One of the central pillars of modernism was to remove traditional forms of building and decoration from architecture: cubiform buildings with flat roofs replaced pillars and gables. Yet, despite the dominance of the international style in the post-war period, some architects became concerned with the standardised approach of much modern architecture, its deliberate rejection of history and (in some instances) failure to produce an appropriate social context for the inhabitants of the many apartment blocks being produced in the style.

In the early 1960s some American architects began taking a renewed interest in historical forms for the purposes of ornamentation. At the forefront of this movement was Robert Venturi, whose book Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (1966) laid the foundations for post-modern architectural theory. Rather than simply refer back to pre-modernist architectural styles, Venturi sought to propose an alternative to what he saw as the boring and lower quality branches of modernism that had developed.

In Australia, the style developed somewhat later but along the same lines as the United States and Europe. The post-modern style came to be characterised by recognisable references to aspects of historical or vernacular architecture. Buildings that quoted classical details and art deco motifs were common. Also evident was a concern for the character and scale of the building’s environment. The Lovie house is a rare Canberra-area residential example.

Features

• Reliance on motifs from other styles
• Deliberate placement of incompatible geometries
• Outgoing and colourful character
• References to aspects of historical or vernacular architecture
• Materials such as corrugated iron, dichromatic brickwork used referentially
• Traditional and modern construction techniques juxtaposed for effect
• References to the form or detail of adjacent buildings

On this site

• Lovie house, 7 Tennant Place, Jerrabomberra. Geoff Lovie, 1998.

Other examples in Australia

• Moonee Ponds Market, VIC. Gunn Hayball, 1981.
• Hackford House, Traralgon, VIC. Greg Burgess, 1982.
• University of Technology, Ultimo, NSW. Philip Cox and Partners, 1983.
• No 1 Collins Street, Melbourne. Denton, Corker, Marshall, 1984.
• Coopers and Lybrand Building, Sydney. Rice Daubney, 1987.