Wolfgang Sievers Lens on Postwar Melbourne photography exhibition

Wolfgang Sievers was commissioned by architectural firms from the 1950s to 1970s to capture many of the modernist buildings identified for protection within the Hoddle Grid Heritage Review. Sievers photos celebrate the skyscraper as the physical embodiment of modernity. His bold compositions feature vivid tonal contrasts and remarkable depth of field, exploiting the new-found scale of Melbourne’s changing mid-century skyline to theatrical effect.

Sievers photos use these dramatic sculptural forms to communicate the evolution of modern Melbourne in the postwar era. The purity of design of these modernist buildings was consistent with the German émigré photographer’s training in the Bauhaus tradition. Being part Jewish, Sievers narrowly escaped Nazism in Germany, settling in Melbourne in 1938. He is regarded as a principal figure in the development and promotion of Australian modernism through his exquisite photography featured in this exhibition.

Exhibition

The photos featured in this exhibition are provided chronologically to show the evolution of the Post-War Modernist Style. It begins with the first glass curtain walled buildings of the 1950s and 1960s, through to the expressed structure of buildings constructed in the 1960s and 1970s.

These photos are exhibited with the copyright permission of the National Library of Australia. Full details about each image are provided beneath the gallery.

1. Gilbert Court, early modern high-rise building at 100 Collins Street, Melbourne, architect J. La Gerche

  • Date of photo: 1954
  • Address: Gilbert Court (100 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: John A. La Gerche
  • Date constructed: 1954-1955

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC/7623/713b LOC PIC Album 1032/100)

2. BP House on Queen Street, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1958
  • Address: Former Victoria Club Building (later BP House) (131-141 Queen Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Plottell, Ernest Bunett & George Alsop
  • Date constructed: 1927 (original 3 storeys) 1956 (7 storey addition)

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC/7623/259a LOC Album 1032/13)

3. AMP Building, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1958
  • Address: Former AMP Building (402-408 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1956-1958

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 2508F LOC PIC Album 1032/108)

4. Union House and Norwich Union, west side Queen Street near Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1970
  • Address: Former Union House (43-51 Queen Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1957

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4172C LOC PIC Album 1032/181)

5. Atlas Building, headquarters of Alliance Assurance, Collins Street, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: June 1959
  • Address: Atlas Assurance Building (404-406 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: H Garnet Alsop & Partners
  • Date constructed: 1958-1961

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 2723F LOC Cold store PIC Siev B&WN-F)

6. Coates Building, 20 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1960
  • Address: Coates Building (18-22 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: John A. La Gerche
  • Date constructed: 1958-1959

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 2830-Aa LOC PIC Album 1032/106)

7. View of R.A.C.V. [ie. Royal Automobile Club of Victoria] building, Queen St. West corner of Little Collins St., Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1961
  • Former Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (111-129 Queen Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1959-1961

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3000 BW LOC PIC Album 1032/16)

8. London Assurance House, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: June 1959
  • Address: London Assurance House (Part 468-470 Bourke Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bernard Evans
  • Date constructed: 1960

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 2723E LOC Cold store PIC Siev B&WN-F)

9. Front view of the Guardian Assurance Company building, corner of Collins and William streets, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1961
  • Address: Former Guardian Building (454-456 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1960-1961

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3093Ca LOC PIC Album 1032/16)

10. South British Insurance building, corner of Bourke and Queen Streets, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1961
  • Address: Former South British Insurance Company Ltd Building (155-161 Queen Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1961-1962

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3116AKa LOC PIC Album 1032/16)

11. Royal Mail House, corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1967
  • Address: Royal Mail House (253-267 Bourke Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: D Graeme Lumsden
  • Date constructed: 1961-63

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3884-Va LOC PIC Album 1032/105)

12. The new Colonial Mutual Life Building, corner of Collins and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1965
  • Address: Former Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Building & ‘Children’s Tree’ Sculpture (308-336 Collins Street Melbourne)
  • Architect/artist: Stephenson & Turner (building) Tom Bass (sculpture)
  • Date constructed: 1963

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3669 Ha LOC PIC Album 1032/36)

13. View from top of building of the H.C. Sleigh building

  • Date of photo: 1964
  • Address: Former Sleigh Buildings (H C Sleigh Building & former Sleigh Corner) (158-172 Queen Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1953-1955 & 1964

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3550CG LOC Cold store PIC Siev B&WN-F)

14. Wales corner [at the intersection of] Collins and Swanston Streets, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1967
  • Address: Wales Corner (221-231 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Stephenson & Turner
  • Date constructed: 1964-1966

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS3892 R LOC PIC Album 1032/107)

15. Reserve Bank of Australia building, corner of Collins and Exhibition streets, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1973
  • Address: Former Reserve Bank of Australia (56-64 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: B Lewis, C. McGrouther, C. D. Osborne, R. M. Ure, and F. C. Crocker
  • Date constructed: 1964-1966

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4281-ER LOC PIC Album 1032/108)

16. Courtyard of AMP offices, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1970
  • Address: AMP Tower and St James Building Complex (527-555 Bourke Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Skidmore Owings & Merrill in association with Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Date constructed: 1965-1969

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4146CC LOC PIC Album 1032/16)

17. [View of the entrance to the] Royal Insurance Group building, Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1965
  • Address: Royal Insurance Group building (430-442 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Yuncken Freeman
  • Date constructed: 1966

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 3670 BBa LOC PIC Album 1032/181)

18. Dalgety House, south side, Bourke Street near Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1968
  • Address: Former Dalgety House (457-471 Bourke Street)
  • Architect: Peddle, Thorp & Walker in association Meldrum & Partners
  • Date constructed: 1966-1968

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4035C LOC PIC Album 1032/122)

19. Building at 350 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1968
  • Address: Former AMP Building (344-350 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Godfrey & Spowers, Hughes, Mewton and Lobb
  • Date constructed: 1966-1968

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4033D LOC PIC Album 1032/106)

20. [View from the roof of the BHP Building of] central Melbourne, corner of Collins and Queen Streets

  • Date of photo: 1973
  • Address: Former Commonwealth Banking Corporation Building (359-373 Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Date constructed: c1972-1975
  • Architect: Bates Smart & McCutcheon
  • Address: Former Legal & General House (375-383 Collins Street Melbourne)
  • Date constructed: 1967
  • Architect: Bernard Evans, Murphy, Berg & Hocking

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4174K LOC Album 1032/43)

21. Employee of Richard Ellis, Sallman & Seward in front of Australia Netherlands House, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1973
  • Address: Former Australia-Netherlands House (468-478 Collins Street)
  • Architect: Peddle Thorp & Walker in association with Meldrum & Partners
  • Date constructed: c1968-1970

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4281-A LOC PIC Album 1032/131)

22. Cowan House, south side, Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria

  • Date of photo: 1970
  • Address: Cowan House (457-469 Little Collins Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: E and G Kolle & Associates
  • Date constructed: 1969

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS 4174K LOC Album 1032/43)

23. [State Savings Bank at] 55 Swanston Street, corner Flinders Lane, Melbourne

  • Date of photo: 1975
  • Address: Former State Savings Bank of Victoria (45-63 Swanston Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Buchan, Laird & Buchan
  • Date constructed: c1974

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS V 4489 VBa LOC Cold store PIC Siev CP (13)

24. Dillingham, Estates House

  • Date of photo: 1976
  • Address: Former Dilingham Estates House (114-128 William Street, Melbourne)
  • Architect: Yuncken Freeman
  • Date constructed: 1975-1976

(National Library of Australia copyright PIC WS V4495VD LOC Cold store PIC Siev CN&T)

Engagement activities