She's 25 years young and already an enduring icon of Australia's democracy, but the history of Canberra's Parliament House has only just begun to be written.
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One untold aspect of the building's story was on show on Thursday night at a reunion for the men and women who worked to make the pinnacle of our city's skyline a reality.
New York-based architects Mitchell/Giurgola beat more than 300 entries from around the world in a competition to design the building, with Australian architect Ric Thorp the firm's ''man on the ground''.
Construction director David Chandler used last night's event in the Mural Hall to highlight the important role played by Mr Thorp, who he said had ensured the building met weighty national expectations and was delivered on deadline.
''At the end of the day, the person who delivered this project on the ground here in Australia was Ric Thorpe and it is about time he received the credit he deserves,'' Mr Chandler said.
''We've gone 25 years without saying that loudly enough. Without him this building would never have happened as it did because we wouldn't have got it done.''
Mr Thorp praised the work of Romaldo Giurgola, now 93, and said the building would hold special significance for the rest of his life.
''What makes this building special is the fact that all the people who worked on it, whether they are constructors or builder's labourers or architects, this project touched every one of those people in a way no other project ever did,'' he said.
''We all left a bit of our soul here … and that really is a wonderful thing.''
More than 100 people gathered for the constructors' reunion in the Mural Hall on Thursday night, with Department of Parliamentary Services secretary Carol Mills and former Senate president Margaret Reid on hand for the reminiscing.
Guests were invited to share their memories of the seven-year construction period as part of an oral history project to mark the anniversary.
Parliament House architectural designer Jack Kershaw said he spent five years on the project.
''It is just a timeless design, which is a good starting point, and the quality of the workmanship has been carried through so well,'' he said.
''This was a real highlight of my career. Like a lot of other people I really grasped at the chance to be involved in the project because it was going to be a one-off.''
