Further Investigations Her Son Heinrich Went to New Zealand As Refugees
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In May 1939, the Austrian architect Ernst Plischke, his Jewish wife, Anna, and 3. It is a perplexing document. With statements such as, “I have the high- Further Investigations her son Heinrich went to New Zealand as refugees. Plischke had trained under est regard for his ability as an architect into an Authorship: Reassessing the Oskar Strnad and Peter Behrens and had worked for Behrens and Josef Frank in and town planner and for his manner of Dixon Street Flats Archive Vienna and for Jacques Ely Kahn in New York. Plischke had designed several arousing enthusiasm in all those associ- significant projects in Austria which had been published internationally. It is un- ated with him”, Wilson’s reference ap- pears to be very supportive. However, surprising, then, that once in New Zealand the architect was swiftly employed he made no explicit recommendation Robin Skinner by Wilson at the DHC. However, in line with Royal Institute of British Architects for appointment. Instead, he advised (RIBA) policy, the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) did not recognize that Plischke’s application be given Plischke’s architectural qualifications and he was employed as a draughtsman. “very careful consideration” because he doubted that there was a more suitable When Plischke arrived, work on the Berhampore Flats was underway. Design person available (Wilson, 1947). Today, I thank Bill Alington, Ken Davis, Julia The identity of the principal designers of the Dixon Street State Flats in such comment would be read as a coded Gatley, Monika Knofler, Andrew Leach, had commenced in 1938 and this scheme of 50 apartments was completed in Wellington remains controversial. In some circles it is held that it was designed statement communicating concern and John Saker and Linda Tyler for their help- 1940. As Gatley notes, these flats can be interpreted as a transitional development reservation. While Davis saw this ref- 1 ful advice and discussion. by the émigré Austrian, Ernst Plischke, while others suggest that it is the that bridges the existing Georgian detached tradition of the conventional state erence indicating Wilson’s “enormous work of the chief architect of the Department of Housing Construction (DHC), respect” (Davis, 1987: 29), I think it may 1. Ernst Anton Plischke (1903-92). For house with that of the International Style (Gatley, 1996: 54). While the flat-roof 2 indicate ambivalence. biographical information, see Tyler Gordon Wilson. Without an explicit reference, certain attribution has not been aesthetic was modern, the planning of the units was similar to the standard state (2000). possible. Reputed scholars have successively stated differing and at times contro- house. Occupant density of the one- to three-storeyed scheme was between that 2. Francis Gordon Wilson (1900-59). versial positions. This is not surprising because there is a lot at stake. Ascribing of detached suburban housing and the later multi-storeyed blocks of the DHC. For biographical information, see Gatley authorship brings focus upon significant issues relating to the introduction of (2000). He was, and is, often referred to modernism in New Zealand (Gatley, 1995); however, this is not the focus of this With 116 apartments in a substantial multi-storeyed block, the Dixon Street Flats as ‘Gordon F. Wilson’. paper. Instead, I review the scholars’ positions, re-examine the archival record were a more ambitious scheme. Archival records indicate that: and identify further evidence in order to argue that Plischke’s involvement was highly significant. • The site was acquired in February 1940. • Drawings were being prepared by March 1940. Background to the Project • Working drawings are dated September 1940. The DHC was established in late 1936 to provide rental housing for a population • The contract was let on 30 December 1940. emerging from the throes of the Great Depression (Fig. 1). In addition to design- ing the detached state houses of the 1930s and 40s, the DHC designed thirteen • Construction commenced early the following year. large blocks of flats beginning with the Berhampore Flats, Wellington, designed by Gordon Wilson (Gatley, 1997: 89). • With war slowing progress, the building was formally opened on 4 September 1943. • The final completion certificate was issued on 26 June 1944. As is well documented, relations between Plischke and Wilson were strained. Wilson was domineering and he freely amended the designs that his staff pro- duced (Noonan, 1975: 223). While Plischke described being severely circum- scribed and professionally suppressed in the office, the relationship between Wilson and Plischke was complex and there is evidence that Wilson took the émigré’s suggestions into account (Plischke, 1969: 127; Tyler, 1986: 42-43). Wilson may have been somewhat threatened by the sophisticated, articulate and worldly architect, yet at times he