Henry Kulka

Giles Reid & Mary Gaudin

This is the first ever book devoted to the work of architect Henry Kulka (1900–1971).

Born in Moravia, modern day Czechia, Kulka studied and then worked alongside Adolf Loos, one of the undisputed masters of modern architecture—together creating some of the key architectural works of the twentieth century.

Kulka’s own career in Europe was cut short by World War Two. As a Jewish architect, he was forced to flee persecution and start again, arriving in New Zealand in 1940. Here, he worked for the next thirty years, creating a unique body of work, much of which is now in a fragile state.

Henry Kulka is often cited, but his work is little known. This book is an attempt to rediscover the architect, through new photography and writing, helping to reveal the beauty and depth of what remains.