Glenn Murcutt’s self-proclaimed “most significant” project has been added to the NSW State Heritage Register.
Simpson-Lee House II has been recognized as historically significant in the development of Australian modernist architecture in the latter half of the 20th century.
Heritage NSW executive director Sam Kidman described the project as a home that signalled an important moment in Australian architectural history.
“This house, which received the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Wilkinson Award in 1995, has retained its physical integrity since its completion in 1994,” said Kidman.
The home was designed between 1988 and 1993 for Geelum and Sheila Simpson-Lee as a single storey building made from pavilion-like structures.
Glenn Murcutt’s Simpson-Lee House II has been listed on the State Heritage Register.
Image:
Anthony Browell
Located in the Blue Mountains 1,000 metres above sea level, the building resides in a World-Heritage-listed landscape in Mount Wilson and channels the Aboriginal ethos of “touching the earth lightly”. Murcutt adopted a minimalist, abstract design, featuring a north-facing pavilion an angled roof to protect the building in summer and allow winter sun access.
Heritage NSW said the architect’s response to topography, solar control and climactic considerations made it an exceptional modernist house that celebrates its bushland context.
Murcutt himself agreed that the Simpson-Lee House II represented a feat of innovative design, considered materials and functional detailing.
“The house, within its site, provides the most beautiful quality of life. It may well be the most significant project I have undertaken in my career,” the architect said.
Heritage listing will ensure the significance of the home is preserved and protected for future generations.
The Simpson-Lees’ first house in Wahroonga designed by Arthur Baldwinson was also added to the State Heritage Register in 2009.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
