Harry Seidler
Austrian-born architect Harry Seidler (1923-2006) designed Rose Seidler House in Wahroonga (then Turramurra) for his parents Max and Rose Seidler in 1948. It was his first Australian commission, after arriving from America where he had studied under Walter Gropius at Harvard University.
Controversial in its day, Rose Seidler House is now owned by the Historic Houses Trust of NSW and is thought to be one of the finest examples of mid-century modern domestic architecture in Australia. The influential house was awarded the Sulman Medal in 1951 and served as an exemplar for modern housing for decades to come. Sydney’s North Shore has a number of modernist design houses by leading architects of the 1950s, including Sydney Ancher, Arthur Baldwinson and Russell Jack (of Allen, Jack and Cottier).
Houses of a style new to Australia are appearing on Sydney’s North Shore. One is at Turramurra in wild country … The style is still novel in Europe and America, and the architect…Harry Seidler, believes that Australians will accept the new style now that they can see houses that have been built here.
(Cooper, Nora, “Sydney showpiece”, Australian Home Beautiful, Feb 1951)
Rose Seidler house retains a close relationship with two neighbouring Seidler houses, Marcell Seidler House and Julian Rose House, on part of the original 2.6 hectare family estate of natural bushland overlooking the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
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In 1967, Harry and Penelope Seidler designed a house for their own family in Kalang Avenue, Killara. Seidler’s architectural practice was thriving and this house represented the state of the art for the period, winning the 1967 Wilkinson Award for Residential Buildings. The family resided in the property for many years and it is still owned by the Seidler family.
...Although located in an established living area, it has no neighbours as it is surrounded by natural bush reserve which assures complete privacy. The site is however, very rugged which would discourage most people from building. In this case this was considered an advantage and even a challenge...
("Architects' own house", Architecture in Australia, April 1968)
S & W elevations, Seidler house, Killara, 1967, by Harry & Penelope Seidler. Architectural plan. PXD 509/52
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