Walter Bunning
Encyclopedia
Walter Ralston Bunning was a prominent Australia
n architect and urban planner.
. During the depression he moved to Sydney
to study at East Sydney Technical College graduating in 1936. He then worked in the offices of Carlyle Greenwell
and Stephenson & Meldrum while attending Sydney Technical College
at night. After his graduation he was awarded a travelling scholarship by the Board of Architects of New South Wales and from 1937-39 he traveled throughout Europe and North America working for prominent architects in London, Dublin and New York. According to Johnson, it was this time overseas that became a crucial time in the evolution of Bunning’s design and thought, inspiring modernist design and ideas that could be brought back and applied to Australia.
Bunning’s worked for the Australian Government, mainly designing camouflage schemes. However in 1943 Bunning’s was appointed executive officer of the Commonwealth Housing Commission writing much of its influential 1944 report, which according to many scholars became a virtual text book for planners.
, established Bunning's as 'the best known architectural publicist in the country'. The dream for postwar planning in Australia for which Bunning's highly advocated was displayed clearly throughout the book, with the most prominent example being a proposed attempt to develop Sydney’s first satellite town, which according to Freestone was “refined in later writings”. Bunning envisaged a town for 10,000 people, which would provide the best of country and city living in one, with the community areas and industrial areas separated to prevent pollution. There would be a clear separation of transport modes and the communities would also be separated, each serviced by their own facilities. With the town defined by a green belt, an area where any further metropolitan sprawl would be contained. This according to Freestone “synthesised the ideas of Ebenezer Howard
and Le Corbusier
into a normative formula”.
The same year Homes in the sun was published Bunning formed his own private architectural firm, joining up with Charles Madden in 1946. The Sydney based firm over the next 25 years designed many public and private buildings in Sydney and Canberra, including winning the 1949 competition for the design of Anzac House, Sydney. The firm’s most famous work however was the National Library in Canberra. The firm had many other successful designs such as International House, University of Sydney (1967), however in 1957 the firm leaned that it had failed in its bid to design the Sydney Opera House
.
In 1970 Bunning was appointed to the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority (SCRA), this proved to be a controversial project with Bunning’s forced to bear some responsibility for plans to build high-rise hotels and office blocks in the Rocks, Sydney.
Although Bunning chaired many architectural and planning bodies, he did find time to support other interests, becoming a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1958 and taking over as president from 1974 until his death of a cerebral tumour in 1977.
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...
n architect and urban planner.
Early life
Bunning was born in BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. During the depression he moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to study at East Sydney Technical College graduating in 1936. He then worked in the offices of Carlyle Greenwell
Carlyle Greenwell
Carlyle Greenwell was an Australian architect whose houses, designed in the first half of the 20th century, are now heritage listed and a philanthropist whose bequest to the University of Sydney funds research in Anthropology and Archaeology.-Early life:Greenwell was born in Windsor and was...
and Stephenson & Meldrum while attending Sydney Technical College
Sydney Technical College
The Sydney Technical College was a name used by Australia's oldest technical education institution.It began as the Sydney Mechanics' Institute in 1843...
at night. After his graduation he was awarded a travelling scholarship by the Board of Architects of New South Wales and from 1937-39 he traveled throughout Europe and North America working for prominent architects in London, Dublin and New York. According to Johnson, it was this time overseas that became a crucial time in the evolution of Bunning’s design and thought, inspiring modernist design and ideas that could be brought back and applied to Australia.
Working Life
In 1938 Bunning returned to Australia and helped to establish the Sydney arm of the Modern Architectural Research Society (MARS) which was modelled on the famous British organisation of the same name. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Bunning’s worked for the Australian Government, mainly designing camouflage schemes. However in 1943 Bunning’s was appointed executive officer of the Commonwealth Housing Commission writing much of its influential 1944 report, which according to many scholars became a virtual text book for planners.
Homes in the Sun
Stemming form his work with the Commonwealth Housing Commission in 1945 Bunning published Homes in the Sun. The book advocated better designed homes, communities, towns and regions to suit the Australian environment. This according to Robin BoydRobin Boyd
Robin Gerard Penleigh Boyd CBE was an influential Australian architect, writer, teacher and social commentator...
, established Bunning's as 'the best known architectural publicist in the country'. The dream for postwar planning in Australia for which Bunning's highly advocated was displayed clearly throughout the book, with the most prominent example being a proposed attempt to develop Sydney’s first satellite town, which according to Freestone was “refined in later writings”. Bunning envisaged a town for 10,000 people, which would provide the best of country and city living in one, with the community areas and industrial areas separated to prevent pollution. There would be a clear separation of transport modes and the communities would also be separated, each serviced by their own facilities. With the town defined by a green belt, an area where any further metropolitan sprawl would be contained. This according to Freestone “synthesised the ideas of Ebenezer Howard
Ebenezer Howard
Sir Ebenezer Howard is known for his publication Garden Cities of To-morrow , the description of a utopian city in which people live harmoniously together with nature. The publication resulted in the founding of the garden city movement, that realized several Garden Cities in Great Britain at the...
and Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
into a normative formula”.
The same year Homes in the sun was published Bunning formed his own private architectural firm, joining up with Charles Madden in 1946. The Sydney based firm over the next 25 years designed many public and private buildings in Sydney and Canberra, including winning the 1949 competition for the design of Anzac House, Sydney. The firm’s most famous work however was the National Library in Canberra. The firm had many other successful designs such as International House, University of Sydney (1967), however in 1957 the firm leaned that it had failed in its bid to design the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
.
Career Twilight
The late 60’s to his death saw the twilight of Bunning’s planning career. Bunning became a highly sought after planning figure as both state governments and private developers became resolved for Bunning to act as an independent adviser on major planning issues. This according to Freestone led to the phrase “Send for Bunning’…. as he became a kind of ‘ombudsman extraordinary’ helping the government ‘out of tight spots”.In 1970 Bunning was appointed to the Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority (SCRA), this proved to be a controversial project with Bunning’s forced to bear some responsibility for plans to build high-rise hotels and office blocks in the Rocks, Sydney.
Although Bunning chaired many architectural and planning bodies, he did find time to support other interests, becoming a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1958 and taking over as president from 1974 until his death of a cerebral tumour in 1977.