Reconciliation Place is an urban landscape design in the Parliamentary TriangleCanberra, Australia, commenced in 2001 as a monument to between Australia’s Indigenous people and settler population. The design was selected by a national design competition in 2001 run by the National Capital Authority with a jury including Ian Spicer, Matilda House, and RAIA Gold Medal architect Ric Leplastrier. The winning entry was designed by architect Simon Kringas. Sharon Payne was Indigenous Cultural Advisor. The design is dominated by a convex mound in the landscape centred on Walter Burley Griffin's land and water axes, establishing a subtle presence while maintaining the overwhelming passage of the land axis and views to the lake from the steps of Old Parliament House. Linking the Australian High Court and the National Library of Australia is a public promenade with artworks called "Slivers" displaying images and text on various themes of reconciliation including:
A welcome to Ngunnawal country - an acknowledgment of the traditional owners of the land on which Reconciliation Place is being built
Since the opening of Reconciliation Place, new artworks have been added including:
Three cast bronze slivers celebrating the role of female indigenous leadership, particularly in their contribution to Reconciliation in Australia through their roles in the 1967 Referendum. The artwork reflects leadership provided by Dr Faith Bandler, Lady Jessie Street, and Evelyn Scott.
Three stone artwork celebrating the resilience and achievements of indigenous Australians who made contributions to Australian life. This includes artwork celebrating Ruby Hammond, Robert Lee, Wenten Rubuntja, Bill Neidjie and Gatjil Djerrkura.
The promenade is intended to evolve over time with the addition of new artworks. The construction of Reconciliation Place was subject to a budget of only $3.5M, a limited timeframe and bureaucratic changes to the design. The intended geometric relationship to the neighbouring Commonwealth Place was not realised. It proposed that the Commonwealth Place ramp grade be marginally raised to join tangentially to the Reconciliation Place mound. After some delay this was supported by the Commonwealth Place designers but was then refused by the National Capital Authority. The ramp grade now terminates into the side of the mound. Similarly, precisely cut stone walls inscribing the pathways around the mound were replaced by earth berms, and recently installed 'Slivers' bear no relationship to the original design concept, resulting in a loss of coherence. Despite the shortcomings in the relationship between Reconciliation Place and Commonwealth Place, Vernon maintains
