The ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects has welcomed official confirmation today that Canberra’s iconic bus shelters will be heritage listed.
The pre-cast concrete shelters – designed by architect Clem Cummings and first installed in 1975 – are an instantly recognisable part of Canberra’s urban landscape and renowned for their simplicity, functionality and iconic “space-age” look.
The design won the Institute’s Sir Roy Grounds Award for Enduring Architecture in 2021, with the jury at the time noting that “Cummings meant Canberra’s concrete bus shelters to last, and so they have”, calling them “a quintessential icon of the city.”
We thank the ACT Heritage Council for this important decision, one that will help to protect and strengthen the built environment for generations of Canberrans to come.
Quotes attributable to Nicholas Eccles, Australian Institute of Architects ACT Chapter Council member and member of the Cummings family:
“It is with great pride that four generations of our family witness the architecture of Clem Cummings being publicly valued to this extent.
“Sharing our deeply personal connection with Clem and our community’s connection to him, though the legacy of his incredible considered design work which is a part of the strong cultural fabric of Canberra is a rare privilege which cannot be overstated.
“We are delighted by the community’s care towards these now iconic Canberra structures. We look forward to many more years and generations sharing in the continuity created by Clem’s’ bus shelters.”
Quotes attributable to Nugroho Utomo, Australian Institute of Architects ACT President:
“For more than 50 years, Clem Cummings’ bus shelters have served generations of Canberrans with remarkable durability, functionality, and elegance.
“They’re an example of how thoughtful architecture can become part of a city’s identity.
“Protecting them ensures an important part of our architectural heritage will endure for generations to come – just as Clem intended them to.”
