OCEANA

The architect

Oceana was designed by Theodore Fry (1908-1959) and completed circa 1961. Oceana takes its name for its watery location. It was one of the first modern, high-rise apartment blocks to appear on the Elizabeth Bay skyline in the early 1960s.

Theodore Fry was not his original name. He was born Teodore Frewillig. He was a Polish immigrant who fled to Australia in 1948 after World War II ravaged Europe. Fry also completed numerous, multi-storey apartments in the eastern suburbs.

Mr Fry's design principles followed the 1920 Bauhaus philosophy of “form follows function”. This style of architecture was developed at a design school in Dessau, Germany, called the Staatliche Bauhaus (literally “school of building”). All facets of design were reinvented. This style was also termed the “International Style” because it occurred all around the world. It was founded with the idea of creating a "total" work of art (Gesamtkunstwerk) in which all the arts, including architecture, would eventually be brought together in one building. The Bauhaus concept was and is one of the most influential currents in modern design.

Its central dictum, “form follows function”, meant that facade window designs were an integral part of the building’s facade decoration. No more decoration was needed or wanted. The windows indicated the function of the room inside the building by way of the size and placement. So living rooms had large areas of glass whilst bedrooms and bathrooms had smaller panes. For houses, this was modified if a view could be seen from the room. This principle is evident in Oceana with its large glass panoramas.

With seven one-and two-bedroom apartments on each of its 13 floors, Oceana, with its direct harbour nexus, remains an attractive reminder of the shift towards high-density living with the creation of strata titles in 1961.

Text from 'Oceana', a report by Weir Phillips on the building's history, heritage properties and development considerations. Images provided by Alan Barnes and Peter Bolton.