Modern Architecture in Australia - Essay Example

Modern Architecture in Australia Generally, Australian architecture has shown consistency with architectural trends in the wider western world. However, there are some special adaptations and distinctive features that compensate for Australian climatic and cultural factors. In the 18th century, indigenous Australians only built semi-permanent structures. Following the period of European settlement and absence of evidence of permanent structures built, Australia’s early western history architectural styles were influenced by British designs since it was under British colonial rule. However, Australia’s distinctive and unique climate necessitated adaptations in the architectural designs. Notable Australian adaptations include the Queenslander and Federation styles of residential architecture. Over the years, Australia has developed some iconic designs which include: the UNESCO, Sydney Opera House, and the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Early buildings in Australia had European fashions such as the Georgian style. This is a style that is exhibited in early government buildings and homes of the affluent. Francis Greenway, the architect who appears on the Australian ten dollar note designed early buildings in Georgian style with examples such as, the Hyde Park Barracks and St. James’ church. Further, another European style that gained fame and favour in the early 19th century in Australia was the Gothic Revival architecture which was particularly used in churches. It had its distinctive features which included pointed arches, turrets, and battlements and gothic ornaments. One of the best examples that exhibits this style can be seen at the lower end of Collins Street in Melbourne.1 The Australian gold rush of the mid-19th century saw major buildings especially in Sydney and Melbourne and to a minor extent in regional capitals being built in the style of Victorian architecture. Italian architecture also found favour from the period of about 1850-1893 as it allowed greater displays of prosperity through its rich and complex features such as slate roofs and cast iron work.2 A significant leap in architectural movements in Australia was the development of the Federation architecture style of the 20th century where Australia began to develop a sense of personal identity that was not related to the previous European designs. Technically, they began developing a style of their own. One of the most important local introductions to Australian architecture was the veranda which was introduced by pastoralists who took up land and built single storey houses with the addition of the veranda which provided shade and looked attractive. Like almost everywhere around the world, the movement in Australian architecture have been influenced by socio-political factors. For example, during the early 20th century, cities across Australia had placed height limits to buildings at typically 150 feet (45 metres) hence hindering the development of very tall buildings (skyscrapers) in the American style until the limits were lifted in the late 1950s3. Similarly, the Australian families sought to own their own free standing houses with space in the backyard which hence meant that high density houses were rare in Australia until the end of the 20th century. However, significant concerns were raised during the 1960s with the skyscraper boom which had led to the destruction of earlier historic buildings. A green ban was thus set in place to protect historic 18th – century buildings in The Rocks from being demolished to pave way for office towers and also prevented the Royal Botanic gardens from being transformed into a car park for the Sydney Opera House.4 In the city of Melbourne the battle to preserve history was the one fought to preserve the Carlton from slum reclamation for setting up public housing. In the 21st century Australian architects have taken a more innovative approach to designs. Many buildings have emerged that truly reflect the unique Australian culture and values. As a result, Australian practices have begun to expand their influence abroad rather than the contrary which was often the case. In light of this architectural developments over the centuries we shall look at the works and developments of Australian architecture with reference to two major architects that have played a major role in what has come to be Australia’s present architecture. The two architects we shall consider are Peter Muller and Phillip Cox. Peter Muller was an influential Australian architect. With Frank Lloyd Wright playing the part of a major source of influence at the onset of his practise, Muller’s different view and perception of architecture is what gives him an influential position in Australian architecture after the war. His architectural style being that of the modern movement has earned him the honours in his name to date. Muller had a history of travelling to many places around the world and hence derived his conceptual designs based on a wide range of styles he had picked up from areas he had visited but modified them to give them an organic feel. Muller set out his career in 1953 working on his own practise and he was highly motivated to drop the use of synthetic materials to make finishing on houses but rather use natural material instead which reflected the Australian landscape and culture better5. This aspect was reflected clearly in many of his prominent designs. Drawing most of his inspiration from the need to give his designs an organic concept, Muller had many prominent building designs to his name in Australia. In southern Australia, his concepts are depicted in some of his most prominent works which include The Mitchell House which greatly relates to the works of Frank Lloyd as shown by the significant use of stone and timber. His other notable works in his career include; The Richardson house in Sydney which sat on a cliff and was supported by twenty nine props made of hollow concrete that would maintain the natural feel of the environment of a rocky nature6. The Hoyts Cinema Centre which was designed in 1966 is also another of his remarkable works. This building was the biggest built by Muller in his career and yet still portrayed what he stood for as an architect, its wooden interior and Chinese and Japanese roofing designs depict his intentions to give the building an organic concept and a cultural feel. In deriving his inspiration from Frank Lloyd among many other international architects his connection to those works were decorative as he focussed particularly on avoiding a synthetic finishing on his designs and preferred to have an organic touch on his designs. Phillip Cox on the other hand was also an influential architect in Australia. His work appears throughout Australia and also in other parts of the world such as South-East Asia, China, South Africa, the Middle East and Europe.7 Just like Muller, Cox designed most of Australian cities iconic buildings such as a several buildings used for the Sydney Olympics, the Sydney Football Stadium and the Australian National Maritime Museum. Phillip Cox derived most of his implemented ideas from the westerners and he modified the concepts exhibited in those designs to suit the local requirements and conditions. This is exemplified by the fact that he was the architect responsible for the initial implementation of the American Radburnplan for public housing in New South Wales. Just like Boyd, Philip’s goal was trying to develop an architecture which was distinctively Australian with regard to the landscape, the country’s past and to the cultural attitudes of what Australians thought. In one of his interviews he said he wanted to produce architectural work that was different from elsewhere. His first real test in determining Australian identity arose when he was commissioned to design the Yulara tourist resort at Ayers rock. More difficult in this respect were the numerous designs of sport centres that he had undertaken with the ones in Sydney and Perth being beautiful examples. He also had great interest in public housing designs in which he delighted in finding solutions which give a better life to people, providing them with privacy, identity and self-esteem8. Over the years in his career, Cox became less known for his private residences and more for his state of the art civic buildings. Cox and his world renowned firm Cox Architecture have grown to expand their scale of operations overseas hence exporting distinctive Australian designs to other parts of the world which is a different case from the 18th and 19th centuries where Australia used European architecture in the development of their buildings. He therefore has also played a major role in the revolution of Australian architecture. Bibliography Edquist, Harriet. Pioneers of Modernism: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Australia. Carlton: Miegunyah Press, 2008. Freeland, J. M. Architecture in Australia: A History. Melbourne: Cheshire, 1968. Goad, Philip, and Julie Willis, eds. Encyclopaedia of Australian Architecture. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Johnson, Donald Leslie. Australian Architecture, 1901-51: Sources of Modernism. Sydney: Sydney University Press, 1980. Metcalf, Andrew. Architecture in Transition: The Sulman Award 1932-1966. Sydney: Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, 1997. Stephen, Ann, Andrew McNamara and Philip Goad, eds. Modernism and Australia: Documents on Art, Design and Architecture 1917-1967. Carlton: Miegunyah Press & Powerhouse Publishing, 2006. Stephen, Ann, Andrew McNamara and Philip Goad, eds. Modern Times: The Untold Story of Modernism in Australia. Carlton: Miegunyah Press & Powerhouse Publishing, 2008. Taylor, Jennifer. Australian Architecture Since 1960. Sydney: Law Book Company, 1986. Read More