Douglas Snelling
Encyclopedia
Douglas B. Snelling was an English-born
graphic artist, furniture designer and registered architect
, practicing in Sydney, Australia from 1944-1975. He was nationally renowned for his modernist furniture named “The Snelling Line” produced by Functional Products Pty Ltd. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright
, Snelling became a qualified architect
in 1951, practicing in ranged from entertainment and retail interiors to master plans for tourist resorts in Vanuatu
, New Caledonia
and Fiji
, however, the majority his projects were residential, spread across the area of greater Sydney.
Douglas Snelling an architect and furniture designer studied architecture graphic art and industrial design in the United States. After spending a part of his youth in New Zealand
with his family he decided to travel to the States to experience a brief period at Frank Lloyd Wright
’s architectural school at Taliesian West, outside of Phoenix Arizona. His experience had heavily influenced his later works in Australia
. Layered and overhanging cantilevered roofs, giant private courtyards, stone fireplaces and meshing structure and land together are just some of these examples. In New South Wales
and Western Australia
Snelling, along with Peter Muller
became recognised for portraying the Wrightian approach in their work. Snelling was a frequent traveller and his first visit to the U.S was in Los Angeles
in 1938.
He later worked for Douglas Hannold from 1947 to 1948, a Californian modernist architect at his Beverly Hills office and then went on to designing furniture for the US Navy Clubs in Australia during part of World War II
. This lead him to creating unique chair designs which used even more peculiar methods of designs such as using parachute webbing.
Snelling was thought of as a colourful and dashing figure. Being a gifted architect
he was known for designing some of Sydney
’s largest post-war modern houses. The planning, form and landscaping of these houses resembled a lot to the contemporary domestic architecture of Richard Neutra and Gordon Drake, both popular architects based in Los Angeles
. As well as that, the houses also resembled to those involved in the Arts&Architecture case study House Program.
1951 was the year when Douglas Snelling registered with the Royal Australian Institute of Architects
(NSW). 25 years later Snelling moved to Hawaii
.
, in 1947. The furniture was marketed as the Snelling Line and the Snelling Module. Snelling, Davidson and Shaw left Functional Products in the mid-1950s when it became a public company.
Douglas Snelling was well known for his furniture design. His distinctive chairs were influenced by the lack of materials after World War II
and his time spent designing furniture for the U.S. Navy Clubs in Australia.
The chair frames were made from Australian hardwood
with webbing backs and seats. Snelling claimed these were more comfortable then stuffed upholstery
. The webbing was specially made by a manufacturer who had previously produced only webbing for parachutes
and soldiers uniforms.
After seeing them, a furniture manufacturer of a large Sydney store gave Snelling an order of 2000 pounds worth. This led Snelling to join forces with manufacturers in 1947, opening a factory to create the chairs in quantity and eventually the Snelling Line.
In 1951 the Palmerston family needed a new house and Snelling was theobvious choice for architect after working closely with Terry Palmerston at Functional Products.
Mueller House & Sir Theo Kelly House
A group of houses located at 24a & 24b Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill, Sydney, NSW. Designed in modernist styling, its form consists of rectangular room, cantilevered flat roofs, full height glazed walls, overlapping wall planes and stonework.
Constructed on an acre site with gentle north-facing slope, The Sir Theo Kelly House, at its time of construction, was the largest new residence built in Sydney since World War II - it is now barely visible to the public. It is a horizontal design of three stepped interlocking wings, the ground floor consists of open living, formal dining and lounge room, as well as a small master bedroom fronting its own terrace. Floating above the lounge exists a study and sundeck wrapping a central fireplace.
Fiji
New Caledonia
New Hebrides
conservation and addition to the Snelling House (Northbridge, 1947). The Firm upheld the original design with additions in new materials and technology. These Additions won the 1997 RAIA
Robin Boyd Award
.
Small changes such as a self-contained living area behind an original stone wall and enlargements to a terrace above were made during the conservation and addition process.
The materiality of the house consisted of local sandstone, timber, steel and glass. These materials were chosen to respond to the bush surroundings and slope of the site. The following four decades saw the house deteriorate as a result of neglect and alterations which did not respect the original stylings of the house.
Snelling originally built the House for his family, however he sold the house after it’s completion, after which it suffered neglect and unsympathetic alterations.