showed him significant support. Wilson gave Plischke a copy of J. M. Richards’ Modern Architecture (1940) when he found the Austrian mentioned in its pages (Plischke, 1989: 247). In the late 1940s, Wilson reputedly spoke to a branch meeting of the NZIA for Plischke’s admission to the institute (Dawson, 1991b: 9). In early 1947, Wilson wrote, what appears to be, a glowing reference supporting Plischke’s application for the position of professor at Auckland University College (AUC); although, arguably, this document can be 3 Fig. 1: Draughting staff at the DHC, seen to contain traces of ambivalence. Dominion Farmers Building, Wellington, 1940s. Photographer: W. Hall Raine. AALF 6112, 24/2/1, 830, Archives NZ/Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington. Fig. 1 INTERSTICES 09 61 4. Heenan wrote, “Further to our re- Competing Views on Authorship But his influence was strong. It is believed that he [Plischke] was the 6. Jim Dawson made this point. See E. V. cent correspondence regarding Plischke, Dawson (1996). original designer of the Dixon Street Flats, though the final design I now find that in one regard I have For over 60 years the Dixon Street project has been attributed to Gordon Wilson, done friend Wilson of State Housing was not his. (Porter, 1963) an injustice. I was under the impression to Ernst Plischke or to the DHC architects collectively. One official account from that Plischke had done the design of the September 1943 records: Writing ten years later, John Saker (who had grown up with a copy of Design and Dixon Street Flats for which the Gold Living in his family home) also acknowledged the rivalry between Plischke and Medal was awarded. This is not right. The Architects of the Department of Housing Construction made Wilson. He noted that sometimes Plischke’s drawings “would be passed across He did the subsequent Terrace Flats many studies of the problem before the design was finalized. It has a dozen other desks and altered at each before being considered complete.” He [the McLean block], Wilson being a man been their aim to develop a multi-unit block scheme that would pro- responsible for Dixon Street” (Heenan, added, “In this way, the design for Wellington’s Dixon Street Flats, though basi- 1948b). Plischke’s drawings of an early vide the advantages that flat-planning makes possible, without the cally Ernst Plischke’s won a gold medal for Gordon Wilson” (Saker, 1985: 59-60). McLean Flats scheme are held in the Plis- disadvantages. (DHC, 1943: 37) chke-Archiv, Akademie der bildenden In researching her 1986 MA dissertation on Plischke, Linda Tyler interviewed the Künste, Vienna. Other publications made reference to either “architects”, “the Department of architect, documenting his account of events. She referred to “Plischke’s Dixon Housing Construction”, “Gordon Wilson for the New Zealand State Housing 5. In 1945, 235 people enrolled to hear Street Flats”, stating that it was: his ten lectures on Home Design and Department” or “Gordon F. Wilson, supervising architect” (One Hundred Decoration at the Wellington WEA Homes, 1944: 20; Dixon Street Flats, 1943: 20; Archer, 1942: 55; Two Apartment … Plischke’s only major Housing Department design to be built largely (Shearer, 1947). Houses, 1946: 69). When the NZIA honoured the project with their Gold Medal according to his conception; it was altered only slightly with flower- for 1947, they awarded it to “G.F. Wilson as the Architect to Housing Branch boxes being provided for each unit, and applied to the front façade (PWD)” (NZIA, 1948b: 12). of the block in a manner that seems apologetic for the severity of the form. (Tyler, 1986: 49) After this, Wilson’s name was more strongly associated with the project; how- ever, some outside the DHC held that Plischke was the designer. In the mid- She continued, “Dixon Street was a success for Plischke, although he received no 1940s, the Under Secretary of the Department of Internal Affairs, Joe Heenan credit personally for the design” (Tyler, 1986: 51). She footnoted that “The ‘EAP’ (who held Plischke in great respect), had the impression that the project was signature was removed from the designs after submission to the main draught- the work of the Austrian, although during 1948 he was corrected that it was ing room. Plischke had copies of the original drawings made which are held in Wilson’s work. Writing to the Timaru architect, Percy Watts Rule, who had been his archive, Vienna” (Tyler, 1986: 52). She accepted this alleged erasure, without 6 campaigning to have Plischke admitted to the NZIA, Heenan noted this reattri- considering standard government draughting practice. Title blocks listed the bution while stating that the McLean Flats on The Terrace, Wellington, were by initials of those who produced the working drawing, traced the drawing onto Plischke.4 He did not name the source of this new information, although it was film or linen, added amendments to the sheet at a later date and checked the obviously one he judged reliable.