REPOST: Brisbane's history of modernist architecture on display

Natalie Bochenski of the Brisbane Times reports on a photography exhibit that chronicles the history of Modernist architecture down under through the exciting history of mid-century Brisbane.

Centenary Pool at Spring Hill, designed by architect James Birrell. Image source: brisbanetimes.com.au

The image of Brisbane as a sleepy country town through the 1950s, 60s and 70s is sometimes hard to dispel.

But a new exhibition at the State Library of Queensland aims to reveal the bubbling well of creativity that flourished in the middle of last century.

Hot Modernism: Building Modern Queensland examines architecture and design in the state between 1945 and 1975.

For SLQ co-curator Gavin Bannerman, it was a rich period in the state’s history, with an emphasis on clean lines, minimalist design, new construction materials and methods, colour, and a preoccupation with how people would live in the future.

Sunbakers by the pool in 1958 at Lennons Broadbeach Hotel, designed by architect Karl Langer. Image source: brisbanetimes.com.au

“The architectural community was a hotbed of ideas which continue to resonate with people now,” he said.

“The time was right coming out of the Second World War - there was more money around to realise these ideas, more people were attending university, they had been overseas and were able to push through changes they’d seen implemented elsewhere.”

The exhibition’s key display is a full size replica of Jacobi House, which was built in Indooroopilly in 1957 and is still occupied by offshoots of the same family.
“We wanted a bit of wow factor, a drawcard for people who might not know what modernism is,” Mr Bannerman said.
“You can show photographs or architectural plans, but nothing really beats experiencing it in its full scale.”

Visitors will also be able to sit in a 1960s living room, examine original drawings and historical photographs, and even play with 3D-printed models of Brisbane CBD buildings of the era.

“A lot of the designs feel contemporary because these people were thinking about how people would want to live in the future,” Bannerman said.

“It was kind of utopian. It was looking at how to structure things in a way that met the needs of modern living."
Mr Bannerman said the exhibition showed the influence the European and West Coast American strains of modernism.

“In the 50s there was a strong international modernist feel to a lot of the work in Queensland, which is clean lines, sparser, almost brutal in its minimalism,” he said.

Image source: brisbanetimes.com.au

“Later in the period you have an introduction to climatic concerns about design, so people started doing things that would better suit the Queensland environment such as cross-ventilation, shading and natural cooling.”

Much of Brisbane’s modernist work was done with residential houses and hotels, many of which has been lost to demolition and redevelopment.

One example of the futuristic style is the Centenary Pool at Spring Hill, which was designed by James Birrell for the state’s 100th anniversary in 1959 and is reminiscent of a home from The Jetsons.

“It speaks to a lot of people because it’s whimsical and people love the lines of it,” Mr Bannerman said.

Whereas the work of Robin Gibson, who designed the Social Sciences library and Mayne Hall at the University of Queensland, as well as the Queensland Cultural Centre, was heavier and bolder.

“They are part of Queensland’s built heritage, so they deserve to be considered for preservation as much as a 19th century building,” Mr Bannerman said.

Other examples of modernist structures include the Torbreck apartments at Highgate Hill, the Eisenmenger House at Carina and the Riverside Expressway.

William B. Lauder here. I'm an architect and a fan of photography and minimalism. Follow me on Twitter for more on my two loves.