When Canberra architect Enrico Taglietti set out to design the Apostolic Nunciature in Red Hill, he began by thinking about one of Pope Paul VI's letters to Catholic bishops.
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"I went to Rome. I found there an incredible acceptance of architectural urban design, which was supported by the then pope, Paul VI," Dr Taglietti said. "He had an encyclical recognising the revelation of design of art had an enormous impact on all the life of the planet."
Dr Taglietti's design of an all-embracing roof, accepted in the Holy See, proposed practically emphasising the total roof as a symbolic embrace from the Catholic Church towards the rest of the world, as protection, and protection of principle.
The Holy See rewarded Dr Taglietti with a papal knighthood.
The Australian Institute of Architects has acknowledged Dr Taglietti and the Catholic Church as custodians of the building, short-listing the Apostolic Nunciature for the 2014 national awards in the enduring architecture section.
The Vatican gave Italian-born Dr Taglietti plenty of freedom over his design of the two-storey brick, concrete and terracotta tile building, which has wide timber eaves and is on the national heritage list.
"It was quite exceptional; I did not have carte blanche, in relation to expression of architecture, I was in control, they were happy for me to be in control, apart from [the] usual constrain on costs," Dr Taglietti said.
The building includes a chapel, residence, convent and offices.
Dr Taglietti said the site in Vancouver Street was not a diplomatic site, and previously belonged to neurophysiologist and Nobel laureate Sir John Eccles.
Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Paul Gallagher believes skylights are the best feature, bringing light through a dominating roof.
"It is a fine house. To get that amount of concrete up in the air, you must have had a good structural engineer," he told Dr Taglietti.
Jury chairman and architects institute past president Paul Berkemeier said, generally, buildings were recognised as soon as they were finished.
Often buildings that made the most important contribution to architecture lasted the distance, improved over time and had influence well beyond the project itself.
"[The award] shows the importance of the custodianship of buildings; the fact those owners and users who value the buildings actually not only look after them but add meaning and layers of use to the original completed work," Mr Berkemeier said.
Dr Taglietti won the national gold medal for architecture in 2007, when he was described as an elder statesmen of architecture whose work away from the large coastal cities won recognition in Australia and abroad in the tradition of other successful immigrant architects.
Also short-listed for urban design in the national awards, to be announced on November 6, is the National Arboretum, designed by Canberra's Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Taylor Cullity Lethlean.
