Round House

Description

This remarkable house has been a noted feature of the approach to Oliver’s Hill since it was built for the Henty family in 1953. Completely round, it is an elegant example of the architect Roy Grounds’ emphasis on basic geometric form in building design.

The interior is also informed by the building’s shape, with all pipes and service ducts hidden within wall cavities to maintain the pure circular lines. Indeed, so highly thought of was this house at the times of its construction that the internationally renowned Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius travelled to Frankston specifically to see it during a lecture tour of Australia in 1954.

Roy Grounds was one of Australia’s most important 20th century architects designing many significant buildings across Australia, including the Victorian Arts Centre (incorporating the National Gallery of Victoria), and the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart, which is essentially an 18-storey version of the ‘Round House’.