It will soon be easier for Australian architects to work in the UK, with negotiations on a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) in their final stages. The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia, welcoming the signing of the free trade agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom on December 17, said the MRA was due to be […] More
WA’s first children’s hospice, envisioned as an intimate facility surrounded by nature and close to the ocean, is closer to fruition, with plans lodged with the State Development Assessment Unit. Designed by Hassell, the $25.5 million facility will accommodate seven beds, three family suites as well as shared family and play rooms, a hydrotherapy pool, […] More
Nino Sydney, the man behind the famous Beachcomber house and long-time chief architect of Lend Lease Homes, has died at the age of 89.
Born in Croatia, Sydney arrived in Australia – to the city whose name he shared – in 1955, completing his study of architecture at the University of Sydney from 1956 to 1958.
After working in architecture practice in Germany and Luxemburg, he was appointed chief architect of Lend Lease Homes (Lend Lease’s project homes division) in 1961, a position he would hold until 1973.
His very first design for the firm was the iconic Beachcomber, an elevated, Le Corbusier-inspired house that has become synonymous with an affordable, laidback Australian modernism. Around 200 Beachcombers were built during the 1960s, and a website dedicated to the house design has identified around 40 still standing, along with another hundred copycats.
A biography of Sydney by Davina Jackson relates that he designed more than 50 house styles for Lend Lease, along with a house in Tahiti for Lend Lease founder Dick Dusseldorp. In 1967, he won the NSW RAIA Project House design award for his Casa Blanca model.
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1962 magazine clipping about the radical new Beachcomber house.
Sydney’s Beachcomber and Pan-Pacific designs were first built on a property at Carlingford, and promoted as part of the historic 1962 Carlingford Homes Fair, which included 19 project homes designed by leading architects such as Ken Woolley, Harry Seidler, Clark Gazzard, John Ley, Towell Rippon and Michael Dysart.
Sydney’s son, Mark Sydney, told the Sydney Morning Herald that his dad was passionate about “making good things.”
“If you asked him for his proudest achievement, it was that he could develop modern architecture for Australians and still keep it affordable,” he told the paper. “He loved the work of Harry Seidler among others, but felt their homes were often within the remit of very wealthy people who had the money to pay for them.”
From 1973 to 1997, Sydney directed his own practice delivering custom-designed houses – many of them elevated like the Beachcomber. His biography notes that he was also a keen sportsman, competing in squash and water polo at a high level.
Sydney is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Vera, and their children Mark, Maya and Danny. More
A Richards and Spence-designed apartment building proposed for 31 Doggett Street, Tenerife would embrace the design ethos of the nearby James Street Precinct, where the firm has designed a collection of buildings including The Calile Hotel. The six-storey tower would house 22 “boutique” apartments, including four three-bedroom apartments, a rooftop recreation space and retail and […] More
Bureau Proberts has designed a 10-storey apartment building for a triangular site on the western riverbank at Toowong, Brisbane. The tower would extend to the edges of the site, maximizing frontage towards the river while responding to the landscape. “The architecture responds with wide open verandas, transparent apertures, and planted edges to embrace its riparian […] More
A housing development proposed for the Perth suburb of Mount Lawley that seeks to respond to the surrounding Federation-era architecture “without resorting to pastiche” has been recommended for approval. Designed by Hillam Architects, the 7–9 Field Street development will include 22 apartments and six townhouses. It sits within a character protection area recognized as a […] More
Aodeli Australia, provider of facade cladding panels, has launched a Stainless Steel Mirror Panel (SSP). The product has been developed to fill a need in the Australian construction market for reliable mirror products. SSP is predominantly an exterior product but is making its debut as part of the National Gallery of Victoria’s recently launched Gabrielle […] More
Ignite has announced the internal appointment of Jose Dall’asta to associate director. Since joining Ignite’s Sydney studio in January 2007, Dall’asta has led several large-scale retail and hospitality projects, including the Market City Food Precinct in Haymarket and an array of Kingpin Bowling Lounges across Australia. Ignite director Jason Marriott said the appointment recognized Dall’asta’s […] More
