The High Court of Australia building is located on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra's Parliamentary Triangle.

The High Court building was designed between 1972 and 1974 by the Australian architect Christopher Kringas (1936–1975) – a director of the firm Edwards Madigan Torzillo and Briggs – who is commemorated by a plaque in the public hall.

In the 1950s, Prime Minister Robert Menzies established a plan to develop Canberra and construct other important national buildings.

A 1959 plan featured a new building for the High Court on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, next to the location for the new Parliament House and the National Library of Australia.

The competition jury comprised Melbourne architect Daryl Jackson, Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick, NCDC Commissioner Sir John Overall, NSW Government Architect Ted Farmer and Australian National University Professor Peter Karmel.

In 1973, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam declared the design submitted by architect Christopher Kringas of the firm of Edwards Madigan Torzillo Briggs as the winner.

After graduating architecture at the University of NSW in 1959, Kringas travelled to Europe and worked with the London County Council Architect's Department, seen as an epicentre of 'The New Brutalism'.

Kringas died of cancer in March 1975, aged 38, just 12 days before the High Court construction began.

The High Court was designed to integrate with the edge of a vast elevated public plaza called ‘National Place’, which was to extend across the Parliamentary Triangle.

The Courtroom has been furnished with coachwood timber with a ceiling mainly of glass that provides a high level of natural lighting.

[1] Specially commissioned art works complement the public hall as applied finishes or are integrated into the building's detailing.

Included are the water feature designed by Robert Woodward, murals by Jan Senbergs forming an integral part of the public hall, doors at entry to Court 1 designed by Les Kossatz and George Baldessin and a wax mural by Bea Maddock in the public hall outside Courtroom 1.