Harry and Penelope Seidler House

Sculpture outside house

Harry and Penelope Seidler House was the home of architects Penelope and Harry Seidler. It is located in Kalang Avenue, Killara on Sydney's North Shore, and was designed by Harry and Penelope Seidler. It is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.

Features

Covering 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft), it is constructed with reinforced masonry walls, concrete floors and roof, with rubble-stone retaining walls and fireplace. It won the Royal Australian Institute of Architects' (NSW Chapter) Wilkinson Award in 1967.

A concrete bridge leads from the entrance over a drop to the front door where the plaque is located, detailing the home's win of the Wilkinson Award. The site is uneven and challenging for a concrete home, the sandstone and base cement slab do not touch each other, and the house sits on piers dug into the sandstone ground.

The house has three levels that are only partially open to each other. On the top level is the kitchen and dining, small gallery and balcony. The second level has the living area and bedrooms. There is also a large pool and outdoor area that was added at a later date. The home is surrounded by natural Australian bush while being in an urban environment. The home is furnished with 1960s inspired modernist art and classic modern furniture by Breuer and Eames.^[1]

Living home

Harry and Penelope Seidler moved into the building on Harry Seidler's birthday in 1967 and lived there for the remaining years of his life. Harry Seidler suffered a paralytic stroke on late 24 April 2005 and died of septocemia on 9 March 2006. Penelope Seidler continued to work as an architect as of 2013.^[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harry Seidler.

External links

Pictures of the house taken in 2006 can be seen at: Twentieth Century Heritage Society of NSW
More information about the works of Harry Seidler at: www.seidler.net.au