West's Furniture Showroom

West's Furniture Showroom is a heritage-listed former shop at 620 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Karl Langer and built from 1952 to 1953. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 December 2015.

History

The former West's Furniture Showroom, completed in early 1953, was commissioned by Laurence (Laurie) West (1918–2013) as a modernist purpose-designed furniture showroom. Located at the northeast end of Fortitude Valley, one of Brisbane's busiest shopping centres at the time, it was designed by architect Dr Karl Langer (1903–1969) to attract attention and provide a setting for West's modern furniture. As the only Australian business licensed to make and sell Knoll furniture between 1956 and 1962, West's Furniture Showroom supplied architects with modern furniture for their buildings, and promoted Modern design both within the design community and to the general public. Sold by the West family in 1964, the building had several owners until its purchase by architect Robert Riddel, who in 2008 instigated and managed restoration and reconstruction works.

Fortitude Valley, located on the north side of the Brisbane central business district (CBD), developed over several stages to become one of Brisbane's most successful shopping centres, concentrated in Ann, Brunswick and Wickham Streets. A major building boom took place there in the 1880s, reflecting the widespread economic and population growth typical of the decade. Old timber buildings were replaced with larger, more impressive buildings, marking the growing sophistication, confidence and population of the suburb. Access was improved by the introduction of public transport in the form of horse-drawn trams (replaced by Brisbane's electric trams in the 1890s). By the close of the 1880s the Valley (as Fortitude Valley is often called by Brisbane residents) had become intensively settled and was beginning to grow rapidly as a secondary retail centre to the city centre. In 1891 the train line from the city was extended to Fortitude Valley, fuelling the growth of industry in the area, with large factories and warehouses established beyond the retail centre, close to workers' dwellings.Heritage Unit, Brisbane City Council (BCC), "Fortitude Valley Conservation Study", 1991, pp. 6–8

It was during the 1880s and 1890s that three major retailers were established in the Valley – Overell's drapery (est. 1883), TC Beirne's drapery (est. 1891), and McWhirters (est. 1898) – whose ongoing expansion reflected the wealth and optimism of Valley retailers, and attracted further activity and capital to the area.BCC, "Fortitude Valley Conservation Study", p. 8;

Another building boom took place throughout Brisbane in the 1920s; and the Valley in particular, with its success as a commercial and industrial hub, expanded even further. Connection to the city was improved, and electric trams, which passed the busy corner of Brunswick and Wickham Streets, brought thousands of shoppers to the Valley. In 1949, the year that Fortitude Valley celebrated its centenary of European settlement, the turnover of Valley retailers alone was estimated at £15 million each year, of which the three biggest firms, McWhirters, T C Beirne and Overells, accounted for more than a third.BCC, "Fortitude Valley Conservation Study", pp. 10–11'Fortitude Valley Centenary Supplement', The Courier Mail, 24 March 1949.

In the early 1950s the Valley underwent a facelift, with investment of more than £1 million in expanding and modernising buildings in order to compete with "uptown" Queen Street, bringing a "modern slickness" to the area. Old shopfronts were replaced with stainless steel and plate glass, dozens of shops were renovated inside and out, and larger stores were constructed, with new features such as escalators proving very popular with customers. Unlike Queen Street, the Valley had ample room for expansion and plenty of parking space, making it a desirable location for a "shopping centre of the future".'£1m "Facelift" for The Valley', Sunday Mail, 21 September 1952, p. 3

In addition to the major stores, the Valley was home to hundreds of medium and small-scale businesses, including numerous furniture manufacturers and retailers. In the post-World War II (WWII) period, a growing percentage of goods sold in the Valley were coming from factories in close proximity to the main shopping centre, including printing, textiles, timber, domestic machinery, motor car assembly, hardware and furniture factories. Fortitude Valley was one of the main hubs for furniture retailers in Brisbane, along with Woolloongabba, South Brisbane and the CBD. The 1951–52 Brisbane Metropolitan Trade and Business Directory lists 18 "furnishers and furniture dealers" in the Valley, most concentrated at the southwest end of Wickham Street. The types of retailers ranged from the large department stores, to shops selling mass-produced furniture at affordable prices, to more specialist retailers who designed and/or made furniture to order.Brisbane Metropolitan Trade and Business Directory (Brisbane: Universal Business Directories Aust. Pty. Ltd., 1952), pp. 172–181

