The Oculus is a highly crafted glass and bronze object marking the new entrance to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Positioned along the ceremonial axis of Walter Burley Griffin’s plan for Canberra, it operates as both a wayfinding device and a contemplative spatial marker for visitors entering and leaving the Memorial.

Inspired by the geometry of the Memorial’s Hall of Memory dome, the Oculus reinterprets this historic motif through contemporary fabrication. A nine-metre diameter glass dome, composed of 16 curved insulated glass petals, forms a luminous canopy above an inverted veil of torus-curved laminated glass elements, creating a layered aperture that draws light into the space beneath.

The structure is designed to minimise framing and maximise transparency. Glass petals act as structural bracing elements within the dome and suspended veil assemblies, enabling the system to achieve visual lightness while maintaining structural performance and allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the subterranean entrance hall below.

Bevelled patterns referencing the original mosaic dome are CNC-ground into the glass surface, producing subtle reflections and shifting patterns of light. Through advanced fabrication and refined material resolution, the Oculus transforms a functional skylight into a symbolic civic object.

Photography: Thurston Empson, Edward Salib