Roy Grounds: Biography
1905 Born in Albert Park, Victoria
Went to a number of schools before attending Scoth College 2 years.
Secondary education at Melbourne Grammar School.Graduate from the University of Melbourne Architectural Atelier at the time under the direction of Leighton Irwin, ca 1928
4 year internship with the Georgian Revival architects Blackett and Forster.
1929 and 1932 - Travelled to Europe and the United States . In Europe, worked for a year with expatriate Australian modernist architect Raymond McGrath. American experiences included designing film sets in Hollywood at RKO and MGM.
1932 Returned to Melbourne.
Started partnership with his draftsman friend Geoffrey Mewton with whom he had travelled to England. Due to shortage of projects from the Great Depression, the firm only did furniture and lights fitting designings.
Firm lasted a period of 5 yearsFew of the most significant pre-war houses at this period by Grounds and Mewton are:
1933-34 Ground' own house, Ranelagh Estate
1933 Stooke House, Brighton designed by MewtonIn 1935 the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects voted both these houses the best house designs in Victoria this century.
Other significant examples of this period of Grounds' practice included the:
1. First Henty House 'Portland Lodge' in Frankston (1933 - 34),
2. 'Lyncroft' in Shoreham (1934),
3. Fairbairn House, Toorak (1936) and the
4. Ramsay House in Mount Eliza (1937).During this period Grounds developed a domestic architectural style which clearly showed the influence of the contemporary Bay Region architects of the United States west coast, particularly William Wurster, of whose work he had had direct experience while working as a set designer in Los Angeles.
1937 Grounds retired from practice.
Lived in France for awhile
1939 War broke out in Australia, Grounds practising again in MelbourneDuring this perior 1939-41, Grounds designed a number of significant apartment blocks in Toorak all of which are still standing. These are:
1. Clendon (1939 - 40) and Clendon Corner (1940) in Clendon Road
2. Moonbria, (1941) in Mathoura Road
3. Quamby (1941) in Glover Court
Clendon Corner investigated a new typology for the then decreasing household. One of the early experimental designs for units for singles.These designs reflect Grounds' new-found interest in contemporary Scandinavian housing design and in the work of Raymond McGrath for whom Grounds had worked in London.
Quamby was Grounds' last project before war started.
1941 45 Grounds became a flight-lieutenant in the RAAF, working on airfield
construction.
Took up farming at the end of war.
1948 Appointed as senior lecturer at University of Melbourne.
In the post war period Grounds earlier 'Bay Region' influenced designs began further influence other important contemporary Melbourne modernist :-
Norman Seabrook, most famous for his Dudok inspired design for MacRobertson Girl's High School, (1934)
Best Overend- apartment blocks'Cairo' opposite the Exhibition buildings in Nicholson Street Melbourne.Both of these architects began to produce designs in a softer contextualised modernism utilising 'natural' materials, exposed brickwork and stained rather than painted woodwork.
At this time despite his regionalist tendencies Grounds was associated with the 'Angry Penguins group of painters and writers. This group included John Reed, later to commission 'Heide' now the Museum of Modern Art in Templestowe, Max Harris, Sidney Nolan and Albert Tucker.He retained the right of private practice and produced at least eighteen new projects in the next seven years. During this time his work displayed an increasing interest in the use of 'platonic forms', circles, squares and triangles, in the organisation of his plans.
In the 1950s post-war period many younger architects in Victoria also experimented with geometric forms in their house designs like Peter McIntyre, Robin Boyd and John Mockridge, Chancellor an dpatrivk
Typical of this period by Grounds are the:
1. Second Henty House 'The Round House' in Olivers Hill,Frankston (1950 - 53)
Retaining characteristics of the regional style,eg widely projecting eaves, exposed rafters, unpainted vertical boarding, with a circular plan2. The Grounds House and apartments in Hill Street Toorak (1954) - square plan with circular courtyard,
3. and the Leyser House in Kew (1951) - a triangular plan
Grounds' geometric concerns imparted a certain monumentality to his work, somewhat at odds with the contemporary striving after lightness and transparency which characterised much contemporary work at the time, and of which he was openly sceptical.
During his time as a lecturer at Melbourne University Grounds appointed the expatriate German, Swiss trained architect Frederick Romberg and the young Robin Boyd as tutors.
1953 Returned to practise in Melbourne
Partnership with Frederick Romberg and Robin Boyd1954 Grounds, Romberg and Boyd won the RAIA Victorian Architecture Medal for 5 apartments at 24 Hill Street, Toorak
Designed his own house at Hill Street, Toorak. It has a circular motif for his plans, and whose model is later used again for the Arts Centre design.1955 Led the team for Grounds, romberg and Boyd in the competition for the design of Myer Music Bowl against Barry Patten ( his student) for Yuncken Freeman Griffiths and Simpson.Resigned from the collaborative when he declared Patten's design to be most appropriate.
