WALTER BURLEY GRIFFIN (1876 - 1937), A PAIR OF OAK DINING CHAIRS

from Newman College, University of Melbourne, 1917, Melbourne
oak (Quercus sp.), leather upholstery, (2)

LITERATURE
Newman College, in the grounds of Melbourne University was designed by the architect Walter Burley Griffin. Griffin, who once worked for the internationally renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, was a notable exponent of Chicago’s Prairie architectural style.
Arriving in Australia in 1914 after winning an international competition to design Australia’s new capital city, Canberra, he went on to design whole suburbs, such as Castlecrag in Sydney, as well as individual buildings, before leaving Australia for India in 1935.
Newman College, which was built between 1916 and 1918, is an outstanding example of Griffin’s distinctive style. Its strong geometric form, which includes a dining hall and residential wings, was built using an innovative mix of rough stone base with smooth masses of concrete above. Griffin enhanced the impact of his creation by extending his design through every aspect of the building including its fixtures, fittings and furniture. The building sits harmoniously in park-like grounds thanks to the landscape design of his wife, Marion Mahony. Newman College has continued to be lived and worked in by staff and students since 1918.