Marsala House

Marsala House is a residential home in Dianella, in suburban Perth, Western Australia, designed by architect Iwan Iwanoff. Marsala House was constructed in 1976, and is the youngest heritage-listed residence in Western Australia.[2]

Marsala House
Marsala House in 2017
General information
TypeHouse
Architectural styleBrutalist
Location38 Sycamore Rise, Dianella, Western Australia
CountryAustralia
Coordinates31.8804°S 115.8646°E / -31.8804; 115.8646
Opening1976
Grounds1,483 square metres (15,960 sq ft)[1]
Design and construction
Architect(s)Iwan Iwanoff
Designated15 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

Marsala 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 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][6][1]

Recognition

The Heritage Council of Western Australia added Marsala House to the permanent Register of Heritage Places (#9917) in December 2009.[7] 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".[7]

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".[8]

Ownership

Marsala 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.[8] The Marsalas travelled extensively, and requested the addition of a disco room after visiting Las Vegas in the late 1970s.[8]

Christopher David Beer and Mark Etherton bought the home in 2005, and undertook conservation work.[7][8] 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.[9] The house was relisted in November 2021, with a "high 2 millions" asking price and soon after sold for AU$2.8 million.[10][11]

References
  1. 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.
  2. "Built in 1976, Iwanoff's Marsala House is WA's youngest heritage listed residence". ABC News. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  3. McRae, Ross (2 June 2012). "Dianella disco house sold". The West Australian. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  4. Best, Paul (23 June 2021). "Perth's 'Disco House' hits the market with a $3m+ guide". Domain.com.au. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  5. "Register of Heritage Places - Assessment Documentation: Marsala House, Dianella (1976)". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  6. "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.
  7. "Register of Heritage Places - Permanent Entry: Marsala House, Dianella (1976)". Heritage Council of Western Australia. 15 December 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  8. "Life Cycle: Marsala House". Australian Design Review. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  9. Wang, Jessica (29 May 2021). "Property listings: Inside 70s Disco House that's Australia's most viewed". News.com.au. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  10. Hall, Sally (8 November 2021). "This Iconic Iwanoff Marsala House Back On The Market!". Perth is OK!. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  11. Macdonald, Kim (1 December 2021). "Light up the dance floor, Disco House has sold". The West Australian. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.