Harry and Penelope Seidler House

Harry and Penelope Seidler House
Harry and Penelope Seidler house
General information
Type	House
Location	1 Castlecrag
Coordinates	33°45′33.50″S 151°9′58.8″E / 33.7593056°S 151.166333°ECoordinates: 33°45′33.50″S 151°9′58.8″E / 33.7593056°S 151.166333°E
Opening	1967
Owner	Penelope Seidler

Sculpture outside house

This modernist house was the home of architects Penelope and Harry Seidler. Located in Kalang Avenue, Killara on Sydney's North Shore, it was designed by the owners and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.

Features

Covering 400 square metres (4,300 sq ft), the house 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)'s Wilkinson Award in 1967.

A concrete bridge leads from the entrance over a drop to the front door where the Wilkinson Award plaque is located. The site is steeply sloping 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 upper levels that are only partially open to each other, and a fourth lower level. On the top level is the kitchen and dining room, a small gallery and a balcony. The second level has the living area with balcony and master bedroom. Both these (upper) levels share the same ceiling which is under the roof—and is lined with Tasmanian oak.^[1] A large pool and outdoor area was added in 1976. The home is surrounded by natural Australian bush in a suburb which is only 15km from Sydney's central business district. The home is furnished with 1960s and 1970s modernist art works and modern furniture by Breuer and Eames.^[2]

Occupancy

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 septicemia on 9 March 2006. As of 2016, Penelope Seidler continued to reside at the house, and to work as an architect.^[3]

References

1. Penelope Seidler's filmed interview at the house for Monocle magazine, "Sydney Residence: Harry and Penelope Seidler House. February 2016"
2. "Harry and Penelope Seidler House". State Heritage Register. Government of New South Wales: Office of Environment & Heritage. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
3. "Company Profile". Harry Seidler & Associates, official website. 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.

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