r/CANZUK

me personally I would choose India because they are English and common wealth

Canadian here, so I've seen plenty of discussion about Parliament Hill, but it got me wondering how people across CANZUK would rank all four.

If you had to judge purely on the architecture and overall visual impact, which parliament building do you think looks the coolest? And no, temperature is not involved, otherwise Ottawa would easily win this one.

Some non-exhaustive criteria that come to mind are:

1. The exterior architecture

2. Its recognizability

3. Its setting and surroundings

4. Interior design and grandeur

5. Historical character and how well it represents its respective country

6. Overall atmosphere or presence

Try to ignore politics and focus solely on the buildings themselves.

My personal ranking would be:

1. Canberra because it feels the most unique. Instead of another Gothic revival parliament, it's a modern building that still feels monumental. The way it's built into Capital Hill, with the enormous flag flying above it, makes it look like it's part of the beautiful landscape rather than simply sitting on top of it. It has a really distinctive presence that I don't think any of the others match.

2. London takes second because it's arguably the most iconic parliament building in the world. The Gothic revival architecture is stunning, and the long facade along the Thames River gives it an inherently regal presence. If I were judging solely on historical significance, it would probably be first.

3. Ottawa comes in third (as a Canadian saying this, no less). Parliament Hill is definitely beautiful, especially with the Peace Tower and its setting overlooking the Ottawa River. It's one of Canada's defining landmarks, but the only reason I rank it below London is that the overall composition feels a bit less dramatic to me, and below Canberra because I personally prefer the latter's originality and setting.

4. Wellington comes in last, though not because I dislike it by any means. I actually think the Beehive is an interesting and memorable concept, but I find the overall parliamentary complex less visually cohesive than the other three. It feels more practical than grand, whereas the others immediately strike me as national monuments. Nonetheless, I must reiterate that this does not make its design "bad" at all.

Who are you and what makes you supportive of the idea of CANZUK?

I’ll go first: Canadian immigrant. My main concern is realpolitik, I see it as an option and maybe a very important tilt in the post-American-oriented western world. Definitely no monarchist implications from my point of view.

(I think that this subreddit will keep things civil - I am hoping to get few-sentence summaries of how people see this, not any frivolous back-and-forths)

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