The most important feature of furniture shops were their showrooms: large, flexible spaces where the furniture was displayed, often in room-like configurations so that customers could visualise the furniture in their own homes. Most furniture showrooms at that time were housed within a variety of commercial or warehouse-type buildings; many in older buildings adapted for display purposes. Showrooms also ranged in size, from single-storey shops to multi-storey complexes of adjoining buildings.For example, after their previous store burnt down in 1946, Olsen & Goodchap at Wooloongabba moved into a brick building that once contained a shooting gallery. By 1954, John Hicks & Co. Ltd. (known as Hixco) had occupied the same site on the corner of George and Ann streets for 88 years, but had installed modern showrooms in the original section of the building. In 1954, Queensland Home Furnishers expanded their Petrie Bight showroom into the adjoining building to create a floor area of 10,000 square feet. "Crafti and Co., Ltd.", The Telegraph, 1 May 1928, p. 8

One of the Fortitude Valley furniture businesses was West's Furniture Emporium (West's) at 132–134 Wickham Street, established in 1937 by Frank Presnell West (father of Laurence West). Frank West had purchased the property in 1922 and in 1927–28 a 4-storey building was constructed on the site for Crafti & Co. Ltd, well known furniture retailers. After Crafti & Co. experienced financial difficulties in the mid-1930s and moved out, the building was occupied by West's. Advertisements from the 1930s and 40s show that West's sold a wide variety of furniture, in both "period" and "modern" styles, and their motto was "West's for the Best". Promoting themselves as a small family concern, their furniture was made in a chain of small factories, each specialising in varied classes of furniture.Certificate of Title, no.11536196

By the early 1950s, Frank West's son Laurence (Laurie) West had joined the family furniture business. Born in 1918, Laurie became well known in musical circles as a fine baritone singer, and performed in many concerts and singing competitions as a young man in the 1930s and 40s. During WWII he served in the Australian army, attaining the rank of sergeant. After his discharge in April 1946, he and his wife Mary (née Quine, married in 1943) moved into their new, architect-designed residence at Fairfield. While still active in performing and musical circles, Laurie spent a short time studying architecture at the Brisbane Central Technical College. During his studies, Laurie was struck by the lack of local consideration given to the "world scene," especially in terms of interior design. Extending his own knowledge of this field through "extensive reading in libraries and fpurchased books" – including subscriptions to journals from America, Sweden and Europe – and contact with like-minded individuals, including the architect Karl Langer in Brisbane and Harry Seidler in Sydney, Laurie developed a desire to supply Brisbane (and Australia) with modern furniture. This desire grew in ambition and scale, and in the early 1950s he began planning a new purpose-designed showroom for displaying and selling modern furniture.World War Two Nominal Roll, "West, Lawrence Presnell", accessed via

The site chosen for the new showroom was at the northeast edge of Fortitude Valley, in a predominantly residential and industrial area. Frank West sold his property at 132–134 Wickham St in 1951 and in the same year purchased 618 Wickham Street (now known as 620 Wickham Street). At the time, the property consisted of an old timber residence with a shop at the front, and had rear access from Knapp Street. In 1951, Laurie West himself drew up some concept plans for a modern showroom on the site, which included a fish pond inside the front display window, a side arcade and entrance, an open-plan showroom with regularly-spaced posts painted bright primary colours, and a flat roof with rooftop garden.Certificate of Title, no.12497180

The architect engaged to design West's new furniture showroom was Dr Karl Langer, who had designed Laurie and Mary West's house at Fairfield.The design of the Wests' house, at 88 Brisbane Corso, Fairfield, was based on one of the plans included in Karl Langer's 1944 booklet "Sub-Tropical Housing". Real estate advertisement for 88 Brisbane Corso, Fairfield, (accessed 6 October 2015) Born and educated in Vienna, Langer immigrated to Australia with his wife, artist and art critic Dr Gertrude Langer, in 1939; bringing direct experience of the European Modern Movement to Queensland. In addition to working as an architect, Langer lectured part-time in architecture and architectural design at the University of Queensland from 1940, publishing his influential booklet "Sub-Tropical Housing" in 1944.Andrew Wilson, (ed.), Hayes & Scott post-war houses. St Lucia, Qld: UQP, 2005. p. 5. From 1945 Langer was employed as an assistant town planner by Brisbane City Council and was also commissioned to work on a range of town planning projects around Australia. Concurrently, he completed a wide variety of architectural projects ranging from small, economical domestic work to large commercial and institutional work.Ian Sinnamon, "Langer, Karl (1903–1969)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2000, (accessed 1 October 2015).

