Marginata Flats, Perth

Statement of Significance

Marginata Flats, Perth, a three-storey block of thirteen brick and tile flats built in 1941 on the north-west corner of Hill and Goderich Streets in East Perth in the Inter-war Functionalist style, and including six garages, has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
the place epitomises the characteristics of an emerging functionalist approach to architecture that was being promoted by architects such as Margaret Pitt Morrison, Harold Krantz, and Heimann (Heinz) Jacobsohn in the decade following the Great Depression. With its origins in modern European architecture it utilised traditional, readily available materials in a simple, clean style with minimal decoration;
the place is the best-known example of a block of flats designed by Pitt Morison, in association with Jacobsohn, and is one of the few places recognised as having been designed by Pitt Morison despite her substantial work with a number of architectural firms;
the place is significant for its association with architects Margaret Pitt Morison, the first female architect to register and practice in Western Australia, and Heimann Jacobsohn, an émigré architect from Germany;
the place helps to illustrate the diverse nature of flat development in Perth during the 1930s and early 1940s, and as a simple rectangular block, the place is unambiguous in its function, an idiom that became increasingly common in the post-World War Two period;
The current hard and soft landscaping of the rear courtyard is of little significance.

Physical Description

Three storey brick and tile flats, with timber windows and the name Marginata on the south elevation.

Uses

Creation Date

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This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.