Douglas Snelling Sydney Opera House
Douglas Snelling wrote a strongly opinionated letter against the Sydney Opera House stating "The Sydney Opera house is largely only famous abroad for its fantastic cost in relation to our national product." It is presumed to have been written in late march, 1966, to the Sydney Morning Herald. The letter suggests that he disapproved of Jorn Utzon's design of the Sydney Opera House which in his opinion refuted a conventional reading of functionalism.
He goes on to point out the flaws of the project and its disregard for the “first principle in architectural design: ‘form follows function.’ ” . A term coined by Louis Sullivan
. In the letter he continues to deliver his opinions with statements such as: "Many world famous Architects who have taken time to study the plans in detail see the building as sculpture with an Opera House stuffed inside it. As such, this puts the building in the class of theatrical trickery and nonsense." And: "The amount of seating has been drastically reduced; the traffic flow is poor; the car parking and access were hardly considered and the acoustic design remains to be resolved."
The letter was sourced from the archives of DresAbe and Olga Assef, clients and friends of Douglas Snelling's in 1964.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
graphic artist, furniture designer and registered architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, practicing in Sydney, Australia from 1944-1975. He was nationally renowned for his modernist furniture named “The Snelling Line” produced by Functional Products Pty Ltd. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, Snelling became a qualified architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
in 1951, practicing in ranged from entertainment and retail interiors to master plans for tourist resorts in Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
and Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, however, the majority his projects were residential, spread across the area of greater Sydney.
Personal Life
Born in the year 1916 in Kent, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Douglas Snelling an architect and furniture designer studied architecture graphic art and industrial design in the United States. After spending a part of his youth in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with his family he decided to travel to the States to experience a brief period at Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
’s architectural school at Taliesian West, outside of Phoenix Arizona. His experience had heavily influenced his later works in Australia
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...
. Layered and overhanging cantilevered roofs, giant private courtyards, stone fireplaces and meshing structure and land together are just some of these examples. In New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
Snelling, along with Peter Muller
Peter Müller
Peter Müller may refer to:* Peter Mueller , NHL player for the Colorado Avalanche* Peter Mueller , former speed skater and speed skating coach from the United States...
became recognised for portraying the Wrightian approach in their work. Snelling was a frequent traveller and his first visit to the U.S was in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1938.
He later worked for Douglas Hannold from 1947 to 1948, a Californian modernist architect at his Beverly Hills office and then went on to designing furniture for the US Navy Clubs in Australia during part of World War II
World 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...
. This lead him to creating unique chair designs which used even more peculiar methods of designs such as using parachute webbing.
Snelling was thought of as a colourful and dashing figure. Being a gifted architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
he was known for designing some of 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...
’s largest post-war modern houses. The planning, form and landscaping of these houses resembled a lot to the contemporary domestic architecture of Richard Neutra and Gordon Drake, both popular architects based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. As well as that, the houses also resembled to those involved in the Arts&Architecture case study House Program.
1951 was the year when Douglas Snelling registered with the Royal Australian Institute of Architects
Royal Australian Institute of Architects
The Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name....
(NSW). 25 years later Snelling moved to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Furniture Design
After the War he designed a range of modernist furniture, manufactured by Functional Products Pty Ltd, a company, which was formed in 1947 by Douglas Snelling, Terry Palmerston, Douglas Davidson and Robert Shaw. Snelling designed the Functional Products factory that was built in St Peters, SydneySydney
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...
, in 1947. The furniture was marketed as the Snelling Line and the Snelling Module. Snelling, Davidson and Shaw left Functional Products in the mid-1950s when it became a public company.
Douglas Snelling was well known for his furniture design. His distinctive chairs were influenced by the lack of materials after World War II
World 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...
and his time spent designing furniture for the U.S. Navy Clubs in Australia.
The chair frames were made from Australian hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
with webbing backs and seats. Snelling claimed these were more comfortable then stuffed upholstery
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
. The webbing was specially made by a manufacturer who had previously produced only webbing for parachutes
Parachutes
Parachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
and soldiers uniforms.
After seeing them, a furniture manufacturer of a large Sydney store gave Snelling an order of 2000 pounds worth. This led Snelling to join forces with manufacturers in 1947, opening a factory to create the chairs in quantity and eventually the Snelling Line.
Notable Architectural Projects
Palmerston HouseIn 1951 the Palmerston family needed a new house and Snelling was theobvious choice for architect after working closely with Terry Palmerston at Functional Products.
