Australian Architecture: Living the Modern

Since the 1950s, a unique form of modern architecture has been developing in Australia — a “progressive modernism,” which involves the dynamic combination of tradition and transformation. This catalogue accompanies the exhibition Living the Modern: Australian Architecture, and analyzes this culture- and environment-specific architecture, using its residential constructions as a basis for examination. The scope of the book extends from detached family houses to high-rise buildings. Examples of early design from the post-war period are explored in an introductory overview, but the focus of the publication is directed towards a diverse mix of twenty-five Australian architects. For the last fifteen years, they have been applying, interpreting, or reworking modernist approaches, but despite fame in their homeland, their outstanding and refreshing productions remain largely unheard of in Europe.