Langer had a pronounced impact upon the built environment of Australia and set new standards for design in Queensland until his death in 1969. His body of work is a clearly-distinguishable exploration of a sub-tropical Modernism and is important in the evolution of Queensland architecture.Riddel, "Significant Queensland 20th century architecture: A report", 2005, p. 14 Langer's designs were typified by modern, highly-functional spaces lit by high levels of natural daylight, naturally ventilated, and incorporated gardens and water features for the occupation and enjoyment of users. They were fit for purpose, while having a degree of flexibility of use.Riddel, "Significant Queensland 20th century architecture: A report", 2005, p. 14. Other important examples of Langer's architectural work include: Langer's residence at St Lucia (1950); the Sugar Research Institute at Mackay (1953); St John's Lutheran Church at Bundaberg (1960); St Peter's Lutheran College Chapel at Indooroopilly (1968); and the former Department of Main Roads Building at Spring Hill (1967).'Langer House' QHR600317

Langer's design for the new West's showroom comprised a modern display area at the front of the site, with a workshop at the rear housed in the existing residence. This followed the pattern of a new type of small, combined showroom/industrial building which emerged in Queensland in the 1950s. Located in inner city areas on small sites, and built up to the street alignment to match adjacent buildings, these showrooms were usually a single structure of two to three storeys, with large expanses of glazing to the front elevation acting as showcases. They had a clear division between public and private space, with the ground floor area fronting the street housing display and administration areas, while production and storage areas were located to the rear or on upper levels. Detailed attention was given to the design of entry ways, as access to the building was directly off the footpath; and features such as controlled illumination levels, climatic control features and sheltered street frontages reflected a sense of responsibility to the public to provide a comfortable environment.Alice L T Hampson, "The Fifties in Queensland: Why Not? Why?", Bachelor of Architecture thesis, University of Queensland, 1987, pp. 120–125.

Completed in early 1953, West's Furniture Showroom was "designed with the utmost economy in the contemporary manner".Architecture, "Furniture Shop: Brisbane, Queensland", January–March 1954, p. 17. The showroom comprised a rectangular space with a cantilevered, upswept awning that extended over the Wickham Street footpath. The building was predominantly of masonry construction, with a glass shopfront, a concrete floor, and a shallow-pitched, asbestos- and bitumen-lined roof constructed from timber trusses. The roof-top was used as garden area for displaying outdoor furniture and some furniture assembly operations.Architecture Building Engineering, 'Built to Display Modern Furniture: West's New Emporium, Newstead', Vol 31, No 5, May 1953, pp. 20–22'Plan', R 83 Karl Langer Architectural Plans, Box 15739 O/S, Roll 21/1, JOL, SLQ, unknown date The existing timber residence was relocated to the rear of the site and converted for use as a workshop for the assemblage and storage of furniture. The workshop enabled access to the roof-top display area, and was level with Knapp Street for the loading of goods to transport vehicles. Its ground floor consisted of a woodwork shop, and the upper floor was designated for polishing and inventory storage.'West's Furniture' drawn by Laurence West, R 83 Karl Langer Architectural Plans, Box 15739 O/S, Roll 21/1, JOL, SLQ,1951 Public access to the showroom was through a single timber door at the northeast end of the Wickham Street shopfront, adjacent to a random rubble stone wall. Projecting from the angled shopfront, the door frame was supported by glass, so that it appeared to float.'Proposed Furniture Showroom', R 83 Karl Langer Architectural Plans, Box 15739 O/S, Roll 21/1, JOL, SLQ, unknown date.

As the furniture showroom was located on the edge of the Fortitude Valley shopping area, the shopfront was designed to be dramatic and striking, to catch the attention of potential customers. Supported by timber beams, three floor-to-ceiling windows, measuring high by wide, angled in toward the interior at 60 degrees. They were designed to eliminate the reflections of traffic, adjacent buildings and the sky onto footpath pedestrians; while simultaneously attracting the eye of passing traffic by catching reflections of the sky. Along the southwest side of the building, vertical plate glass walls returned into the site and created a pedestrian arcade. This arcade, combined with the absence of a building at the front of the adjacent property, meant that West's furniture collection was noticeably visible when approached from the city and the potential customer had a clear view of the showroom. A concrete-edged, serpentine fish pond meandered around the base of the angled windows and glass return. Supported below the water-line by concrete pads with rubber cushions, the glass appeared to float atop the pond. The pond was decorated with water-plants and fish; and, through its half-interior, half-exterior location, it conveyed the notion of easy access to the furniture inside.Architecture Building Engineering, May 1953, pp. 20–22Architecture, January-March 1954, p. 17.

