Discover Walkley House designed by Robin Boyd in 1956. Learn about the breakthrough of Boyd’s ‘glass box on top of a glass base’ on Kaurna Country/Adelaide which is an important contributor to architectural history and architectural education locally.
Discover Walkley House, designed by Robin Boyd in 1956, through a sequence of short video presentations that unfold as a continuous film. Learn about Boyd’s breakthrough ‘glass box on top of a glass base’ on Kaurna Country/Adelaide, an important contribution to architectural history and education locally.
Boyd’s Walkley House replaced a traditional cottage and progressed towards a ‘modern’ way of life. Boyd’s design was ahead of its time in Adelaide introducing modern architecture, materials and construction amongst a conservative heritage neighbourhood by responding to the site using a functional approach.
Marion Hall Best was the interior designer for the Walkley House, sharing similar interests in the progression towards modernism, Boyd and Hall Best offered a combination of modernity and sophisticated living. The duo also worked together on House of Tomorrow and the Lyon House.
Walkley House is a valued precedent study for students to understand how spaces connect vertically and horizontally using industrial construction methods. Glass and steel was used to replace brick and stone facades, allowing the structure of the house to connect the Walkley family to the surrounding nature and embrace the change of natural lighting and weathering.
Hear from generations of the Walkley family, academics and historians to explore the cultural significance of the Walkley House.
Cover image: Darren Bradley Photography.
Developed by the RBF Digital Team, in collaboration with the Walkley Family, this film is generously supported by the Alastair Swayn Foundation, Arup and Phoria.
We are thankful of the contributions of Stuart Symons, Dr James Curry, Georgina Downey, Dr Julie Collins, Associate Professor Stephen Ward, Dr Rachel Hurst, Prof Philip Goad and the Walkley family.
