Siedler's 'house of the future' - 1954

In May 1954 the 'house of the future' was unveiled at the Architectural and Building Exhibition in the Sydney Town Hall.

Testing the assembly of the 'future house' at the factory in NSW

Architect Harry Siedler planned the streamlined house as a solution to post-war the housing crisis in Australia.  As typified the mid-century modern trend in the US (where Siedler had studied), he wanted to replace 'wasteful' handicraft methods with a streamlined steel frame assembled from machine made parts.

A one bedroom home was built for display purposes, but Seidler's design was flexible enough to allow for different sixes and configurations.

  

In each design though is a north facing wall made entirely out of plate glass, specially designed to let in the light but repel the heat - partly fixed and partly in sliding frames.  Long metal sunshades and an insulated roof space would also protect the home from to much heat and glare.

Other innovative features included a kitchen unit incorporating a fridge, sink, stove and garbage disposal unit, and pre-fabricated bathroom unit with a shower, basin, toilet, flooring and walls.

Harry Siedler also designed the interiors and furniture for the 'house of the future.' 

For more posts on Harry Siedler, see here.

Harry Seilder's Waterman House, 1952

I have written on my other blog about architect Harry Seilder and his 'Rose Seilder House'. Now one of his other houses, the Waterman House, built in 1952 as a small one-bedroom weekend house, is up for sale.

The house has been modified over the years, including a new bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room, and the garage has been enclosed the deck even further enlarged.  You can find out more about the sale here, and read more about Harry Seidler here.

Seidler, at only 29, also completed the Hutter house, Turramurra; the Thurlow house, Blakehurst; the Landau house, Whale Beach and the Bowden house, 11 Northcote Crescent, Deakin, in 1952.  He also produced unbuilt schemes for the Barnes house, Lane Cove and the Bluhdorn house, Roseville.

Deb xx

Mid-Century Architecture -The Ampol Building

The  Ampol Building was designed by Bernard Evans & Associates and completed in 1958 on a site on the corner of Elizabeth and Grattan streets in Carlton..

The Ampol Building, c. 1960

The circular corner tower housed Melbourne's tallest concrete spiral stair - I love the blue tiles and the neon sign. There was also a petrol station at the ground level.

The building later became a hotel - my parents stayed there in the 1970s I think - Elizabeth Towers.

The building was definitely better in it's natural brick state and pre-air-conditioners in the windows. Like many other mid-century buildings it's charm was ruined by paint and 'modernizing'

In 2008 Melbourne University bought the building for $20 million, and demolished it last year to make way for its new $186 million Peter Doherty Institute for Infectious Disease and Immunology.  While I am not saying that it's not a worthy cause, it seems a shame that at least the stair case couldn't be saved.

Some websites still list Elizabeth Towers hotel as being active - see here and here.

I for one will miss it next time I am in Melbourne. As a child I loved passing it on the tram on the way into the city - it was the landmark that told me we almost there.

Perhaps though the replacement of the Ampol Building by a University Building is karma - according to this ad from 1967 Ampol donated money to universities.............

1967

Deb

Mid-Century in Mackay - The Ambulance Building

We do have a few mid-century buildings in Mackay.  Just a few.  Here in Queensland we like to tear down and rebuild bigger and better (or the cyclones do it for us), so there are not as many old buildings as there could be.  I thought it would be a good idea to record some, just in case.  A thought brought home to me this morning when I saw that a favorite mid-century house that I pass every day on the way to work has been cement rendered. I mean really - over those lovely, smooth toffee-colored bricks that have stood the test of time for 50 years. What were they thinking?!

Anyway, the other day I had time to take some photos of this mid-century building at the corner of Sydney and Alfred Streets in Mackay.