Iwan Iwanoff
Encyclopedia
Iwan Iwanoff, also known as Iwan Nickolow and Iwan Nickoloff Iwanoff, was born in Küsstendil (Kusestendil), Bulgaria
, on 2 July 1919 and died on 7 October 1986 in Perth, Western Australia
. Iwan Iwanoff studied architecture
in Europe
before arriving in Perth to work as an architect. He became renowned for his design characteristic which is mainly working with concrete blocks as an innovative way to. He was in his growing use of exposed concrete
, close to Brutalism. But the jewel like, sculptural use of concrete at a small scale sets him in a mode of his own. Late Twentieth Century Brutalist.
and a poet
, and his mother, Maria, née Schopowa. Originally named Iwan Nickolow Iwanow, he changed it to Iwan Nickoloff Iwanoff during his education
al years, and shortened it later to Iwan Iwanoff.
After enduring a period of training in the military, Iwan Iwanoff studied fine arts under a famous Bulgarian Watercolourist and was himself a fine painter
. As a result of his talents, he was offered a scholarship
to study Fine Arts . In 1941, thanks to his father's advice, he made a decision to study architecture at the Technische Hochschule of Munich, Germany
. He designed an outstanding chapel for the final project which brought him high praise when graduating with a Diploma of Engineering and Architecture in 1946. With his remarkable abilities in drawing
s and innovation in expressing his design, Iwan Iwanoff soon became a well known architect and his concept was that 'architecture was an art'.
He married Dietlinde Hildegunde Zenns on 25 October 1947 in Laufen
, Germany.
painter in the immediate post-war period before working with Emil Freymuth, a modernist architect in Munich
, Germany.
Leaving Germany with the help of the International Refugee Organization
, Iwan Iwanoff and his wife left Europe on the SS Fairsea which left Naples
on the 7th of February 1950, and settled in Fremantle, Western Australia
on 2 March 1950. His Munich qualifications were not recognised in Australia
. But shortly after, he gained employment under Krantz and Sheldon as a draftsperson. Krantz and Sheldon were a large commercial architectural company which had a major focus on designing flats in Perth. Iwanoff did some private architectural projects during this time.
He became a citizen of Australia in 1956. He obtained a transfer to the Melbourne
architectural firm of Yuncken, Freeman Bros, Griffiths & Simpson
in 1960. He transferred to Melbourne with the help of an old friend from Bulgaria, who himself had studied with Iwan and had emigrated to Australia. The reason for his brief stay in Melbourne, was to obtain registration, after several unsuccessful attempts in Western Australia
. After visiting Western Germany, he briefly joined Bund Deutscher Architekten Organization (Federation of German Architects) before returning to Perth, to work with Krantz & Sheldon, in December 1961.
In 1963, he started his own business which was known as Studio of Iwan Iwanoff [in Perth]. He had become a member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects
in 1963 and soon became a fellow in 1972. He was interested in exploring concrete blocks in various ways which allowed him to create high quality designs, especially in houses.
Iwan Iwanoff still kept the European spirit during the time he was working in Australia. He died (pneumonia
) in Perth on 7 October 1986. His body was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
.
An exhibition of most of his works was presented at the State Archives of Western Australia in 1991.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, on 2 July 1919 and died on 7 October 1986 in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. Iwan Iwanoff studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before arriving in Perth to work as an architect. He became renowned for his design characteristic which is mainly working with concrete blocks as an innovative way to. He was in his growing use of exposed concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, close to Brutalism. But the jewel like, sculptural use of concrete at a small scale sets him in a mode of his own. Late Twentieth Century Brutalist.
Early years and education
Iwan Iwanoff was born in Bulgaria into an artistic family, with his father, Nickolai Iwanow, a journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and his mother, Maria, née Schopowa. Originally named Iwan Nickolow Iwanow, he changed it to Iwan Nickoloff Iwanoff during his education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
al years, and shortened it later to Iwan Iwanoff.
After enduring a period of training in the military, Iwan Iwanoff studied fine arts under a famous Bulgarian Watercolourist and was himself a fine painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. As a result of his talents, he was offered a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to study Fine Arts . In 1941, thanks to his father's advice, he made a decision to study architecture at the Technische Hochschule of Munich, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He designed an outstanding chapel for the final project which brought him high praise when graduating with a Diploma of Engineering and Architecture in 1946. With his remarkable abilities in drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s and innovation in expressing his design, Iwan Iwanoff soon became a well known architect and his concept was that 'architecture was an art'.
He married Dietlinde Hildegunde Zenns on 25 October 1947 in Laufen
Laufen
Laufen is a municipality on the southeastern border of Bavaria with Austria.-History:It was first mentioned in a deed of 748. The rapids that gave the town the name were also responsible for the town's wealth from the salt trade...
, Germany.
Working Life
Iwan Iwanoff worked in Laufen as a caricatureCaricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
painter in the immediate post-war period before working with Emil Freymuth, a modernist architect in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany.
Leaving Germany with the help of the International Refugee Organization
International Refugee Organization
The International Refugee Organization was founded on April 20, 1946 to deal with the massive refugee problem created by World War II. A Preparatory Commission began operations fourteen months previously. It was a United Nations specialized agency and took over many of the functions of the earlier...
