Modernism was a movement that swept the world, rejecting adornment in favour of functionality. Originating in Europe, postwar migration brought modernism and the tradesmen who knew who to construct it to the shores of Australia. Examples of the style began appearing all over the nation, and Adelaide was certainly no exception.
In his fourth book, South Australian historian and author Tim Reeves collates 101 examples of modernist houses completed in Adelaide between 1939 and 1974. The book presents modernist architecture in all its guises, and with all its strengths and flaws. The majority of architects showcased are South Australian, with some so prolific and talented that they have multiple entries allocated to them (think John Chappel and Jack Cheesman). Nearly half of the projects featured are architects’ own homes; however, the book also contains examples of modernist public housing, blocks of flats, conceptual competition entries and designs by bodies such as the Small Homes Service and the South Australian Home Builders’ Club.
There is no shortage of illustrations in the book, with more than 300 floor plans, images and historical newspaper clippings dispersed throughout. However, this book serves as more than a visual medium to wow at; it carries within it a deeper message and call to action. And there is nowhere that this message is better encapsulated than in the introduction: “I would argue that Adelaide was producing houses well on par with the rest of Australia, including the eastern states. In this context it is distressing to realise how few of the book’s houses have been heritage-listed, how many have been demolished, and the others altered such that the original architectural intent has been irreparably lost. It is time to act to save what little there is left of our modernist heritage,” remarked Reeves.
Adelaide Modernism 101 Houses by Tim Reeves is published by Wakefield Press.