The interior of the showroom comprised a large open space, with a steep set of concrete stairs in the centre of the rear wall through which furniture was transported from the workshop. Hardwood timber columns supported the ceiling – five of which stood in a row, exposed within the showroom and just outside the shopfront. The columns were supported on metal pin-joints, and their timber was crafted to hide cables that led to power outlets at their base. A 1953 article in the publication Architecture Building Engineering explains that there were no fixed partitions or obstructions within the showroom to allow complete flexibility in arranging the displays. Aquariums were planned to flank the rear staircase, set within the rear wall, although it is unclear whether these were ever constructed (new windows line the rear wall in 2015, of similar proportions to those shown in a 1952 plan). Despite the length of the showroom, it was designed to be lit by natural light during the day by three large, rectangular light-wells (featuring a curved southwest edge, and running the length of the showroom), as well as three oval-shaped ventilator-skylights (arranged parallel to the shopfront windows). Both the light-wells and the skylights were covered by corrugated, transparent plastic roofing. The deep roof trusses were designed to ventilate the ceiling space, and Laurence West recalls that the showroom was kept cool by air movement in the large space above the curved plaster ceiling (within the rectangular light-wells).West, presentation to the St Lucia History Group, 2004, p.12.

Construction work for West's Furniture Showroom was carried out by Ajax Builders (concrete and brick works), H Packman (timber), and G McKinnon (skylights and fibrous plaster, ceiling work). West's completed the timber joinery themselves.Architecture Building Engineering, May 1953, p.22. Installation of the glass within the sloping display windows proved to be a technical challenge. Ten men were required to ease each of the three panes out of their frames and into position, and two panes were broken in the process.Architecture Building Engineering, May 1953, pp. 21–22.

Both the design and function of the showroom demonstrated the shifting tastes and values of post-war Queensland and the strong desire within the design community and beyond to move the state towards new and modern ways of living.Applicant, 'West's Furniture Showroom (former) 1952', 2015, p. 4. Modernist architecture, which developed in pre-World War I Europe and gained popularity in Australia after WWII, was notable for rationalised planning and simplicity of form and detailing.Richard Apperley, Robert Irving and Peter Reynolds, A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture, p.281. Distinguished by their extensive use of steel, reinforced concrete and glass, Australian buildings in the Modern or "International" style were heavily influenced by American and European examples. Characteristics included sleek, glossy, prismatic forms, cubiform shapes clad with curtain walls and selective expression of structural systems.Judith O'Callaghan, "The Australian Interior: The Importance of Being Contemporary in The Australian Dream: Design of the Fifties", p. 172

Sharing the ideals of the Modernist movement, both international and Australian furniture designers of the mid-20th century sought to revolutionise the contemporary interior.National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), "Mid-century modern, Australian furniture design – Exhibition wall texts", Melbourne, 2014, p. 1 (accessed 21 September 2015) Mid-century modern furniture turned away from traditional, ornate and "over-stuffed" designs that had previously been fashionable, and instead opted for pieces that were lightweight, practical, comfortable, easily rearranged, and scaled to fit within post-war houses.NGV, 2014, p. 1 A 1954 article in ''Home Beautiful'' advocated that Modern furniture met the needs of the day and rejected the use of ornamentation.Home Beautiful, September 1954, p. 32. Modern furniture was designed to be pared-back and sculptural, and was ideally suited to Modernist architecture.HabitusLiving, "Mid-century modern: Australian furniture design", 2014, (accessed 14 September 2015).

Influenced by international furniture trends, Australian contemporary furniture designers of the post-war period also promoted a philosophy of innovative "good design" that was both functional and beautiful. An influx of European immigrants introduced specialised skills and knowledge in fine furniture making to Australia; and production techniques developed in war-time manufacturing industries encouraged experimentation in furniture design. Post-war furniture designers, both in Australia and internationally, became innovative in their use of materials, due to an increased availability of some materials and a shortage of others. This experimentation led to the use of unconventional materials in furniture design, such as: curved plastics, fibreglass and aluminium; bent and laminated plywood; spot welding that joined timber to metal, rubber and plastics; sleek and narrow steel rods; cast aluminium; polyester resins; acrylics; and foam rubber.Cara Greenberg, "Mid-century modern: furniture of the 1950s", 1985, p. 25 These materials were durable, lightweight and maintenance-free, reducing the burden on everyday living.< They were manipulated to create minimalist, clean lines and, following the Bauhaus principle of "form follows function", framing elements were often showcased.Dietsch, 2000, p. 33

