Taglietti – the Italian genius who helped design Canberra
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‘Canberra was such a non-conventional place most probably because it was quite empty and that was the fascination of Canberra…together with the fact that a young fellow arriving from Italy could mix without any problem with a physic atomic energy scholar and with a Prime Minister, that is something that was a fascination’ – Enrico Taglietti.
In 1955, young architect Enrico and his wife Franca, made a life-changing decision to settle in Canberra after being invited to make the trip from Italy by Sir Charles Lloyd Jones who wanted to showcase the latest in Italian design from the landmark X Milan Triennale at his flagship David Jones stores.
The couple, who collaborated in their architectural practice as well as life, realised they had an opportunity to contribute to the development of a new city through the fledgling national capital.
A century after Enrico Taglietti’s birth, Canberra Museum + Gallery (CMAG) presents a landmark exhibition, Taglietti: Life in Design, celebrating the extraordinary life and career of the renowned Italian-Australian architect and the creative collaborations with his wife Franca that integrated design into every aspect of their family’s life. Opening 7 June 2025, this exhibition identifies Taglietti as a true Global Architect and reveals the indelible impact, legacy, and key design principles of one of Australia’s most visionary architects.
Franca Taglietti with her daughters Tabitha and Tanja at their home in Griffith Canberra 1966
Renowned for his immediately recognisable sculptural shapes, Taglietti’s architecture profoundly shaped Canberra’s built environment, which was recognised internationally. He contributed over 40 commercial and residential projects across Canberra, including the Dickson Library, Italian Embassy, award-winning Giralang Primary School, the heritage-listed Center Cinema building, as well as significant buildings in Sydney including the St Antony’s Parish Church Marsfield and St Kilda Library in Melbourne.
CMAG Senior Curator and Co-Curator of the exhibition Virginia Rigney says, “This exhibition aims to capture the poetic and visionary spirit of Taglietti’s work. Enrico’s sensitivity to Canberra’s unique landscape was something we’ve been eager to embrace and showcase. As someone who grew up with his buildings, it’s a great honour to see this exhibition come to life.”
Alongside original drawings and furniture designed by Taglietti, visitors will experience Taglietti’s visionary design principles through spatial interventions which are integrated throughout the exhibition. Designed by leading Italian architect Gianmatteo Romengalili who met Taglietti as a recent graduate and became a close friend and collaborator, these elements embody Taglietti’s core architectural concepts: Dissolving the Façade, Threshold, Framing the Landscape, Compression and Expansion, Growing from the Ground, Breaking the Edge, and Deceiving Gravity. Each intervention offers an authentic physical encounter with his innovative design philosophies. Visitors and educational groups will also be able to work with unique building blocks to create their own architectural forms in a recreated form of the architect’s studio.
Enrico Taglietti walks with his daughters and their friend through the construction site of the Center Cinema 1965 Photographer Ted Richards, Courtesy Taglietti Archive
Canberra Museum and Gallery’s Director, Dr Anna Wong said, “The exhibition was made possible through a close collaboration with the Taglietti family, whose archive provided much of the cultural material presented in the exhibition. Taglietti’s curiosity is reflected through artworks, furniture, writing, fashion, food and travel with a dose of humour. Taglietti’s flair for architectural drawing is revealed in over 60 lively original architectural drawings, and his keen eye for framing a photographic view is revealed in many never-before-seen images of his buildings.”
As traditional plans and elevations are not always easy to follow the curatorial team collaborated with Master of Architecture students at the University of Canberra to create a set of striking sectional models that reveal the interior originality of Taglietti’s structures.Taglietti had a long association with Canberra Museum + Gallery and donated original models from two of his most significant projects – The Town House Motel (1961) and the Center Cinema (1965) to the collection. These will be featured in the exhibition.
In conjunction with this exhibition, CMAG announces a suite of the first group of public programs, including an Italian language tour, curator talks, Taglietti’s Songbook — a special performance by the National Opera, education programming and discussions with Taglietti house owners.
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Taglietti: Life in Design
Where: Canberra Museum and Gallery, corner London Circuit and Civic Square
When: 7 June – 22 February 2026
Web: cmag.com.au Exhibition is free
Main image: Enrico Taglietti at the Town House Motel Bunda Street Civic ACT 1961 (Now demolished), Photographer not identified, Courtesy Taglietti Archive.
