Description

Frederick Romberg’s Stanhill is a superb example of pre-war European Modernism, transferred, like its author, from the severity of German culture at the time, with memories of the Bauhaus in the winds, and nursed in the gentility of a Swiss architectural culture which developed to spread across the globe after WW2.

It was designed in 1942 as a mixed-use building for apartments, offices, studios and medical rooms and completed after WW2 in 1950. It aligns Australian architectural expression with the culture of German and Swiss Modernism pre-1940s—a rare reminder of old-school, carefully-conceived design that is well-built, inventive and magnificently constructed.  

The architecture is based on the basic tenets of Modernism. The building sits above a pilotis—‘legs’ raised above the ground—and is designed to support a roof garden.  

The structure is free plan, with open column and beam grids unrestricted by structural requirements and a façade supporting perimeter walls on a grid, enabling areas of windows, balconies and decks to be built and allowing for visual permeability between inside and outside.

It does all of that on the international global architectural stage. Stanhill is the best prototype in this country of its time—a historic project, made by a brilliant architect, adapting an aesthetic that expanded our history. His creation straddles across the globe from Europe to the Pacific region—just as its architect did in his lifetime—Norman Day

What's On

The public will be invited to join guided walks around the grounds at street and first-floor level, exploring how the building responds to different orientations and its urban context. The lift foyer will remain open, allowing visitors to experience circulation and arrival spaces. Small groups will be escorted to one or two confirmed private suites, where they can speak directly with owners or occupiers.

These informal conversations will focus on personal experiences of living and working in this iconic building over many years, revealing changing patterns of occupation, daily rituals, and the building’s evolving role in the city.