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Sydney Architecture Images- Northern Suburbs Burley Griffin Lodge (formerly Stella James House) |
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architect |
Walter Burley Griffin |
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location |
32 Plateau Rd., Avalon |
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date |
1934 |
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style |
Inter-War Art Deco |
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construction |
stone cladding, render |
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type |
House |
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Stella James House is located in Avalon, in the lush bushland environs of
Pittwater, on Sydney’s northern beaches. It was designed by the American
architect Walter Burley Griffin and stands as one of his finest
surviving examples of a small domestic residence. The property is
celebrated as an exquisite exemplar of planning, siting and integrated
“organic” design. The preservation of the pristine bushland setting
demonstrates the original character of the Newport/Avalon district. Walter Burley Griffin is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia’s capital city. With his architect wife, Marion Mahony Griffin, he designed a number of small domestic residences around the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag which successfully incorporated the natural setting into the architectural design, with the aim of creating an idyllic community. Griffin studied under the great “Organic” architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago and was greatly influenced by Wright’s use of site-specific natural materials and by his emphasis on horizontal design. Wright’s “Prairie House” residential designs of the early 1900s favoured extended, low-slung buildings with shallow roofs and a pioneering preference for open plan living. His legacy both informed and evolved in Griffin’s designs. Formerly known as Burley Griffin Lodge, Stella James House was owned and built by Stella James and her lifelong partner, Clare Stevenson before being acquired by the National Trust of Australia (NSW) in 1964. In 1933 and living in Elizabeth Bay at the time, James and Stevenson commissioned Walter Burley Griffin to design an informal “weekender” retreat on their Avalon site. Stella James House was designed as an elegant single storey residence with a flat roof. It features a bank of large glass windows designed to best take advantage of the bright northerly aspect and the spectacular bushland setting. The house was built of local sandstone, reflecting Griffin’s objectives that materials should be used honestly, in harmony with nature. The simple floorplan is comprised of two bedrooms at one end of a large rectangular living area. A third bedroom and WC were later additions in 1993. Walter Burley Griffin died prematurely in India in 1937. The lodge is the only Griffin house in public ownership. It reflects the charismatic lives of both Clare Stevenson and Stella James and remains a memorial to the architect and his work. After the National Trust had acquired the property, James and Stevenson remained as tenants until 1973. Their generosity was an admirable example to many, including Marie Byles, a friend within their social circle who also generously donated her retreat ‘Ahimsa’ to the Trust in 1970. |
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Probably the finest surviving example of a small house by Griffin.
Brilliant example of planning siting and organic design generally.
Bushland surround of fine tall stands of eucalypts and angophoras on a
sloping site reveal original character of Newport/Avalon district. House
was commissioned by Miss Estelle James. Holiday cottage on steeply sloping 2 acre wooded site. Constructed of squared stone blocks, timber framing, with sloping roofs covered with bituminised felt. Originally comprised a central living area, two bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom with a garage at a higher level. Sympathetically extended in 1960s by Sydney Ancher. Living area designed around a central chimney block; three main rooms open onto north grassed terrace. Characteristic triangular braced doors, sloping boarded ceilings and circular reinforced concrete columns. |
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www.sydneyarchitecture.com |
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links |
http://www.nsw.nationaltrust.org.au/properties/stellajames/default.asp |