Callam Offices #1

INFO

Located on Callam Street in Woden, Callam Offices stands out from its neighbours as a strange, sci-fi-esque structure often being refered to as an Alien spaceship. Architect John Andrews (1933-2022) designed the building, with construction running from 1977 to 1981. It was a direct response to the 1971 Woden flood, which remains Canberra's deadliest natural disaster.

Originally, the pod-like design was supposed to encompass 26 pods housing up to 6,000 public servants. But budget cuts and changing policies slashed that number to three. Now a heritage-listed site, Callam Offices is a defining example of Brutalist architecture. Its raw, off-form concrete and structuralist design feature a sophisticated suspension system that keeps the building floating safely above the floodplain.

I shot this image on January 15, 2023 framing one of the more photogenic pods from the complex's top walkway. The final shot of a full day shooting the Building. Using a 35mm shift lens, the tight composition and internal blue-hour light give the space an ethereal quality.

Callam Offices is an unusual building that is often degraded by general members of the public for its strange looks. But for Photographers and Architecture enthusiasts it carries it’s own unique charm and beauty.

Callam Offices #1

Blue Hour Pod at Callam Offices, Woden