Anatol Kagan
| Anatol Kagan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
4 October 1913 Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Died | 2 July 2009 Hunters Hill, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Practice | Anatol Kagan & Associates |
| Buildings | Mount Scopus Memorial College |
| Projects | Beaufort House |
Anatol Kagan, (born in St. Petersburg, 4 October 1913; died in Hunters Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 2 July 2009) was a Russian-born Australian architect. Over a professional career that spanned more than seven decades, and three continents, Kagan was active not only in the field of architecture and design but also as a writer, translator, lecturer and political activist.
Born in St Petersburg, Kagan was the son of Abraham S Kagan (rus. Абрам Каган; 1889 - 1983) - a university lecturer/publisher and a school teacher. As a young child, Anatol witnessed the atrocities of the Russian Revolution, which aroused a deep concern for social justice that would remain with him for the rest of his life. In 1922, Kagan's father became one of many intellectuals to be exiled from the new Soviet Union aboard the so-called Philosophers' Ships. The family settled in Berlin, where Kagan's father re-established his publishing business and Kagan himself commenced his architectural studies at the Technische Universität Berlin. Completing his Diploma of Architecture in 1937, Kagan found himself unable to obtain work in Berlin, as he was a foreigner. This, coupled with the increasingly unstable political situation in Germany at the time, prompted the family to leave Berlin. Intending to emigrate to Australia, Kagan travelled to Melbourne via London, where he worked for a few months in an architect's office. His parents and younger sister settled in the United States, and Kagan would not see them again until 1962.
After arriving in Melbourne in 1939, Kagan worked in the offices of several prominent architectural firms of the day, including Hugh & Arthur Peck, Seabrook & Fildes, Joseph Plottel, and Geelong-based firm of Buchan, Laird & Buchan. By 1942, he had commenced his own private architectural practice in partnership with a friend and fellow Russian emigre, Yuri Blumin. Their firm, styled as Blumin & Kagan, undertook several projects, including a box factory and an apartment block, that were published in contemporary books and journals. However, the promising partnership ended prematurely when wartime building restrictions brought Australia's construction industry to a virtual standstill.
Kagan then entered the government sector, working for the Department of Works & Housing on the design of military camps. He was subsequently involved in the development of the Beaufort House, a prototypical steel dwelling that was designed by architect (and one-time employee of Walter Gropius) Arthur Baldwinson. After the War, Kagan decided to recommence his private practice with his former government colleague, Albert Young together with his erstwhile pre-war partner, Yuri Blumin, and Blumin's army friend William Millar. The practice specialised in large luxurious residences for wealthy businessmen, many of whom were members of Melbourne's thriving post-war Jewish emigre community. It was such links that led to Kagan being selected as design architect for the new campus of Mount Scopus Memorial College in Burwood.
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