PM shares story of American architect with Obama, Abbott

Brisbane: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday shared with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott and US President Barack Obama the fascinating story of an American architect who had an emotional link with their countries.
The discussion among the leaders who met for the G20 summit here centred around Walter Burley Griffin, the well-known American architect who designed Australian capital Canberra and who is buried in Lucknow. The prime minister shared with Abbott and Obama the fascinating story of Griffin, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted. A couple of photos of the three leaders engaged in the discussion were posted on the spokesperson’s Twitter account.
A photo of the final resting place of Griffin at Lucknow Christian Cemetry was also among them. Griffin, who died on February 11, 1937 at the age of 61 years, was a landscape architect who hailed from the US. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia’s capital city and has been credited with the development of the L-shaped floor plan, the carport and an innovative use of reinforced concrete. Influenced by the Chicago-based Prairie School, Griffin developed a unique modern style. He worked in partnership with his wife Marion Mahony Griffin. In 28 years they designed over 350 buildings, landscape and urban-design projects as well as designing construction materials, interiors, furniture and other household items. (IANS)