1957 Grounds, to some extent influenced by Saarinen's Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, designed the circular Academy of Science building in Canberra, affectionately dubbed the 'Martian Embassy'.1959 Grounds was awarded the commission to design the Victorian Art Centre - National Gallery of Victoria complex in St. Kilda Road Melbourne.
1962 Grounds left the partnership taking the Arts Centre job with him
Devoted the last twenty years of his professional life primarily to completing this commission.1968 Roy Grounds was knighted
Same year awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects for his contribution to architecture.1969 Grounds won the RAIA Victorian Chapter Citation for Public building for Victorian Arts Centre.
Roy Grounds died in 1981.
1983 Sir Roy Grounds was posthumously awarded the 1983 William Wilkinson Wardell Award in the Victoria Chapter's Annual Awards.
Bibliography
1. Goad,Philip, "The Modern House in Melbourne, 1945-75" , Philip Goad phD Thesis, Bailieu Library, Melbourne University.
2. Goad,Philip, " Melbourne Architecture", Balmain, NSW, The Watermark Press, 1998.
3. Boyd,Robin," Australia's Home", Melbourne Uni Press, 1952.
4. Serle,G, " Robin Boyd A life", Melbourne Uni Press, 1996.
5. Clerehan,Neil , " Best Australia House", Cheshire,Melbourne, 1961.
6. Freeland,J.M. , " Architecture in Australia ", Cheshire, Melbourne
7. Freeland,J.M. , " Architects of Australia", Australian Broadcasting Commission ( sound cassettes)
8. Hamann,Conrad , " Modern Architecture in Melbourne: The Architecture of Grounds,Romberg, Boyd 1927 71 ", Unpublished phD Thesis, Visual Arts Departent, Monash Uni, July 1978.
9. Hamann,Conrad , "Grounds, Romberg and Boyd" in Tanner,Howard " Architects of Australia", South Melbourne:Macmillan, 1981.
10. Boyd,R, " Victoria Modern", Melbourne Uni Press
11. Day,Norman , " Heroic Melbourne, Architecture of the 1950's", RMIT
12. Day,Norman , " Sir Roy Grounds Architect ", unpublished article for lecture, Sept 1982.
13. Cuffley,Peter , " Australian Houses of the Fourties and Fifties", The Five Mile Press, Melbourne 1993.
14. Cuffley,Peter , " Australian Houses of the Twenties and Thirties" , The Five Mile Press, Melbourne, 1989.
15. Boyd,Robin " Victoria Modern: 111 Years of Modern Architecture in victoria, Sustralia ", The Architecture Sudent Society of RVIA, July 1947.
16. Johnson,Donald L , " Australia Architecture 1901-51 : Sources of Modernism ", Sydney Uni Press 1980.
Selected Articles
DomesticRanelagh, Ground's own house
17. " A Seaside Cottage of pre-fabricated Units", Australia Home Beautiful, June 1934, p.32.Wildfell, Upper Beaconsfield
18. " La Mabellion, Modern by Circumstance ", Australia Home Beautiful, Jan 1934.Lyncroft
19. Boyd, " Mornington Peninsula " Architecture Vol 38 No 4, Oct/Dec 1950, p. 148.Chateau Tahbilk, Nagambie
20. Rupert,Moncrieff , " Chateau Tahbilk ", Belle No 120, Dec/Jan 1993/94, p.100.21. Fraser,Colin , " He makes Houses Reflect our lives", Australia Home Beautiful, July 1949, p.15.
Stooke House, Brighton
Designed by Geoffrey Mewton of Mewton and Grounds
22. " A Very Modern House at Brighton beach", Australia Home Beatiful, March 1936, p. 32.Henty House, 'Portland Lodge'
23. " Architects in Competition", Australia Home Beautiful, April 1936, p.67.24. "1st Prize: Architecture Competition, Ideal Home & Building Exhibition", RVIA Journal March, 1936
Loris Pirani House
25. "A Seaside House at Frankston ", Art in Australia, May 1937.House, long Island
26. " Argus", 4th February, 1937.27. Butler, graeme et.al. , " City of Frankston heritage Study 1991 ",City of Frankston, p. 35.
Fairbairn House
28. Cooper,Nora , " Home of Rare Distinction ", in Australia Home Beautiful, Dec 1942, p.17.29. " House at Frankston ", Architects' Journal 1953, Dec No. 3 Vol 118 , p.684.
30. " House near Melbourne ", Architect Review 1957 Nov , Vol 110 , p.309.
