Nino Sydney, famous for making modernist architecture accessible to all Australians, sadly passed away earlier this month at the age of 89.
Served as Chief Architect at Lend Lease Homes for 12 years (1961-1973), Sydney is best known for its design of Beachcomber and Pan Pacific homes, which have become a mainstay of the Australian suburbs.
Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Sydney moved to Sydney in 1955 after receiving his degree in architecture from the University of Zagreb. After receiving another degree in architecture from the University of Sydney in 1958, he moved to Europe, working in a number of studios in Germany and Luxembourg.
Nearly 100 of the original Beachcomber homes, built in the 1960s, still exist within the harbor city, with its influence on modern homes evident throughout Australian streets today. Rectangular designs, open-plan layouts, full-height glazing, and full-length verandas became mainstays of Australian residential architecture, pioneered by Sydney.
To highlight Sydney’s desire for practicality and affordability, many of the homes featuring his designs were built as part of a £2,000 package, and were the first to come with insulation as standard.
“Nino wanted people to be able to buy a home for the cost of two family cars,” Beachcomber artist and owner Billy Groner says in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Today, they cost over 100 cars, and you’ll never be able to pay them back. But it was revolutionary at the time to be able to live in a beautiful designer project house instead of a terrible little house.
“It was quite democratic, and it was a game changer in our suburbs, and everyone has better buildings. Beachcombers still look great today, and they have a lot of green credentials with almost no impact on the site. There is now a real cult around them.”
It is estimated that Sydney designed more than 50 house styles by biographer Davina Jackson. The architect was awarded the NSW RAIA Project House Design Award for his work creating the Casa Blanca Model in 1967.
After leaving Lend Lease Homes in 1973, Sydney took over his private practice, offering a number of bespoke homes, which he finished in 1997. Sydney was a squash and water polo player, and played both sports to a high level. At the time of his death, Sydney was working on an updated version of Beachcomber, with the goal of addressing a number of issues including the nature of modern living and sustainability.
Sydney is survived by his wife Vera, as well as their children Mark, Maya and Danny.
Picture 1: http://www.drivingandlife.com/2017/11/a-giant-named-nino.html
Picture 2: Sphere