Let’s celebrate the end of the week with an absolutely stunning slice of Melbourne Europa, this time from Fooks and Kagan colleague Austrian born Kurt Popper. A super glamorous, 2-storey residence built as a commission for a Mr David Pear c.1956 and belonging to the same Modernist Australian subgroup of (and dare we say in better intact condition than) Kagan’s Lind House. Architectural historian Simon Reeves indeed suggests that this particular Gordon Avenue thoroughfare could change it’s name to Popper Parade as there are at least four other examples of his domestic architecture in this street (including his own home) plus a smattering of other marvellous Mid-Century migrant designs, all of course without any heritage protection – booooo! But back to this one and what a show stopper it is with pure northern orientation of living spaces, solid as new construction and interiors of such craftsmanship and Modern chic as to inspire and enthral to this day. We cross out fingers tight and wish it godspeed as there is a rich vein of multiple value here: in the interiors, in the gardens, in the design, the social history – it deserves so much more than a lazy pitch about land-size, STCA and/or suffocation by grey render and Dulux Antique White.
