Skyscraper Museum | Australia Square
Earlier tonight — September 5, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. — I watched the webinar Harry Seidler’s Australia Square: Sydney’s First Modern Skyscraper presented by the architect, curator, and author Vladimir Belogolovsky and hosted by the Skyscraper Museum. I previously have watched other webinars hosted by the Skyscraper Museum, including The Great American Transit Disaster, which focused on the defunding of public transportation, and CBS Headquarters, an in-depth look at the construction of “Black Rock”, and other concrete skyscrapers.
Although overshadowed by Sydney Opera House when considering Australian architecture, Australia Square continues to be a remarkable feat of architecture. Measuring between 170 and 182.5 meters tall, the skyscraper was arguably the tallest lightweight concrete building in the world when first built from 1961 to 1967. The skyscraper’s rival in height was Marina City in Chicago, IL, measuring about 179 meters tall and built at the same time. While Harry Seidler was the architect on the project, he did not work alone. In fact, he was well-known for consulting with other architects, emulating their architectural styles, and assembling a team of experts to create a precisely constructed building.
Before designing Australia Square, Seidler met with architects Philip Johnson and I.M. Pei (both featured on this blog in the Culturally Curious talk Revolutionary Design) to determine how to construct Australia’s first modernist icon. Developer Gerardus “Dick” Dusseldorp, a Dutch engineer who moved to Australia in 1950, and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, from Rome, Italy, joined Seidler’s team. Nervi designed the columns and curved, interlocking ribs prominently seen on the lower two floors of the building. His work drew inspiration from Roman architecture of antiquity, as his other works, like Kursaal in Ostia, Italy and Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome, had similar designs.
To decorate the building, Seidler traveled across the United States and Europe with his wife, Penelope, to commission artists. Alexander Calder created the enormous, abstract sculpture Crossed Blades now standing in the plaza outside the building. Inside the lobby was once a pair of tapestries called Unesco designed by Le Corbusier in 1966. Today, that tapestry hangs at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In its place is a mural painted by Sol LeWitt in 2003. Other artworks include tapestries by Calder and Joan Miró along with a sculpture by Norman Carlberg.
Seidler designed many other notable concrete skyscrapers in Australia and abroad during his career. In 1974, he completed the Edmund Barton Building, originally known Trade Group Offices, in Canberra, Australia. From 1972 to 1977, he worked with Dusseldorp and Nervi to build MLC Centre, also called 25 Martin Place, in Sydney. In 1979, he completed Hong Kong Club in Hong Kong, replacing a Victorian era structure with a modern skyscraper.
During the Q&A, Belogolovsky explained the difference in approach between Seidler and one of his mentors, Marcel Breuer. The older architect was experimental to the point that his early houses failed because the cantilevers were too long. Seidler was more careful, calculated, and refined, focusing on what he already knew. Belogolovsky compared Seidler to a conductor bringing together architects, engineers, and artists, then explaining exactly what he wanted them to create. As Seidler grew older, his style greatly changed. He no longer copied the “voice” of Breuer and his Harvard professor, Walter Gropius (whose home is now a museum that I previously visited and reviewed), but instead “reinvent[ed] architecture in his own way”. Belogolovsky believes Seidler’s ability to bring people together gave him the confidence to explore what he wanted to build.
Like previous talks hosted by the Skyscraper Museum, this presentation combined beautiful pictures and an expert presenter. Belogolovsky explained the history and engineering behind buildings in an understandable way using plenty of details, perfect for someone starting to learn more about 20th century architecture and for the seasoned expert. His answers during the Q&A explained more about Seidler’s personality and brought a human element to the physically intimidating buildings. Once again, I look forward to future talks hosted by the Skyscraper Museum.