Shakespeare to Winehouse open 9:00am–7:00pm on Thu, Fri, Sat from 7 July
Enrico Taglietti (1926-2019), architect, spent his early childhood in Milan, moving to Eritrea in the year leading up to World War 2. Returning to Milan, he studied architecture under prominent mentors including Bruno Zevi and Pier Luigi Nervi. He graduated in 1953, and attended a summer school in Marseilles with Le Corbusier. Working at the Milan Triennale, he met Alvo Aalto and Buckminster Fuller. The following year, he came to Australia with an exhibition of Italian design for David Jones. Having visited Canberra tasked with finding a site for the Italian Embassy, he fell in love with the city 'untouched by ugliness or history . . . [with its] inhuman overwhelming silence . . . infinity and eternity revealed.' Taglietti designed the Italian Embassy, and continued, like his compatriot Aldo Giurgola, to live in Canberra. He has designed several of its most distinguished homes as well as the Dickson Library, the Italian Club, the Apostolic Nunciature, Giralang Primary School and the War Memorial Annexe in the industrial precinct of Mitchell.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010
© Edward Richards
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building the amazing portrait collection!