Harry Seidler: Modernist - West Coast Modern League

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Harry Seidler: Modernist

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On the oceanside, the Cliff House steps down the t

On the oceanside, the Cliff House steps down the towering, windswept rock face, working its way into the dips and crevices between three granite bluffs. What started as a private, enveloping gesture, on the rear of the house, becomes one of openness and unimpeded transparency overlooking dramatic views of the Strait of Georgia and the crashing waves below.
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Cliff House, 1981⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Zoltan Kiss⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant modern west coast buildings + projects⁠
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#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernhouse #westcoastmodernism #coastmodern #coastmodernism #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #woodhouse #cedar #postandbeam #architecture #design #modern #modernlandscape #modernlandscapearchitect #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #archilovers #artchitecture #iconichouses #zoltankiss #zoltankissarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #modernwestcoastplaces #wcmlvan

Entered from above, the plan of the Cliff House sh

Entered from above, the plan of the Cliff House shifts from one level to the next as you move closer to the water. Zoltan Kiss designed the house to achieve a perfect fit with the undulated topography as it falls away below the house. This allowed for opportunities to pull the the building away from the cliff face to create dramatic wall planes and intimate sunken courtyards on the lower levels. In a home that prioritizes natural light in the darkest of its corners, ribbon skylights run the full length of the upper floor, while these light wells enable natural light to reach the lower levels in a dappled pattern filtered through the lush forest canopy. ⁠
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Cliff House, 1981⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Zoltan Kiss⁠
⁠
Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant modern west coast buildings + projects⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernhouse #westcoastmodernism #coastmodern #coastmodernism #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #woodhouse #cedar #postandbeam #architecture #design #modern #modernlandscape #modernlandscapearchitect #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #archilovers #artchitecture #iconichouses #zoltankiss #zoltankissarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #modernwestcoastplaces #wcmlvan

West Coast Modernism has its roots in an intimate,

West Coast Modernism has its roots in an intimate, collaborative association with the arts community on Canada's west coast, and a philosophy of looking to artistic interpretations to enrich the architectural design process. Being immersed in both nature and culture is one of the cornerstones of West Coast Modern living.

The 1981 Cliff House, designed by Zoltan Kiss, follows this philosophy as both a space of family dwelling in nature, and enjoying and producing art. While dramatic in its form and siting, the architecture itself is rather subdued, instead providing a framework that emphasizes sweeping views of the Strait of Georgia under copious amounts of natural light, and the vibrancy of art works which once filled its spaces. At one time, the home was entered through a wood plank door carved by renowned artist Bill Reid.
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Cliff House, 1981⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Zoltan Kiss⁠
⁠
Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant modern west coast buildings + projects⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernhouse #westcoastmodernism #coastmodern #coastmodernism #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #woodhouse #cedar #postandbeam #architecture #design #modern #modernlandscape #modernlandscapearchitect #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #archilovers #wilding #iconichouses #zoltankiss #zoltankissarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #modernwestcoastplaces #wcmlvan

Two of the granite bluffs, around which Zoltan Kis

Two of the granite bluffs, around which Zoltan Kiss anchored the Cliff House, lead you along a meandering driveway into a large open courtyard and clearing in the forest canopy. Framed on three sides by horizontal wood clad walls and flying double box beams, the courtyard is completed by one of the mossy, tree-covered rocky outcroppings, while the third granite bluff is visible through a long horizontal peek-a-boo at the rear of the carport. The experience is one of peaceful solitude, disengaging you from the street while preparing you for the celebration of nature and culture to come.
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Cliff House, 1981⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Zoltan Kiss⁠
⁠
Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant modern west coast buildings + projects⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernhouse #westcoastmodernism #coastmodern #coastmodernism #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #woodhouse #cedar #postandbeam #architecture #design #modern #modernlandscape #modernlandscapearchitect #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #archilovers #wilding #iconichouses #zoltankiss #zoltankissarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #modernwestcoastplaces #wcmlvan

"Perched on a cliff" is a phrase often used to des

"Perched on a cliff" is a phrase often used to describe modern houses on Canada's west coast. Many of these homes meander through dense stands of forest, hide behind wild overgrown landscapes, and tuck around or integrate into steep rocky outcroppings. West Coast Modernism emerged at a time when clients were open to new ideas about design and living, and architects were more than eager to experiment with new building forms and techniques, the intrinsic beauty of natural materials, and contemporary ways of living. The south coast of British Columbia has no shortage of difficult, "unbuildable" sites, but architects saw potential then, and continue to see it now. ⁠
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Perched on a cliff, and tucked in between three granite bluffs, this is the Cliff House, completed in 1981, designed by Zoltan Kiss. ⁠
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Cliff House, 1981⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Zoltan Kiss⁠
⁠
Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant modern west coast buildings + projects⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernhouse #westcoastmodernism #coastmodern #coastmodernism #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #woodhouse #cedar #postandbeam #architecture #design #modern #modernlandscape #modernlandscapearchitect #artarchitecture #architecturelovers #archilovers #wilding #iconichouses #zoltankiss #zoltankissarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #wcmlplaces #modernwestcoastplaces #wcmlvan

When you live in a region of the world that gives

When you live in a region of the world that gives you months and months of rain every year, you learn to embrace and play with the water, and to shed it away effectively. Modernist houses on Canada's west coast are designed for living in a lush temperate rainforest climate. This architecture shares principles of design rooted in a deep respect for nature and the embrace of its elements. As Arthur Müdry once said so eloquently, "nature is sacrosanct". ⁠
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West Coast Modernist architecture is commonly sited to retain and celebrate the natural features of its place. The McNab House expresses this very principle in no uncertain terms. Duncan designed the home around a translucent cathedral. The recessed, horizontal ribbon windows emphasize the lines of the landscape, while creating a transparency through a forest canopy of posts and beams with deep wood overhangs. In the center of this composition, and the experience of the home, a hole was cut to allow a tree to grow up through the building. ⁠
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McNab House, 1956⁠
West Vancouver, BC⁠
Designed by Duncan Stuart McNab⁠
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Link in bio for "PLACES," the League's ongoing survey of significant west coast buildings + projects⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#westcoastmodern #westcoastmodernism #postandbeam #woodhouses #midcenturymodern #midcenturyhouse #translucenthouse #clerestorywindows ##westcoastmodernhouse #vancouverarchitecture #vanarch #canadianarchitecture #canadianarchitect #architecture #design #modern #modernwestcoast #modernvancouver #coastmodern #coastmodernism #heritagehome #iconichouses #duncanmcnab #duncanmcnabarchitect #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #westcoastmodernleague #westcoastmodernplaces #wcmlplaces #wcmlvan

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