The history of Brisbane modernist architecture on display

A new exhibition at the State Library of Queensland aims to reveal the bubbling well of creativity that flourished in the middle of the last century, in the city of Brisbane. “Hot Modernism: Building Modern Queensland 1945-75” is on display until October 12 and features displays, workshops, talks and interactive activities.

 Hot Modernism: Building Modern Queensland examines architecture and design in the state between 1945 and 1975.

The image of Brisbane as a sleepy country town through the 1950s, 60s and 70s is sometimes hard to dispel. For SLQ co-curator Gavin Bannerman, it was a rich period in the state’s history with an emphasis on clean lines, minimalist design, new construction materials and methods, colour, and a preoccupation with how people would live in the future. “The architectural community was a hotbed of ideas which continue to resonate with people now,” he said.

The exhibition’s key display is a full size replica of Jacobi House, which was built in Indooroopilly in 1957 and is still occupied by offshoots of the same family. “We wanted a bit of wow factor, a drawcard for people who might not know what modernism is,” Mr Bannerman said. “You can show photographs or architectural plans, but nothing really beats experiencing it in its full scale.”

Sunbakers at Lennons Broadbeach Hotel, 1958. Architect: Karl Langer John Oxley Library, SLQâ

Visitors will also be able to sit in a 1960s living room, examine original drawings and historical photographs, and even play with 3D-printed models of Brisbane CBD buildings of the era.

“A lot of the designs feel contemporary because these people were thinking about how people would want to live in the future,” Bannerman said.

Some examples of the futuristic style is the Centenary Pool at Spring Hill, which was designed by James Birrell for the state’s 100th anniversary in 1959 and is reminiscent of a home from The Jetsons, the work of Robin Gibson, who designed the Social Sciences library and Mayne Hall at the University of Queensland, as well as the Queensland Cultural Centre, and other examples could be Torbreck apartments at Highgate Hill, the Eisenmenger House at Carina and the Riverside Expressway.

by Santi Ivar

Sources:

Brisbanetimes.com.au

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