Gallery House Canberra
Like Heide II, the iconic modernist house of the 1960s, this house and private gallery were designed around a significant art collection.
Builder: Sutton and Horsley
Photographer: Ben Wrigley
Awards
Residential Architecture Award (New Houses), ACT AIA Awards, 2013
Art in Architecture Award, ACT AIA Awards, 2013
“We would like a house like Heidi II to exhibit our art collection” summarised the owners requirements for a house and private gallery. Heidi II, the iconic McGlashan and Everist designed modernist house of the 1960s for John and Sunday Reed encourages visitors to explore the building whilst simultaneously discovering the artwork. The journey culminates at a winding stair that takes the viewer into a naturally lit, double height gallery.
Accompanying the brief, were images of houses quite unlike Heidi’s white and welcoming exterior – cubic, dark and sombre, entry points tucked away, and only a few hints of the interior within. There were images too of stairs – spiral, twisting, sculptural, dramatic.
The house has a bold, sculptural street presence, finished in unadorned concrete blocks with hints of primary colour. By contrast, the interior is a light-filled sequence of interlocking spaces to encourage visitors to explore the building whilst simultaneously discovering the artwork within.