Marsala House is a residential home in Dianella, in suburban Perth, Western Australia, designed by architect Iwan Iwanoff. It is the youngest heritage-listed residence in Western Australia.[2]
| Marsala House | |
|---|---|
 Marsala House in 2017 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Brutalist |
| Location | 38 Sycamore Rise, Dianella, Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°52′49″S 115°51′53″E / 31.8804°S 115.8646°E |
| Opening | 1976 |
| Grounds | 1,483 square metres (15,960 sq ft)[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Iwan Iwanoff |
| Designated | 15 December 1999 |
| Reference no. | 09917 |
The brutalist concrete block home is considered "one of Perth's most iconic residences",[3] and colloquially referred to as the "Dianella Disco House" due to its checkerboard-patterned illuminated dance floor in a specialised disco room.[4]
Architecture
editMarsala House is a rare example of expressionist architecture in Western Australia, designed in an interpretive brutalist style by architect Iwan Iwanoff.[5]
Marsala House demonstrates the new mass-produced materials commonly used during the 1960s and 1970s, such as concrete blocks, melamine laminates, and polystyrene.[5]
The house went through several iterations in the design phase. The exterior uses predominantly rectilinear, block-based geometries, while the interior references curvilinear forms.[6] The house features a dedicated "disco room" with a light-up floor and Murano glass chandelier, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two bars, two sunken living rooms, and a swimming pool.[4][7][1]
Recognition
editThe Heritage Council of Western Australia added Marsala House to the permanent Register of Heritage Places (#9917) in December 2009.[8] The listing stated that the building is significant because it is "an intact and aesthetically exceptional example of a creatively designed residence constructed of concrete blockwork", "one of the finest residences designed by highly-regarded Western Australian architect, Iwan Iwanoff", and "highly valued...as evidenced through references to the house in numerous published works".[8]
The home was featured on Better Homes and Gardens.[3]
Restoration work on Marsala House, conducted by Donaldson and Warn Architects, received the 2011 WA Heritage award for "outstanding conservation of a heritage project".[9]
Ownership
editMarsala House is named after Tina and Sergio Marsala, who commissioned Iwan Iwanoff to design their home in the 1970s.[4] Different designs were proposed by Iwanoff between 1973 and 1975, with the design finalised in 1976.[9] The Marsalas travelled extensively, and requested the addition of a disco room after visiting Las Vegas in the late 1970s.[9]
Christopher David Beer and Mark Etherton bought the home in 2005, and undertook conservation work.[8][9] In 2012, the home was purchased by Perth street artist Stormie Mills and his wife Melissa Lekias for AU$2.2 million.[3]
Marsala House was listed for sale in May 2021 with a pricing guide of AU$3+ million.[4] Its online real estate listing was viewed over 10,000 times in the first four days.[10] The house was relisted in November 2021, with a "high 2 millions" asking price and soon after sold for AU$2.8 million.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ a b Prka, Rhys (27 May 2021). "Iwanoff's Classic 'Marsala House' In Dianella, Famed For its Disco Room, Is On The Market". The Market Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Built in 1976, Iwanoff's Marsala House is WA's youngest heritage listed residence". ABC News. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b c McRae, Ross (2 June 2012). "Dianella disco house sold". The West Australian. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d Best, Paul (23 June 2021). "Perth's 'Disco House' hits the market with a $3m+ guide". Domain.com.au. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Register of Heritage Places - Assessment Documentation: Marsala House, Dianella (1976)". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ Blakeley, Michelle (2016). "In Detail - Old and New: Marsala House / Iwanoff". The Architect: Journal of the Australian Institute of Architects WA Chapter (Autumn): 27-29. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
- ^ "Perth street artist Stormie Mills puts Dianella 'disco house' up for sale so you can beat the lockdown boredom". PerthNow. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Register of Heritage Places - Permanent Entry: Marsala House, Dianella (1976)". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Life Cycle: Marsala House". Australian Design Review. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ Wang, Jessica (29 May 2021). "Property listings: Inside 70s Disco House that's Australia's most viewed". News.com.au. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ Hall, Sally (8 November 2021). "This Iconic Iwanoff Marsala House Back On The Market!". Perth is OK!. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ Macdonald, Kim (1 December 2021). "Light up the dance floor, Disco House has sold". The West Australian. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Further reading
edit- Anderson, Warren (2024), The Architecture of Iwan Iwanoff, Bossanova Lounge Australia, ISBN 978-0-6457493-0-4
- Bush, Fiona; Heritage Council of Western Australia; Stephens, John R. (A.R.A.I.A.) (2008), Conservation plan for the Marsala House, Dianella, Distributed by the Heritage Council of Western Australia], retrieved 28 June 2024
- Blakeley, Michelle (2016). "In Detail - Old and New: Marsala House / Iwanoff". The Architect: Journal of the Australian Institute of Architects WA Chapter (Autumn): 27-29.
- Lewi, Hannah & Philip Goad (2019), Australia Modern : Architecture, Landscape & Design. Melbourne: Thames & Hudson Australia, 2019.
- Lovel, Jack; Iwanoff, Iwan, 1919-1986 (2021), Catching Light : The Architecture of Iwan Iwanoff - Through the lens of Jack Lovel, Press Print, ISBN 978-0-646-83283-8
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Richards, Duncan (2006). "Iwanoff, Iwan (1919 - 1986)", Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition, (ISSN 1833-7538, published online by Australian National University). https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/iwanoff-iwan-12685/text22867