Richard Leplastrier: Acclaimed Australian Architect

Early Years and Architectural Education

Professor Richard Leplastrier was born in 1939 and grew up in Perth, Hobart and then Sydney. He studied architecture at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in 1963. For two years after his graduation, Leplastrier continued his professional pursuit at the Sydney Opera House working for Danish architect, Jørn Utzon.

Leaving for Japan in 1966, his passion for architecture started to shift away from the Modernism he was familiar with in Sydney, towards vernacular types of architecture like the Japanese traditional house. His time at The University of Kyoto, under the mentorship of Professor Masuda Tomoya, offered insights into the harmonious fusion of modernism and craftsmanship, further enriched by his collaboration with the renowned Japanese architect Kenzō Tange.

Architectural Legacy

After his return to Australia, Leplastrier established his own practice in Sydney in 1970. Leplastrier eventually built a studio in Lovett Bay, an area in Pittwater in the northern outskirts of Sydney, accessible only by boat. Leplastrier’s architecture is sensitive to place and culture and he uses his Lovett Bay home for teaching and architectural design. Until 2019, Leplastrier, taught architecture at the University of Newcastle under the Professors of Practice program, a role shared among several of Australia’s most prominent architects.

Richard Leplastrier’s works include private residences, public buildings and educations facilities, including the Wood Gallery Design Centre in Launceston, Rainforest House in Mapleton Queensland, Tom Uren House in Balmain and the Georges Head Lookout in Mosman.

Georges Head Lookout

Leplastrier's legacy is dotted along the entire East Coast, ranging from sylvan retreats to suburban landscapes and includes vital contributions to dwellings for the Aboriginal Community. It is the George’s Head Lookout that stands in contrast to Leplastrier’s usual architectural style. The Lookout was designed between 2004 and 2006 by Leplastrier in collaboration with Craig Burton, a landscape architect. It is perched on an historic headland which held significance as both an Aboriginal habitation site and a strategic defence point.

The lookout offers a window into the past and a connection to Sydney Harbour's evolution. Georges Heights has a rich history. In 1815, NSW Governor Lachlan Macquarie granted 16 Garigal families land at Georges Heights to settle and cultivate. Macquarie encouraged the group to adapt to the European way of living and appointed Bungaree, a celebrated Aboriginal pioneer and diplomat, as their leader. Bungaree has the distinction of being the first Australian to circumnavigate the continent. Referred to by Macquarie as the ‘Chief of the Broken Bay Tribe’, Bungaree had completed the historic, 13-month voyage aboard Mathew Flinder’s HMS Investigator in 1803.

In 1871, construction began on the Georges Head Battery. The area’s military history continued with the establishment of a military hospital in 1916. Military activity continued on the site until 1996. The Georges Head Lookout is designed to interpret the forms of the original fortifications of the site to be visually dominant and to provide and a safe and unimpeded view of the harbour without any interference to the line of sight. This sensitively designed intervention seamlessly integrates with the landscape, and incorporates elements such as a curved sandstone wall seat, bronze brackets and oblique steps, all while providing a vantage point for absorbing the magnificent vistas of the city, the harbour and its surrounding headlands.

Celebrated Achievements

Richard Leplastrier has been the recipient of many architectural awards including - the1996 Special Jury Award from the NSW Royal Australian Institute of Architects and the 1999 Gold Medal from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Today, he remains professionally active as a partisan for saving and protecting old Australian colonial houses.

“It is not possible to summarise Richard Leplastrier’s contribution to architecture because it extends beyond the built work. He is an educator, craftsperson, facilitator and inspiration to all who meet him” - Peter Stutchbury, Architecture Australia, Melbourne, RAIA, Vol.88, No.1 Jan/Feb 1999, p.58.

References

• Cheng, Linda, 20 December 2019. Newcastle uni loses Gold Medalists in drastic restructure. ARCHITECTUREAU. Newcastle uni loses Gold Medalists in drastic restructure | ArchitectureAU
• Richard Leplastrier, May 24, 2015. Invisible Studio Richard Leplastrier - Blog - Invisible Studio Architects
• ArchEyes, The Lovett https://archeyes.com/lovett-bay-house-richard-leplastrierBay House by Richard Leplastrier: An Architectural Masterpiece. October 31, 2020. 
• OZ.E.TECTURE. Architecture Foundation Australia. Georges Head Lookout Georges Head Lookout — OZ.E.TECTURE (ozetecture.org)
• OZ.E.TECTURE. Architecture Foundation Australia. Richard Leplastrier Projects. Richard Leplastrier Projects — OZ.E.TECTURE (ozetecture.org)
• Stutchbury, Architecture Australia, Melbourne, RAIA, Vol.88, No.1, Jan/Feb 1999, p.58)
• Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. A Brief History of Georges Heights. History of Georges Heights in Mosman | Harbour Trust

Article was originally published on 30 November 2023.