Designed by the late Tony Greenhough and built in the 1960s as a family home, using brick and redwood, 509 Riddell Road in Glendowie, Auckland, is a wonderful example of period architecture and the owners’ son says that little has changed in the 50 or so years since.
“Tony was my father’s best friend since school days and he’d already designed my parents’ first house, which was a lot smaller.
“He and two other young, up-and-coming architects had won a contest with their striking design for the modernist Whanganui War Memorial building in the late 1950s and Tony didn’t usually do residential properties, but he made an exception for us.”
Construction took almost a year, with two Danish builders doing most of the excavations by hand, according to the son.
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509 Riddell Road was designed by the late Tony Greenhough and built in the 1960s as a family home. Photo / Supplied
“It was a very expensive project for its time and being very modern it really stood out on the seafront amongst a few other much smaller more traditional homes.
“The linear design and the full-length deck gave it a real point of difference.”
The decor was also cutting edge for the 1960s – and gives a fascinating insight into interior design of that mid-century period.
Set across three levels, the home has a bedroom and large rumpus on the ground floor. This area has been wired and plumbed for a kitchen so it would be easy to create self-contained accommodation.
The owners’ son says: “The linear design and the full-length deck gave it a real point of difference.” Photo / Supplied
Three bedrooms and two bathrooms lie on the next floor along with a large kitchen and spacious lounge and family rooms.
An office on the top level provided the father of the house with a place to escape to.
“I really don’t think he actually did much work up there because the views were so wonderful,” says his son.
He adds that he and his siblings had an idyllic childhood.
At the top level of the three-storey house is a study with wonderful views. Photo / Supplied
“We were all water-mad people and had our dinghies on the beach and yachts moored off the house in pre-marina days.”
He says that family members also enjoyed swimming and fishing and the fact that the beach was so little-known made those days even more fun.
Barfoot & Thompson’s Paul Neshausen, who is marketing the property with colleague Mark Peterson, says that the property’s perfect pedigree and exceptional potential is already exciting prospective buyers.
In 2020, Neshausen sold a Ron Sang home in nearby 7 Pamela Place, which had undergone an extensive, award-winning renovation for $5.1 million – $1.7m above its 2017 CV of $3.4m.
The house, still in its original condition, has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and parking for four cars. Photo / Supplied
He says that 509 Riddell Road holds similar promise.
“Obviously you’re talking about a new kitchen and bathrooms and perhaps changing other parts of the house to add value, while keeping its character intact.
“Having what’s literally your own beach with direct access is hugely appealing too, and the fact that the views from every room are stunning goes without saying,” Neshausen says.
The property is zoned for good schools like Saint Ignatius Catholic School, Churchill Park School and Glendowie College. The shops and cafes at St Heliers are a quick drive away.
509 Riddell Road in Glendowie, Auckland is for sale by negotiation.
