Open House Hobart is an annual architecture program that opens some of Tasmania’s most unique and interesting buildings to the public
Open House invites you to be a tourist in your own city. Get out your camera and photograph the buildings and spaces you walk past every day; take a peek at how others live, work and play; and see how the city’s infrastructure works. Look up, look inside, climb a bell tower or descend into a basement, and take in the incredible views from different vantage points around town.
Butterfly House | Young House
Architect: Esmond Dorney (1958), Circa Morris-Nunn Chua and Associates (1999 and 2008)
Admired for its innovative and authentic contribution to international design, the powerful arching form of this Dorney house is responsive to its site and panoramic outlook. The predominantly glass walls are lightly framed in tubular steel with integral diagonal bracing. The interior living spaces offer arresting views of mountain, sky and river, yet remain surprisingly private from the street thanks to the wide deck that extends over the carport and workshop below.
Designed in 1958 and initially nicknamed the ‘Sputnik House’ after the world’s first satellite, Young House is now popularly dubbed the ‘Butterfly House’. It is one of Esmond Dorney’s most recognised Hobart houses and has featured in various design shows, dramas and magazines.
Originally built for a single woman, Young House was a relatively compact two-bedroom residence when purchased by its current owners. They commissioned Morris-Nunn and Associates to design an extension in 1999. Taking the form of a new pavillion in the backyard, the project won the RAIA Tasmanian Chapter Heritage award in 2001. The firm (now Circa Morris-Nunn Chua) added an extra bedroom and a lap-pool to the design in 2008.
Carefully restored and fitted out with an eye to mid-century modern style, Young House, like the Tate House in Taroona, showcases Esmond Dorney’s exceptional capacity to create buildings that expand and enhance the lives lived within them.
Tours: Sunday 13 November, 10 am, 10.30 am, 11 am, 11.30 am, 12 pm, 12.30 pm and 1 pm
Duration: 20 minutes
540 Churchill Avenue House
No bookings required, just turn up!
Architects: Barry Fisher (1957); Peter Stuchbury (2015); Gaetano Palmese (2021)
Barry Fisher designed this humble, well-thought-out home early in his career, prior to turning to other pursuits outside of pure architecture. The home was designed for Mr HH Smart, the owner of a tugboat and lighterage firm, and his seafaring influences can be seen throughout. Beautifully perched on Churchill Avenue the house has expansive views across Hobart and is adorned with speciality Tasmanian timbers and exquisite joinery.
An artful addition by acclaimed architect Peter Stutchbury and an internal intervention later on by local architect Gaetano Palmese enhance this humble home.
Tours: Saturday 11 November + Sunday 12 November 2023, 1 pm, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 2:30 pm, 3 pm, 3:30 pm (no bookings required, just turn up).
St John’s The Evangelist Catholic Church | Presbytery
Architect/s: Paul Fox (1959)
Builder: E.H. Hewitt, builder (of Lindisfarne)
Situated along side Australia’s oldest continually-used Catholic church St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church and the Old School House is a largely unknown mid-century presbytery by architect Paul Fox. The Modernist lines of this presbytery can be enjoyed from outside as you wander around the church grounds.
The church, representing the resistance movements in Ireland impacting British colonies, epitomizes the global Christian development. Richmond, a Catholic hub in the 1820s, sustained a primary school that continues to thrive. Today, St. John’s, along with the old School House and cemetery, is a cherished tourist attraction, reflecting its historical and architectural significance.
Open: Saturday 24 February, 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday 25 February, 11 am – 4 pm