Clendon Flats, Clendon Corner
31. "Homes", Architecture Review 1948 July, No. 619 Vol. 104 , p.34.Non-Domestic
Latrobe University
32. " Latrobe Uni" in Architecture Australia 1978, Vol 67 No 4, p. 34.Selected Articles
33. Callister,Winsome , "Diaclectic of Desire and Dissapointment" in " Robin Boyd and Australia Architecture", Transition No 38.
34. Boyd,Robin , "Port Philip Idiom", The Architecture Review, Nov 1952.
35. Boyd, Robin , " A New Eclecticism ", The Architecture Review, Sept 1951, Vol 110 No 657.
36. Goad,Philip, " This is not a Type: Robin Boyd's Victorian Type and The Expression of the Modern House Circa 1933 1942 ", in Architecture Australia June 1988.
37. McIntyre,Peter , " Part One: 1948-1959: Romberg, Grounds & Boyd ", Architect (RAIA VIC) Nov 1984, p. 14.
38. McIntyre,Peter , " Part Three: Roy Grounds ", Architect (RAIA VIC) Nov 1984, p. 19.
39. Taylor,Jennifor , " The Barn of Penders ", Architecture Australia Vol 74 No 7 Nov 1995, p.86.
40. Suendermann, Douglas, Mcfall , " The Victorian Arts Centre: The Theatres ", Architecture Australia Vol 75 No 1 Jan 1986, p.46.
41. " Belle's fifty Best Australian Houses: Fifties Revival ", Belle Sep/Oct No 71 1985, p.314.
42. Clerehan,Neil , " Obituaries ", Architecture Australia Vol 70 No 3 Jul 1981, p.65.
43. Scott,N , " Melbourne's Geometric Modernization of 50's: Architects' Comments on Roy Grouds' Geometric House ", Trust News 25/26, June 1997, p.12.
44. Clerehan,Neil " Victorian Architecture Awards: A Complete Compilation 1929-1985", Architect Nov/Dec 1986/Jan 1987, p. 3.
Selected Projects
Early domestic designs on the Peninsula1933 34.
1. Grounds' own house, Ranelagh Estate, Mt ElizaSources: 1)Johnson,Donald L , " Australia Architecture 1901-51 : Sources of Modernism"
2)Cuffley,Peter , " Australian Houses of the Twenties and Thirties", p. 139.Description: Seaside cottage, use of steel and asbestos cement siding, flat roofed, large areas of glass, steel spiral staircase, rope ballustrading around roof deck
"..with a distinct nautical feeling.." Cuffley,P, Australian Houses of the Twenties and Thirties2. Ramsay House, Ranelagh Estate, Mt Eliza 1937
Sources: 1) Cuffley,Peter , "Australian Houses of the Twenties and Thirties", p. 139.
2) Boyd, " Victorian Modern"
Description: Long living room with glass doors opening to a terrace, weatherboard walls
The use of a steel spiral staircase earlier repeated in Grounds' own house
in Ranelagh estate.
3. Wildfell, Upper Beaconsfield
Sources : 1) Cuffley,Peter , " Australian Houses of the Twenties and Thirties", p. 139.
2) " La Mabellion, Modern by CircumstanceDescription: House in a country setting
" ..an early, if stark, example of a low-line environmental house which is settled on the landscape and projects its rooms outward from a central core. "Cuffley,P, Australian Houses of the Twenties and Thirties
iron flat roofs, external rendered walls, large windows to emphasize horizontality.
4. Stooke House, Brighton 1934
Significant influence of Californian architect, Wlliam Wurster,
5. Henty House 1 'Portland Lodge', Frankston 1933
6. Lyncroft, Shoreham 1934
Source: Boyd," Mornington peninsula"7. Chateau Tahbilk, Nagambie 1935
Source: Fraser,C," He makes Houses Reflect our Lives"
Boyd," Australia Home",p.1928. Rosanove House, Long Island, Frankston 1935
Source: Boyd," Victoria Modern"9. Fairbairn House, Toorak 1936
10. Grounds beach house, Mt Eliza 1937
11. Loris Pirani house, Mt Eliza Circa 1937
12. Goodes House, Mt Eliza 1948-50
13. 2nd Henty House ' Round House', Frankston 1950
14. 'Illuka', Kalimna Drive, Mt. Martha 1950
15. Leyser House, Studley St, Kew 1951
Source: Boyd," Port Philip Idiom"
Cuffley," Houses of the 40's and 50's", p.10316. 5 Apartments, 24 Hill Street, Toorak 1953
17. Grounds House, Hills St, Toorak 1954
18. Givoni House, Wallace Avenue, Toorak 1956
19. Science Academy, Canberra 1956
20. National Gallery Victoria, St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 1960-1984
Graduate of the University of Melbourne Architectural Atelier at the time under the direction of Leighton Irwin, ca 1928?
