Ernst Plischke

In his home country of Austria Ernst Anton Plischke was a leading proponent in the modernist "Neues Bauen" (New Construction) movement before fleeing to New Zealand in 1939 as a refugee from Nazism. Plishke was not only a talented architect but also an accomplished writer and furniture designer. His legacy includes some of the most inspired public and private architectural works throughout New Zealand in the 1940s and 50s.

From large scale projects such as Wellington's first modern skyscraper, the glass-curtain fronted Massey House, to quaint churches such as St Mary's chapel in Taihape, Plishke has left an enduring reminder of the international modern style. Since Plischke's death in 1992, his reputation has continued to grow in both New Zealand and Austria.

Throughout Plischke’s years of practice in New Zealand, his wife Anna Plischke worked alongside him, her landscape designs complementing many of his houses. Of his early European designs, today many are protected as landmark modernist buildings and his exceedingly rare furniture has become highly coveted internationally.

/ Thanks to: The Importance of Being Ernst by Gregory O'Brien - NZ Historic Places Trust