brutalist architecture movement that saw many public, government and house designs through to construction. Other examples include the ABC building in Collingswood and the Department for Education’s headquarters in on Finder’s street.

05. Festival tower

festival tower Adelaide architect South Australia

Festival tower is one of many new buildings under construction in the Adelaide CBD. It is a highly anticipated 27 storey skyscraper currently under construction. Other major projects in Adelaide include the Sofitel Adelaide, the Australian Bragg Centre, and Freemasons Hall.

04. The university of Adelaide

The university of Adelaide is one of the most iconic old buildings in the cityscape. The university has been around for just under 150 years, making it the third-oldest university in Australia. The classic renaissance style was a deliberate choice by architect Walter H. Bagot, who designed and oversaw its construction in 1874.

03. Parliament House, Adelaide

Adelaide’s parliament house is a paragon of neoclassical architecture. Featuring ornate columns, towers and grand domes, the building stands as a tribute to Adelaide’s grand history and grander future. Architect Edmund Wright was a Greek Revivalist who selected Kapunda marble and West Island granite for the project.

02. St Peter’s Cathedral

st peter's cathedral Adelaide South Australia

St Peter’s Cathedral is one of Adelaide’s most historic buildings. It is also the largest church in all of Adelaide. It has been standing for 153 years, with construction beginning in 1869 and continuing in stages until the early 1900s. Architect William Butterfield was inspired by gothic revival architecture, hence the spiralling columns, lancet windows, and hood moulds.

01. Adelaide Town Hall

Perhaps the most iconic figure in Adelaide’s cityscape is the town hall. Built in 1866, the building is one of Adelaide’s proudest examples of Victorian architecture. It is a landmark building which had a construction period of only three years. Adelaide town hall stands today as a symbol of the rich history to which the city of churches lays claim.

Juliet Taylor

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