Articled to the Georgian Revival architects Blackett Forster and Craig. Travelled to England and the United States between 1929 and 1932 working first in New York and then in Los Angeles at RKO and MGM as a set designer.
Returning to Melbourne in 1932 he commenced practice in partnership with his draftsman friend Geoffrey Mewton with whom he had travelled to England. A shortage of architectural commissions resulting from the Great Depression meant that the partners survived designing furniture and light fittings until commissions for houses began to arrive.
Mewton and Grounds shared office space and facilities but worked separately on their individual design projects. Grounds' own house Ranelagh at Mt Eliza (1933 - 34) and Mewton's Stooke House in Brighton (1934), now unfortunately demolished, were among the first international style modernist buildings to be erected in Australia, let alone Melbourne. In 1935 the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects voted both these houses the best house designs in Victoria this century.
During this period Grounds developed a domestic architectural style which clearly showed the influence of the contemporary Bay Region architects of the United States west coast, particularly William Wurster, of whose work he had had direct experience while working as a set designer in Los Angeles. Significant examples of this period of Grounds' practice include the first Henty House 'Portland Lodge' in Frankston (1933 - 34),'Lyncroft' in Shoreham (1934), Fairbairn House, Toorak (1936) and the Ramsay House in Mount Eliza (1937).
Mewton and Grounds dissolved their partnership in 1936 and Grounds travelled to Europe, working for a year with expatriate Australian modernist architect Raymond McGrath. Returning once more to Australia Grounds practised alone from 1939 - 42 during which period he was responsible for a string of significant apartment blocks in Toorak all of which are still standing. These are, Clendon (1939 - 40) and Clendon Corner (1940) in Clendon Road, Moonbria, (1941) in Mathoura Road and Quamby (1941) in Glover Court.
These designs reflect Grounds' new-found interest in contemporary Scandinavian housing design and in the work of Raymond McGrath for whom Grounds had worked in London.
Quamby was Grounds' last project before Japan entered the war halting private architecture in Australia. In the immediate post war period Grounds earlier 'Bay Region' influenced designs began to exert an influence on other important contemporary Melbourne modernist like Norman Seabrook, most famous for his Dudok inspired design for MacRobertson Girl's High School, (1934) and Best Overend, best known for his block of apartments 'Cairo' opposite the Exhibition buildings in Nicholson Street Melbourne. Both of these architects began to produce designs in a softer contextualised modernism utilising 'natural' materials, exposed brickwork and stained rather than painted woodwork.
At this time despite his regionalist tendencies Grounds was associated with the 'Angry Penguins group of painters and writers. This group included John Reed, later to commission 'Heide' now the Museum of Modern Art in Templestowe, Max Harris, Sidney Nolan and Albert Tucker.
Grounds was something of a mentor and hero to the generation of architects emerging after the world war. This was enhanced by his appointment as a lecturer in the new degree course in Architecture at Melbourne University in 1946. He retained the right of private practice and produced at least eighteen new projects in the next seven years. During this time his work displayed an increasing interest in the use of 'platonic forms', circles, squares and triangles, in the organisation of his plans. Typical of this period are the second Henty House 'The Round House' in Frankston (1950 - 53) - circle, The Grounds House and apartments in Hill Street Toorak (1954) - square plan with circular courtyard, and the Leyser House in Kew (1951) - a triangle.
Grounds' geometric concerns imparted a certain monumentality to his work, somewhat at odds with the contemporary striving after lightness and transparency which characterised much contemporary work at the time, and of which he was openly sceptical. grounds' interest in platonic geometry also encouraged other younger architects to experiment with the strategy notably Peter McIntyre, Robin Boyd and John Mockridge.
During his time as a lecturer at Melbourne University Grounds appointed the expatriate German, Swiss trained architect Frederick Romberg and the young Robin Boyd as tutors. In July 1953 they formed the partnership Grounds, Romberg and Boyd, surely one of the most influential and important of Australian architectural practices.
As in the earlier partnership with Geoffrey Mewton the principals worked for the most part, individually on their design commissions. In 1957 Grounds, to some extent influenced by Saarinen's Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, designed the circular Academy of Science building in Canberra, affectionately dubbed the 'Martian Embassy'.
In 1959 having worked assiduously to obtain the job, Grounds was awarded the commission to design the Victorian Art Centre - National Gallery of Victoria complex in St. Kilda Road Melbourne. Relations between the partners soured somewhat after this and in 1962 Grounds left the partnership taking the Arts Centre job with him and devoted the last twenty years of his professional life primarily to completing this commission.
Roy Grounds, probably the most influential Melbourne architect of the decades straddling the Second World War, died in 1981.