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The Biancardi House

Location 20 Yarra Street,, KEW VIC 3101 - Property No B6282 File Number B6282 Level State

[1/1] B6282 Biancardi House

Statement of Significance

The Biancardi House, designed in 1958, is architecturally significant at a state level because it embodies many of the aims and aspirations of its era in form, detail and materials. It is also important in being the work of the significant firm of architects and educators Gerd & Renate Block. It was included in the publication Best Australian Houses of 1962.
The valley in which it was built had been left undeveloped for nearly a century, ostensibly because of the difficulty in providing access and services. However throughout the 1950s the area was settled with houses of the then-ruling Contemporary Style leading to it becoming an examplar of the period. To take advantage of the view of the Yarra, the house was angled on its site and its multi-facetted form further enabled most main rooms to enjoy the river vista. The elevations consist of large, uninterrupted window areas alternating with masonry panels. These panels consist of bricks laid on edge in basket weave bond. Although extended in 1985 the house still retains the clarity of its original conception.
The main rooms are on the upper level; the ground level being given over to bedroom, playroom, carport and services. The structural system is minimal and painted black, consciously giving the impression of the house being suspended above its site. This treatment is continued with the detailing of the metal and timber stair and the extensive in-built furniture.
Classified: 11/12/1991