, Iwan Iwanoff and his wife left Europe on the SS Fairsea which left Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on the 7th of February 1950, and settled in Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
on 2 March 1950. His Munich qualifications were not recognised in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. But shortly after, he gained employment under Krantz and Sheldon as a draftsperson. Krantz and Sheldon were a large commercial architectural company which had a major focus on designing flats in Perth. Iwanoff did some private architectural projects during this time.
He became a citizen of Australia in 1956. He obtained a transfer to the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
architectural firm of Yuncken, Freeman Bros, Griffiths & Simpson
Yuncken Freeman
Yuncken Freeman is an Australian architecture firm. Yuncken Freeman has grown steadily over the years particularly from the economic boom from the 1950s to 1980s to be a sizeable firm in Australia...
in 1960. He transferred to Melbourne with the help of an old friend from Bulgaria, who himself had studied with Iwan and had emigrated to Australia. The reason for his brief stay in Melbourne, was to obtain registration, after several unsuccessful attempts in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. After visiting Western Germany, he briefly joined Bund Deutscher Architekten Organization (Federation of German Architects) before returning to Perth, to work with Krantz & Sheldon, in December 1961.
In 1963, he started his own business which was known as Studio of Iwan Iwanoff [in Perth]. He had become a member of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects
Royal Australian Institute of Architects
The Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name....
in 1963 and soon became a fellow in 1972. He was interested in exploring concrete blocks in various ways which allowed him to create high quality designs, especially in houses.
Iwan Iwanoff still kept the European spirit during the time he was working in Australia. He died (pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
) in Perth on 7 October 1986. His body was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery
Karrakatta Cemetery is a metropolitan cemetery in the suburb of Karrakatta in Perth, Western Australia. Karrakatta Cemetery first opened for burials in 1899, with Robert Creighton. Currently managed by the Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, the cemetery attracts more than one million visitors each...
.
An exhibition of most of his works was presented at the State Archives of Western Australia in 1991.
Notable Projects
- 1959: Golovin House, 47 Woodroyd Street, Mt Lawley
- 1965: Paganin House, The Boulevard, FloreatFloreat, Western AustraliaFloreat is a residential suburb located west-northwest from the central business district of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. It is bordered on three sides by Underwood Avenue, Selby Street, and Cromarty Road; the western border adjoins or runs through Bold Park. It is located in the Town...
- 1966: Iwanoff House, 16 Lifford Road, Floreat
- 1967: Roberts House, 12 Yanagin Crescent, City BeachCity Beach, Western AustraliaCity Beach is a beachside suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Town of Cambridge. Its postcode is 6015. The term "City Beach" is also used to describe a specific beach located within the suburb of the same name....
- 1968: Feldman House, 81 Cornwall Street, DianellaDianella, Western AustraliaDianella is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stirling.Dianella was named after the botanical title of a small blue lily, Dianella revoluta, which is a narrow-leafed plant which was plentiful in the area prior to residential development. Dianella is home...
- 1968: Shops/Medical Centre, Onslow Road, Shenton ParkShenton Park, Western AustraliaShenton Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Subiaco and 4 km west of the Central business district. Its postcode is 6008...
- 1969: Bursztyn House, 29 Booker Street, Dianella
- 1970: Featherby House, 41 Summerhayes Drive, KarrinyupKarrinyup, Western AustraliaKarrinyup is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 12 km north of Perth's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stirling...
- 1970: Murphy House, 14 Tranmore Way, City Beach
- 1971: Northam Town CouncilTown of NorthamThe Town of Northam was a Local Government Area of Western Australia for the town of Northam in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, north-east of the capital, Perth along Great Eastern Highway...
Library complex - 1974: The Northam Town Council Offices
- 1975: Kessell House, 61 Briald Place, Dianella
- 1976: Marsala House, 38 Sycamore Rise, Dianella
- 1978: Hi-Fidelity recording studio, 63 Thompson Road, North FremantleNorth Fremantle, Western AustraliaNorth Fremantle is a small suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Fremantle. Its postcode is 6159.The suburb is situated on the Swan River, north of the Port of Fremantle...
Further reading
- Black, R (2006). "Eastern Block, Monument: Architecture quarterly , 73 (52-56).
- Duncan, R (1994). "A Temple for Suburban Living", Transition, 44-45 (48-57).
- Duncan, R (2006). "Iwanoff, Iwan (1919 - 1986)", Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition, (ISSN 1833-7538, published online by Australian National University).
- Neille, S (2001). "Gelisher house and studio", Monument: Architecture quarterly, 43(104-105).
- Royal Australian Institute of Architects (1985). "The Architect, Western Australia", Wescolour Press, 25:4(22)
- Photographer: copyright photos by James Webb and Nate.
- Molyneux Ian. "Looking around Perth, RAIA , Perth, (1981).
- Duncan, R (1991). "The art of Architecture - the architectural drawings of Iwan Iwanoff" presented by the Library and Information services of Western Australia.
- London, G. and Duncan Richards (eds.)(1997) " Modern Houses - Architect designed houses in Western Australia from 1950 to 1960" School of Architecture and Fine Arts University of Western Australia.
- Rawlings, I. 'Iwan Iwanoff – tribute to architect, a look at some of his designs' "The Architect, Western Australia" Vol 26 No 4 Summer 1986 (21)