Paddington's Guriganya and the pavilion trend: He Said/She Said

The recent listing of Guriganya, a pavilion-style residence in Paddington, Sydney, sparked the interest of our property contrarians, Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok.

While not the first pavilion-style house built in Sydney, Guriganya’s design received much acclaim when it was built in the late 1970s including a merit award in 1980 from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Some $5.25 million is being sought.

Its architectural style certainly dates back to architect Harry Seidler's introduction in the 1950s and 1960s, and Glenn Murcutt popularized it in subsequent decades.

Designed by architect Terry Dorrough and his wife, artist and interior designer Helen, the three-pavilion abode was built on the site of Sydney's fourth progressive school, Guriganya Community School.

The single-storey pavilion style residence, with a mezzanine level over the garage, surrounds a courtyard garden on its 443 square metre block. 

This week Jonathan and Margie discuss Guriganya and the obvious merits of pavilion-style architecture. 

HE SAID

I’m all for this architectural style – it suits to the Australian climate and lifestyle. With the football finals over and weather warming up, doors of houses across Australia are being thrown open to embrace the outdoors, and pavilion style houses do this exceptionally well.

Glass walls and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors are key elements of the pavilion style which also embraces open-plan living, clean lines and an easy indoor-outdoor flow to landscaped gardens and alfresco entertainment areas.

I think Guriganya is a fine example of this architectural style, and I’ve watched its previous two sales with interest. In 1994 Terry and Helen Dorough sold the home for $920,000 to adman David Anstee and his then partner, Jennifer Divall. 

Anstee listed the property for sale in 2006, and interestingly before it hit the market, he commissioned architect Peter Lonergan to object to its heritage listing by the modern heritage-minded Woollahra Council.

The recommendation of consulting architects Clive Lucas, Stapleton & Partners was ignored after Anstee successfully lobbied councillors in 2006 against its inclusion

"Many places have received varying awards from the Sulman Medal to the Bent Fork Award," said Lonergan at the time. "The contemporary system of awarding human activity and occupation is not in itself a measure of distinction."

At its 2006 auction through Ray White Double Bay agents Michael Finger and Kim Hayes, Guriganya sold for $4.83 million to insurance guru, John Mills and his partner Greg Clark.

After eight years in residence there, Mills and Clark have now listed the 433 square metre property at 11 Elizabeth Place (with an additional entry adjacent to 172 Underwood Street) for auction on October 27 through agents Brad Pillinger and James Dack.

“A classic example of the Sydney School style of architecture, with subtle Japanese and Scandinavian influences, it features an organic palette of materials and has been designed to embrace an internal garden oasis…. Perfect for entertaining, the interiors spill out to the idyllic established gardens and an enormous courtyard with wisteria-framed pergola,” says the agents’ advertising.  

I recall another pavilion style house with lots of open living and the blurring of the boundaries between indoors and out was at Matcham on the NSW Central Coast. It was the Vogue-featured steel and glass pavilion-style retreat designed by architect Rob Pullar for Gordon and Lyndal Undy, owners of the Glebe gallery, Blackwattle Studio.

Another was Ironbark House, a Phil Gant-designed residence at Bundewallah, near Berry, on a 10,000sqm block in the foothills of the escarpment. Featuring views over farmland, the four-bedroom, pavilion-style house was completed for the Edwards family. The house has hardwood floors, under-floor bathroom heating, a 650-bottle wine cellar, and plenty of full-length glass doors and windows.

One pavilion style residence currently for sale is the Port Stephens retreat of art gallery owner Richard Martin. Listed with hopes of $2 million, the Boat Harbour house was designed by architect Pat Nicholas. It set a local record when veteran TV presenter Mike Willesee sold it for $1.6 million in 2003. 

SHE SAID

I agree with Jonathan - pavilion-style houses are perfect for the Aussie indoor-outdoor lifestyle. With their simple box-like volumes and linear geometry framing views of local surroundings, these houses suit the city, country and coast.

While German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was at the foreforont of the pavilion-style house with his Barcelona Pavilion, a radical design for the International Exposition in Spain in 1929, it was the modernist architects Harry Seidler and Glenn Murcutt who popularised the style in Australia. 

Guriganya is a fine example of the pavilion-style architecture. I love its simplicity, vast expanses of glass and connection with the outdoors. Built in the late 1970s, it has stood the test of time for its design has not dated. 

More recently built is the Mona Vale pavilion-style house of Peter Ritchie, former chief executive of McDonald's Australia, and his wife, Leigh. Listed again for sale with Lachlan Elder, of LJ Hooker Mona Vale, this beach house is one of Sydney's largest beachfront properties. 

Designed by architect Peter Burford, the pavilion-style home has front and rear glass bifold doors that open up the panoramic ocean view. The house is surrounded by a level lawn that extends to the beachfront.  I recall the Ritchies bought the two blocks that make up the 2056-square-metre property back in 1996 and then 1997 for $850,000 and $1,185,000 respectively.

 Among the priciest and most extravagant pavilion style houses for sale is the Glenhaven home of construction industry boss Mark Taylor and his wife Eleni. It is listed with hopes of $6 million through McGrath Castle Hill's Jonathan de Jong. It was designed by architect Heather Buttrose when built in 1999 for property developer Graeme Webb and his wife Pamela. It's been recently renovated with all the requisite smart home technology that buyers would expect of a construction industry boss.

As well as eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms, it has separate office wing with a loft gym. There are he formal and informal living areas, rumpus and games rooms,, wine cellar, self-contained quarters and garaging for 12 cars. 

Another interesting pavilion-style house is Angophora House designed by architect Richard Leplastrier. Comprising six pavilions, this house is designed in harmony with its location sited at the edge of an extended grove of towering Angophoras near the Angophora Reserve at Avalon on Sydney’s northern beaches. 

Sheltered from the harsh southerly winds in winter, and cooled in summer by north-easterly breezes, the layout of the pavilions has excellent connection with the landscape and practical separation between the bedrooms, living and dining areas and guest pavilion.

Sold early this year for $1.6 million Angophora House, was marketed by the agency, Modern House Estate Agents, as "a piece of fine cabinetry for humans". The house was sold by builder Andew Campbell who has worked on a number of Leplastrier's designs.