When the new West's Furniture Showroom began operating in 1953 it stocked a wide variety of high-quality, designer Modern furniture, including those from prominent Australian designers: Douglas Snelling (architect, designer of the "Snelling Line", which utilised parachute webbing),Snelling (1916–1985) was heavily influenced by his work in America during the war and began designing his own line due to his dissatisfaction with the combination of furniture and modern interiors. His collection was the earliest to be mass-produced in Australia and was lightweight and scaled to the human body. Clement Meadmore (industrial designer and sculptor, known for his simple and economical designs that used readily-available materials)Meadmore's (1929–2005) first attempts to design furniture were in 1951 and in 1952 he established his own company, Meadmore Originals, which produced both furniture and lighting. Meadmore's work was recognised for use of common materials such as canvas, plywood, sash cord, leather and steel rods. and Grant Featherston (designer of the "Contour" line that used bent plywood, which was moulded to the human form).Featherston (1922–1995), influenced by his early employment at glass and lighting manufacturing companies, launched his first furniture line in 1947 with the assistance of his wife, Claire Featherston (nee Skinner) and architect, Robin Boyd. Featherston Contract Furniture opened in 1956 (Featherston Contract Interiors from 1958) with their furniture advertised as beautiful, functional and technologically advanced. The work of these designers was heavily featured in home-decorating magazines throughout the 1950s.

As well as stocking Australian designers, West's was the first known retailer in Australia to obtain the licence to manufacture and sell the furniture of Knoll Associates (1938–present). Established by Hans Knoll (1914–1955) in New York as the Hans G Knoll Furniture Company, the first Knoll furniture manufacturing plant was opened in Pennsylvania, USA, in 1941. Florence Schust (1917– ), a space planner and designer who had befriended and studied under prominent Modernist architects Eliel Saarinen, Charles Eames, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, was employed by Knoll in 1943. In 1946 Hans and Florence married, and the company changed its name to Knoll Associates. A wide range of prominent architects, designers and artists were engaged to design furniture for their company, including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Jens Risom and Marcel Breuer. Influenced by Bauhaus ideals,The Bauhaus (1919–1933) was a German school of art formed by architect Walter Gropius (1883–1969) where artists, craftsmen and architects worked together towards the goal of "the building of the future". It was the only art school at that time in which designs for industrial products, including furniture, were developed. John Fleming, Hugh Honour and Nikolaus Pevsner, The Penguin Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (fifth ed.), England, Penguin Books, 1999, pp. 44–45. their furniture was technologically innovative, exceptionally designed, made of high-quality materials and easily mass-produced.Bauhaus furniture, "The history of Knoll", 2012, (accessed 21 September 2015)

In 1946, Florence established the Knoll Planning Unit – a department which designed interior spaces for corporate clients – and later designed Knoll showrooms to allow the customer to experience their furniture and test potential purchases. The showrooms were distinctively modern, open-planned and generally featured bright interiors of primary colours. The first Knoll showroom opened in New York in 1951 with a coloured ceiling grid, artificial pond, and open layout that allowed for a changing layout of products. As Knoll Associates continued to expand, showrooms were opened in eight other locations throughout America. A subsidiary of the company, Knoll International, was established in 1951 and set about opening Modernist showrooms around the globe in places such as Paris, Stuttgart, Stockholm, Madrid, and Milan.Knoll, "Knoll timeline", 2015. A index released by Knoll Associates lists West's as the only retailer with a licence to sell genuine Knoll furniture in Australia, and as one of only 13 stores selling Knoll furniture outside of America. West's remained the only known licensed manufacturer and retailer of Knoll products in Australia until William Latchford and Sons, a Melbourne firm, obtained a licence in 1962.

Following its opening, West's was featured in various periodicals, including a 1953 Cross Section article, a 1954 issue of Architecture (the Royal Australian Institute of Architect's journal), and on the front cover of Queensland publication Architecture Building Engineering. The showroom was radically different to any other retail building in Brisbane at the time. It was described as having a striking street presence and its planning embraced unique solutions to display problems.Architecture Building Engineering, May 1953, p. 20 Accounts from the West family recall the building being so eye-catching that tourist buses would regularly stop outside, and that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh briefly stopped the Royal Cavalcade to view the building during the Queen's visit in 1954.Margaret West submission, 2015Rosemary Sorensen

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