Secret Design Studio’s grand tour of Rose Seidler House with an architect’s eye

Alistair McLean

Alistair: Posted on Tuesday, 3 July 2012 1:02 AM

Thanks to Marcus Lloyd-Jones of Australia’s “Modern House: The architect-designed estate agency”

(www.modernhouse.co), Secret Design Studio will be attending the opening night of Harry Seidler’s grand tour: travelling the world with an architect’s eye which is an exhibition of photographs taken by Harry Seidler.

Taken during Seidler’s many travels worldwide, these photographs capture ancient sites and monuments as well as contemporary architecture by world-renowned architects, many of whom collaborated with Seidler on his own work. The photographs focus chiefly on the fine craftsmanship and detail of each structure and highlight the ingenuity of the architects who designed them.

As it was a beautiful day in Sydney today, Secret Design Studio thought it would be fitting to complete our own grand tour of Seidler’s first home the Rose Seidler House in Wahroonga. If you are not familiar with Harry Seidler, or his Rose Seidler House go to these links:
http://www.hht.net.au/discover/highlights/guidebooks/rose_seidler_house_guidebook

http://www.hht.net.au/museums/rose_seidler_house/

The Rose Seidler House is perhaps the most iconic, most important and most photographed mid-century modern house in Australia, and it is a tribute to the Historic Houses Trust that the house and grounds are so lovingly maintained. It actually looked like the painters and gardeners had finished work yesterday in preparation for Secret Design Studio’s Grand Tour! According to the guidebook the house has been restored to its original “controversial” colours, but Secret Design Studio thinks that they look just right for the architecture, and that there is nothing controversial about them.

I decided that I would concentrate on taking some shots of the detailing of the home so that I could try and work out what parts had been renewed since the house was first built, and to see if I could find any 21st century thinking behind the mid-century modernism. I wanted to capture some of the elements, angles and aspects that are not usually photographed of this important home. Have a look at the photos below, which are only half of what I took today to see if you can spot the new. So starting from the top of the driveway…