Murrawan Court at 2 Elizabath Bay Crescent, built 1961, is hidden behind Elizabeth Bay Road in a cul-de-sac. It was built 1960-61.

Its architect was a Czech immigrant, Alexander Kann (1922-2004) according to the City of Sydney Council archives, and founder of Kann Finch architects, still flourishing today.

Alexander Kann was the son of the late Dr Ernst (originally Arnost) Kann (1887-1944) who died at Auschwitz extermination camp, Poland, in 1944.

Alex’s mother was Leopoldine Poldi. His wife was Renate Kann and his sister was Hildegard Anna Megg.

Alex was born in Prague in 1922 and studied Architecture at the famous Charles University in Prague and at the Technical College in Brno, graduating in 1944.

He migrated to Australia after World War II in 1948 as did many other architects fleeing the rubble of war-torn-ravaged Europe.

He completed further studies at the Sydney Technical College, graduating in 1952.

He had previously worked in Europe on post‐war reconstruction projects and on industrial mass housing systems and then worked in Sydney and Melbourne between 1948 and 1955.

On the invitation of Sir Leslie Hooker, Alex became the company architect for Rex Hotels Pty Limited, later the Hooker Corporation. He was director of Hooker Projects from 1958 to 1962.
Kann and Associates were in the top three recommended for redevelopment of the NSW government’s reconstruction of The Rocks scheme.

In partnership with Barry Clifford Finch, he established the private firm, Kann, Finch & Partners, in 1963 with the Hooker Corporation as its first client. He led the firm until his retirement in 1990.

Alexander Kann Finch and Associates also designed 9-19 Elizabeth Street, Sydney CBD, a 13-storey high-rise building, in 1965-66.

Alexander Kann passed away on 2^nd July 2004 aged 81.

Murrawan Court is unusual in its design: its entrance is on its roof facing the street because the whole site slopes very steeply down to the water’s edge of Rushcutters Bay.

Its eight storeys are hidden from view but the apartments’ design is driven by its site and water-side environment. Its design incorporates its own jetty.

Murrawan is an in indigenous term, perhaps adopted from the local Indigenous population. It refers to a bullroarer carried by a tribe’s messenger, a device historically used for communicating over great distances. The local indigenous population was well-known in the area with encampments in Rushcutters Bay and Beare Park nearby.

Interestingly, the original the 1960s cursive script of the period with the building’s name is still retained prominently on its façade.

By Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions