Skip to main content

Harry Seidler, Killara, Sydney
, 1984 (printed 2000)

by David Moore

gelatin silver photograph

Harry Seidler AC OBE (1923-2006), architect and designer, was born in Vienna. He studied in England and Canada and worked with a number of leading American architects before deciding to settle in Sydney in 1948. The first house he designed - for his parents - introduced Bauhaus principles to Australia. Thereafter Seidler made a significant contribution to the architecture of Sydney, for example in his Australia Square buildings (1961-7), the MLC Centre (1972-5) and Grosvenor Place (1982-88). In Canberra, his designs include the Campbell medium-density housing complex, Ethos House in the city, Barton Offices and the Yarralumla Lakeview apartments. From the 1970s the multiple-award-winning Seidler held visiting professorships at universities in Australia, the USA and Switzerland.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Accession number: 2001.133