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Round House

Other Name

Henty House

Location

581 Nepean Highway,, FRANKSTON VIC 3199 - Property No B6284

File Number

B6284

Level

National

Statement of Significance

Known locally as the "Round House", the Henty House in Frankston is of national significance as being one of the best known examples in Australia of the 1950s passion amongst a small group of Melbourne architects for simple, solid, but functional, geometric form which has been ideally tailored to its site, in terms of view, sun and position within the landscape. The Henty House is also significant as its architect, Roy Grounds (later Sir Roy), was the leading protagonist in this Melbourne phenomenon and this house is crucial to Ground's well-publicized collection of experiments with the triangle, the circle and the square in domestic design. It was these experiments that informed some of Ground's later works of a totally different scale and for which he became nationally well known, most notable the Academy of Science Building in Canberra, 1958-59 and the Victorian Cultural Centre in Melbourne, 1959-81.
Though now painted and partly obscured by a house built in front, the otherwise externally unaltered cylindrical form of the 1953 house retains its significant landmark position on the Nepean Highway. The location of the house is also significant as being at the base of Oliver's Hill, once the prestigious but still architecturally rich residential precinct. Of added significance is that the Henty House is now one of a diminishing number of seaside houses of progressive design of the 1950s built on the Mornington Peninsula which in their time, were regarded as examples in the development of modern architecture in post-war Australia.
Classified: 11/12/1991

Group

Residential buildings (private)