Vale: Friedrich ‘Fritz’ Eisenhofer
Fritz Eisenhofer pictured in his home-studio.
Most of Eisenhofer’s celebrated Dome house is subterranean, with the interior transformed into a sub-tropical fernery.
Friedrich ‘Fritz’ Eisenhofer was a renowned modernist architect, considered by many to be visionary in his use of solar gain, sustainable design principles and building relationships to the surrounding landscape.
Eisenhofer, who passed away on 27 July 2023, was one of the many émigré architects who came to New Zealand both pre and post World War Two and became known for their influence on the ‘International’ style in New Zealand’s design history.
Eisenhofer settled in Wellington, along with Helmut Einhorn, Friedrich Neumann, Friedrich Ost, Max Rosenberg and, perhaps the best-known of the émigré architects, Austrian Ernst Plischke. Another group, including Vladimir Cacala, Tibor Donner, Heinrich Kulka, Imric Porsolt, Gerhard Rosenberg and landscape architect Odo Strewe settled in Auckland.
Eisenhofer’s first job in New Zealand was alongside around 200 or so Austrian craftsmen contracted to build 500 pre-fabricated houses, which had been imported from Austria, in Porirua. After that, he joined the Department of Housing, then later formed his own practice with fellow Austrian architect, Erwin Winkler.
Eisenhofer was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010.
Simon Novak of architecture practice Novak+Middleton credits his career choice to the influence of a visit to the 1960s’ modernist home of Fritz Eisenhofer, and thinking “it would be pretty cool to be an architect”.
A memorial service to celebrate Eisenhofer’s exceptional 96 years of life will be held on Wednesday 16 August at 11am at Cedarwood, Parata Street, Waikanae.
Read our 2008 review of Eisenhofer’s Dome house here and Gina Hochstein and Bill McKay’s article Alien Subversives, on post-war European émigré architecture and its place in New Zealand’s architectural history.
