Look at any photograph of a 1960s house in Palm Springs and breeze blocks will probably make an appearance. Thought to have been invented by US architect Frank Lloyd Wright, inspired by the designs on Mayan temples, they were traditionally used on exterior walls as a way of stopping people seeing into the big windows of mid-century houses. They were often used as a decorative way of blocking harsh sunlight, and were ubiquitous in Australia.
Originally cast from concrete, by the 1970s cheap versions were being produced and the humble ‘textile block’ fell out of favour with style gurus. But breeze blocks are back in a big way, and savvy companies such as Brickworks are at the forefront of the renewed uptake. “Their transcendence through time is an ode to their…
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Inside Out (Digital) - 1 Issue, October 2019