Book review: Henry Kulka | Architecture Now

The resulting book, Henry Kulka, is another collaboration between Reid, based in London, and photographer Mary Gaudin, who now lives in France. It is a work of art. 

Henry Kulka was deeply connected and fully involved in the modern movement in Austria in the early 20th century, well before he arrived in New Zealand as a refugee, in 1940. His teacher, mentor and later colleague was Adolf Loos (one of the images in the book is a photograph of the bridal party at Loos’ wedding in 1929 — Kulka is beside and behind Loos and the warmth of the occasion shines on his face). Kulka, Czech born and educated in Vienna, worked with Loos from 1920 until his death in 1933 and wrote the first monograph on Loos, Adolf Loos: The Work of the Architect, in 1931. In 1939, Kulka, who was Jewish, escaped Austria with his family, travelling first to England before finally arriving in New Zealand. He remained here for the rest of his life and, through his work and direct knowledge as a practitioner of early modernism, contributed significantly to architecture in this country.

Kulka landed well in New Zealand; he was employed shortly after his arrival by the Fletcher Construction Company, at that time still a family-run business. In the 1940s, Fletchers was in a full-growth stage. The company was consolidating the supply and manufacture of materials to support its construction side by building factories and warehouses throughout the country. Kulka became head architect at Fletchers and was responsible for the design of many remarkable commercial buildings for the company, including its Penrose Head Office (1941–1943), and the project that is given a monograph in this book, ‘Penrose House’ (1943). This project surprises — a subtle and very refined alteration to a 19th-century, two-storeyed timber villa. This unexpected territory, the meshing of the existing with the new, is at play in many of the works featured in the book, and it is refreshing to see respectful interventions as well as ‘from the ground up’ works.

The book focuses on selected works: projects that have survived largely intact or that still, even in decay, show Kulka’s talent and the approach to design that he learned and developed with his great mentor Adolf Loos. The first five exemplars are in Austria and the Czech Republic. These are followed by three New Zealand projects.

The description of each place begins with a photographic essay by Gaudin. For most of the projects, very beautiful key plans have been created and these are interleaved with the photographs. The photographs are a mix of wide shots together with quirky details that show each place as a whole while celebrating the materials, textures and details of each building. A few historical images (black and white) are also carefully interspersed and, as Reid states in the introduction, the historical photographs do not express “the extraordinary material and chromatic qualities” of these places. This is an understatement; the first example, Landhaus Khuner (Kreuzberg, Austria 1929–1930), meets all the criteria to be ‘Accidentally Wes Anderson’. It is a whacky building, both inside and out, and vibrates with colour. Who knew that Adolf Loos (Kulka worked with Loos on this project) could be this much fun? These qualities are celebrated in Gaudin’s images. 

Kulka was a subtle architect with a very refined pedigree. His work plays with space and form, and the ideas that informed his earliest works underpinned his approach to architecture throughout his career. The idea of shifting volumes within a space, creating different areas that interrelate can be seen in all these works. Reid’s text celebrates Kulka’s designs through a combination of thorough research and empathetic analysis. He provides a background that positions Kulka as an architect of international standing and this book honours his contribution to the world of architecture and to architecture in Aotearoa New Zealand.