The 50 greatest buildings in Australia you need to see

Question: What’s Australia’s most famous building?

If your mind immediately jumps to the Sydney Opera House, you’re not wrong. But while Jørn Utzon’s iconic white sails have captivated locals and visitors alike for decades, Australia is packed with architectural wonders that deserve their own moment in the spotlight.

A recent list published by Traveller has spotlighted the country’s greatest buildings, with the top 50 decided upon by an expert panel of esteemed Aussie architects, authors, editors and interior designers. Some monuments are instantly recognisable, like Melbourne's Federation Square and Hobart's MONA. Meanwhile, others are unexpected gems, including the atmospheric Cobar Sound Chapel in outback NSW, the remote Bowali Visitor Centre in Kakadu and the spaceship-like Shine Dome in Canberra.

These architectural marvels span the length and breadth of our Great Southern Land, covering a breadth of categories. Think sporting arenas like the beautifully redeveloped Adelaide Oval, striking galleries like the brutalist National Gallery of Australia, tertiary institutions like Frank Gehry’s (in)famous "crumpled paper bag" UTS Business School, music stadiums like the mega Myer Music Bowl, hospitality hubs like Brisbane's upmarket James Street precinct, and beloved public spaces like Sydney's Prince Alfred Park Public Pool. Above all, each place tells a story of creativity, culture and connection. Together, they give Australia its sense of place.

The 50 greatest buildings in Australia

Museums and Galleries

• Bundanon Art Museum, Illaroo
• Heide II, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne
• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
• National Museum, Canberra
• MONA, Hobart
• Naala Badu, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney

Music and Theatre

• Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
• Marion Cultural Centre, Adelaide
• Angel Place, Sydney
• The Capitol, Melbourne
• Arts Centre Melbourne
• Cobar Sound Chapel, Cobar
• State Theatre, Sydney

Retail and Hospitality

• Fish Lane, South Brisbane
• InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef
• James Street precinct, Brisbane
• Krakani lumi camp, north-east Tasmania
• Lunetta, Red Hill, Canberra
• MACq 01 Hotel, Hobart
• Strand Arcade, Sydney
• The Eve Hotel, Sydney

Parks and Gardens

• Bowali Visitor Centre, Kakadu
• Fletcher Jones Factory & Gardens, Warrnambool
• North Head viewing platforms, Sydney
• Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre, Uluṟu
• Reservoir Gardens, Paddington, Sydney
• Phoenix Central Park, Chippendale

Office and Tertiary

• 140 William Street, Melbourne
• Australia Square, Sydney
• Council House, Perth
• Quay Quarter Tower, Sydney
• RMIT, Melbourne
• Translational Research Institute, Brisbane
• UTS Business School, Sydney

Public and Private

• Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach
• Dorney House, Sandy Bay
• Federation Square, Melbourne
• High Court of Australia, Canberra
• Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Perth
• Punchbowl Mosque, Sydney
• Reader’s Digest Building, Sydney
• Shine Dome, Canberra
• State Library of Queensland, Brisbane
• Waterloo Community Centre, Sydney

Stadiums and Leisure

1. AAMI Park, Melbourne
2. Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
3. KGM Centre, Melbourne
4. Prince Alfred Park Public Pool, Sydney
5. Wylie’s Baths, Sydney

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