The ceremonial heart of the university

ANU University House

University House was the first major building constructed at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.

Designed by prominent architect Brian Lewis and opened in 1954, University House was originally established as a residential college for professors and graduate students. As the ceremonial and social heart of the university, it hosted balls, formal functions and other significant gatherings.

The building was awarded the 1953 Sulman Medal for Architectural Merit and retains significant Fred Ward-designed furniture, along with an important art collection featuring works by Arthur Boyd, John Brack, John Olsen and Clarice Beckett.

In 2016, GML was engaged by ANU to prepare a Heritage Management Plan to support the day-to-day management of this Modernist building in its contemporary use as a boutique hotel.

GML helped ANU balance operational needs with the conservation requirements associated with the place’s heritage values. The plan set out practical policies for conserving and retaining original fabric, including custom-designed furniture, fittings and artworks, while identifying opportunities for upgrades to meet contemporary accommodation standards.

GML also facilitated stakeholder meetings, an online survey and a public workshop, ensuring community perspectives informed conservation, management and interpretation initiatives.

Landscape design is a defining feature of the ANU campus. GML’s conservation guidelines help the university manage University House’s peaceful courtyard, pond, open lawns and Fellows Garden into the future.

More recently, University House was closed for repair and restoration following Canberra’s 2020 hailstorm. The building reopened in August 2026, in time for ANU’s 80th birthday celebrations.