Here is another occasional series that will profile Mid-Century Architects who practiced in other countries. Today’s profile is of Australian architect Hugh Buhrich. Originally from Hamburg, Germany, he made his way to Australia after being ejected by the Nazis. From his obituary in Architecture Australia: “Hugh Buhrich was an architect-constructor of exceptional ability who lived long enough to see most of his work either demolished or “improved beyond recognition”. Aware that, like his unstated mentor, Ernst Plischke in New Zealand, he too was an architect building at both the edge of the city – on cheap but difficult sites – and at the edge of a still nascent local Modern architectural culture, Hugh certainly understood that his work was always at risk.”
In his last interview (2004) in Architecture Australia, Buhrich’s own residence that was built between 1968 and 1972 is discussed. This house is now considered to be an architectural icon.