Mueller House & Sir Theo Kelly House
A group of houses located at 24a & 24b Victoria Rd, Bellevue Hill, Sydney, NSW. Designed in modernist styling, its form consists of rectangular room, cantilevered flat roofs, full height glazed walls, overlapping wall planes and stonework.
Constructed on an acre site with gentle north-facing slope, The Sir Theo Kelly House, at its time of construction, was the largest new residence built in Sydney since World War II - it is now barely visible to the public. It is a horizontal design of three stepped interlocking wings, the ground floor consists of open living, formal dining and lounge room, as well as a small master bedroom fronting its own terrace. Floating above the lounge exists a study and sundeck wrapping a central fireplace.
Architectural Projects
Sydney & NSW- Bellevue Hill, 4 Sheldon Place (For Mr D Cohen) August 1968
- Castle Cove53 Headland Road (Mr & Mrs Hesky) April 1969
- Glebe, 431 Glebe Point Rd (Max Factor & Co) November 1967
- Narooma, Lot 13 Lakeview Drive (Mr & Mrs Walker Smith) February 1970
- Vauclause, 22 Vauclause Rd (Sir Theo Kelly House) December 1965
- Vauclause, 22 The Crescent (Mr & Mrs Pelly) June 1970
- Vauclause, 15 Boambillee Avenue (Mr & Mrs Herman) July 1970
- Vauclause, 23 Conway Avenue (Mr & Mrs P Smith) December 1971
Fiji
- Nadi, Queens Rd (General Investments Corporation) March 1972
New Caledonia
- Nouméa, Bettina Arcade, corner Rue Du Docteur Guegan and Avenue De La Victoire (J Nawa & D Kutner)
- Nouméa, Mont Mou (Mr J Nawa) June 1968
- Nouméa, Lot 232 S Rue Michelet (Mr L Nawa) June 1969
New Hebrides
- Port Vila, Erakor Lagoon Vila (Mr & Mrs Pierre Bourgeois) May 1970
Awards
1997 saw the completion of Tzannes AssociatesTzannes Associates
Tzannes Associates is an architectural practice based in Sydney, Australia, active since 1983.The studio-based practice employs approximately 40 staff....
conservation and addition to the Snelling House (Northbridge, 1947). The Firm upheld the original design with additions in new materials and technology. These Additions won the 1997 RAIA
Raia
Raia may refer to:* Royal Australian Institute of Architects, a professional body for architects in Australia* Raia , a small village in Goa, India, about 6 km from Margao on the way to Loutolim...
Robin Boyd Award
Robin Boyd Award
The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture is an Australian architectural prize presented by the Australian Institute of Architects since 1981....
.
Small changes such as a self-contained living area behind an original stone wall and enlargements to a terrace above were made during the conservation and addition process.
The materiality of the house consisted of local sandstone, timber, steel and glass. These materials were chosen to respond to the bush surroundings and slope of the site. The following four decades saw the house deteriorate as a result of neglect and alterations which did not respect the original stylings of the house.
Snelling originally built the House for his family, however he sold the house after it’s completion, after which it suffered neglect and unsympathetic alterations.
Douglas Snelling Sydney Opera HouseSydney Opera HouseThe 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...
letter
Douglas Snelling wrote a strongly opinionated letter against the Sydney Opera House stating "The Sydney Opera house is largely only famous abroad for its fantastic cost in relation to our national product." It is presumed to have been written in late march, 1966, to the Sydney Morning Herald. The letter suggests that he disapproved of Jorn Utzon's design of the Sydney Opera House which in his opinion refuted a conventional reading of functionalism.He goes on to point out the flaws of the project and its disregard for the “first principle in architectural design: ‘form follows function.’ ” . A term coined by Louis Sullivan
Louis Sullivan
Louis Henri Sullivan was an American architect, and has been called the "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism" He is considered by many as the creator of the modern skyscraper, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, was a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright, and an...
. In the letter he continues to deliver his opinions with statements such as: "Many world famous Architects who have taken time to study the plans in detail see the building as sculpture with an Opera House stuffed inside it. As such, this puts the building in the class of theatrical trickery and nonsense." And: "The amount of seating has been drastically reduced; the traffic flow is poor; the car parking and access were hardly considered and the acoustic design remains to be resolved."
The letter was sourced from the archives of DresAbe and Olga Assef, clients and friends of Douglas Snelling's in 1964.