Modernist Adelaide

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Modernist Adelaide

Celebrating Adelaide’s modernist architecture online, in print and award-winning tours and events.

Step back in time to the mid-century jet age of Mad Men era Adelaide, when a new wave of modernist architecture redefined the city’s streetscapes and skyline. Many of Adelaide’s iconic examples of 50s, 60s and 70s architecture still stand, well preserved and well worth discovering on this relaxed and informative one-hour walk through downtown Adelaide. From Australia’s first curtain-wall high-rise

of the 50s to the International Style of the 60s and the Brutalism of the 70s, this walk through time will appeal to anyone with a love of mid-century architecture and design, history or just looking up and seeing the beauty in our everyday built environment.

17/05/2026

A big sold-out Modernist Adelaide walking tour today with 65 architecture lovers for South Australia's History Festival.

08/05/2026

One of the best things to happen to Adelaide this year is the eye-popping Plakat exhibition of Polish mid-century posters at Galeria Grafika.

Drawn from Sam and Gina Rosenburg’s 25-year collection, the exhibition showcases hundreds of examples from the legendary Polish School of posters. Surreal, colourful and completely unlike the minimalist Swiss / international design style dominating the West at the time, these posters pushed graphic design into far more experimental and imaginative territory.

Huge congratulations to Samantha Knoll for bringing this incredible exhibition to Adelaide, and for establishing a dedicated graphic design gallery in Ebenezer Place.

Glorious.

https://galeriagrafika.com

03/05/2026

For the second day with more than 50 visitors from Beaumaris modern, Brisbane Modern and Sydney, I hosted a private Modernist Adelaide walking tour through the city.

We visited the brilliant 4th Floor Elevator design museum, where Ian Wong introduced me to Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame designer Paul Huxtable – known for many things, including the Caroma pieces pictured.

We also spent time at the beautiful Walkley House, designed by Robin Boyd in 1956, with interiors by Marion Hall Best.

Also pictured from Saturday are St David’s Anglican Church (Stewart Game, 1961–63) and the Sims House (Ian Hannaford, 1967).

Huge thanks to Chris and Susan for bringing it all together, and to Dexter, Eric, Raphaela and Simon.

02/05/2026

Today I spent the day with more than 50 visitors from Beaumaris modern, Brisbane Modern and Sydney, exploring some of Adelaide’s spectacular modernist houses.

A highlight was visiting the jaw-dropping Polomka House, designed by Brian Polomka across several stages between 1954 and 1964.

Such a fantastic group to share it with, including former Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison, happy owner of Modernist Adelaide: 100 Buildings 1940s–1970s.

Thank you Chris and Susan – incredible day.

24/04/2026

Adelaide’s first International Style modernist high-rise, the 1957 MLC Building, once glowed over Victoria Square. Its aquamarine curtain walls were crowned by a 26-foot weather forecast beacon, operated remotely by the Bureau of Meteorology and visible for miles.

This original card was handed out to explain how it worked, and it’s taken me a decade to track one down.

Even now, the beacon’s instructions feel wonderfully baffling.

The MLC Building is one of many modernist gems on the award-wining Modernist Adelaide walking tour, Sunday 17 May for South Australia's History Festival.

Tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/modernist-adelaide-walking-tour-17-may-11am-tickets-1980304057745?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

2nd 📷 3554.074.047, Commercial Department Photo Collection, City of Adelaide Archives.

11/04/2026

Tonight at 7pm, I’ll be on ABC Adelaide’s evening TV news to talk about the importance of preserving our modernist architecture, including the glorious brutalist Australian Education Union building.

A couple of my takes:

"The intrinsic value of a building has nothing to do with how old it is.”

"Middle-aged buildings like this from the 1950s to the 1970s are particularly vulnerable to being bulldozed or irreparably vandalised by short-term thinking and development that can be unimaginative and really fails to appreciate what's gone before."

The online article is up at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-11/more-modern-buildings-being-added-to-sa-state-heritage-list/106388340

Thanks to Eugene Boisvert for the opportunity.

17/03/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined a Modernist Adelaide walking tour over the past few weeks during another fantastic Adelaide Fringe season – with more than 130 excellent people taking in our wonderful mid-century architecture.

09/03/2026

Huge thanks to Jet and Mel for opening the doors of their spectacular 1962 Lynton residence by Huub van der Pennen for an afternoon chat with Modernister Tim Ross.

Dutch émigré van der Pennen designed one of Adelaide’s most jaw-droppingly beautiful modernist houses here, but his work with the City of Adelaide’s Building Surveyor’s Office also created our distinctive Carey Gully stone butterfly roof amenities blocks and the extraordinary hyperbolic paraboloid roofed Alpine Restaurant in Mirnu Wirra, South Parklands.

Both featured in my 2021 exhibition with the City of Adelaide Archives.

01/03/2026

From Mid-Century to Now: Selections from Adelaide Festival Centre’s Collections is a glorious exhibition of major works from the late 1960s and 70s, shown at their best among the sharp-edged clouds of our finest modernist building – designed in 1969 by John Morphett of Hassell and Partners with Tom Brown & Associates.

These foundational works were secured through donations and an over-subscribed public appeal that also built the Festival Theatre, which opened in 1973.

On until 24 May in the Festival Theatre Galleries. Free. Go!

1. Barbara Hepworth, Ultimate Form, 1971
2. Max Lyle, Environmental Sculpture, 1973
3. John Coburn, Night, 1973
4. Joseph Stanislaus Ostoja-Kotkowski, Vibra 2, 1976
5. Sydney Ball, Herat Cross (Mistra Cross), 1966
6. Wladyslaw Dutkiewicz, Design for Street Sculptures, 1967
7. Sidney Nolan, Rainbow Serpent, 1973
8. Fred Williams, River Murray Scenes (And Other Land – and Seascapes), 1973
9. John Olsen, Avocets and Nest, 1975

https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/from-mid-century-to-now

23/02/2026

With close to 100 tickets already booked, there are still places available on the upcoming Modernist Adelaide walking tours at Adelaide Fringe on Sunday 1 March and Sunday 15 March.

The tour moves through some of our standout mid-century architecture, looking up at the details, ideas and optimism that shaped the city through the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

Winner of Best Community Event at last year’s Fringe weekly awards. Tickets at https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/modernist-adelaide-walking-tour-af2026

15/02/2026

My amazing wife Michelle returns to the Adelaide Fringe this week with Skinny on 22 & 26 Feb + 1, 8 & 17 Mar.

Direct from its award-winning Perth season, an Off-Broadway New York debut and 5-star seasons in Edinburgh, Perth and Adelaide, this incredible work asks us to imagine a world where body shame doesn’t exist.

It’s a moving, funny and widely relatable comedy-cabaret - hope to see you there!

“Pearson has a phenomenal voice.” - Glam Adelaide

“Funny, defiant and gloriously uplifting.” - Lothian Life Magazine

Tickets at https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/skinny-af2026?venue=plant-4-bowden-6372&venue_name=Plant+4+Bowden

Address

GPO Box 835
Adelaide, SA
5000

Website

http://www.modernistadelaide.com/

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