Ski Lodge, Thredbo
This award-winning mountain lodge, designed by Harry Seidler & Associates, was built in 1963 at the edge of the Thredbo Village ski resort in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales. Built on a difficult sloping site, directly over a mountain creek, it offered spectacular views of the ski slopes and mountains beyond. In 1965 it won the prestigious RAIA Wilkinson Award for residential architecture.
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The unusual shape of the compact, multi-level timber building was determined by the difficult location and environmental conditions. There are a total of six half levels connected by a centrally placed main stair. The ski room, sauna and wash rooms are located on the bottom stone-walled level, where snow can pile up against the exterior. The bedrooms are located on the mid levels, and the large entertaining, living and dining areas are located on the top. The open plan of the top floors extends out onto terraces, maximising views of the ski slopes beyond.
Ski Lodge Thredbo, section, by Harry Seidler & Associates, 1962. Diazo print, by permission of Penelope Seidler AM. PXD 509/22
The resulting building is larger at the top as the floor space increases. The structure is supported by five heavy vertical timber trusses with floors of increasing width hung between them. A view of the running creek below the building can be seen through a glass plate section of the living room floor.
Seidler Lodge, as it is now known, is still in operation and available for rental during the ski season.
