Legendary New Zealand architect Roger Walker is selling his striking pink and green Wellington home.
The castle-like house at 175 Grant Street, in Thorndon, is one of more than 500 buildings Walker has designed throughout his long and distinguished career. It’s also his favourite.
The architect told OneRoof it’s the only house he has ever built for himself. “It was a great opportunity to express myself. I was wearing the client hat and only had to listen to myself.”
Walker found the site in the late 1980s, and thought it would suit his family’s needs. “We had a house in Mount Victoria, but I wanted to build something for myself. I wanted to remain in the inner-city but there were no sites in Mount Victoria, but there was this one site on Grant Road.
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“It was quite fortuitous because the town plan at the time was quite enlightened. It said any sites smaller than 300sqm could have 100% site coverage. It was the city’s way of encouraging small-scale development. I was able to build from boundary to boundary.”
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By then Walker had established his signature looks. Every visitor to Wellington is familiar with his famous Park Mews building, in Hataitai.
“Park Mews is my favourite apartment building. A couple of weeks ago it celebrated its 50th birthday,” Walker said.
Walker said his late wife, Elizabeth, gave him free rein on the Grant Road property but stepped in to design the kitchen (she was a great cook, he said) and the colour selection. At one point the house was toned down to more subdued Mediterranean shades, but a recent repaint has restored the original green and pink.
“There was an argument about colours. I said, ‘Oh, look, the house has to make a statement’. The pavilion facing the town belt had to be green, while the pavilion facing the city was pink because it was facing people.”
Walker designed and built the house in the late 1980s. It is one of a kind. Photo / Supplied
The house is designed to capture the light, and boasts large windows. Photo / Supplied
The repaint even got the thumbs up from Walker’s neighbour, council heritage advisor Chris Cochrane.
Walker’s unusual home comprises three pavilions, which cascade down the sloping site. The streetside green block is topped by a turret and houses the triple garage, kitchen and dining room. The turret was intended for guests, but it quickly became the prized bedroom for each of Walker’s four children before they left home.
That second, pink block sports two signature Walker features: a curved roof and a wall of glass with steel joinery. It houses the living room.
The third block also boasts a curved roof, and houses two bedrooms, bathrooms, a study and a second living room.
Walker designed much of the furniture in the house as well, some of it built in.
Turrets are a common feature of Walker's work. Photo / Supplied
The bedrooms are in a prized position. Photo / Supplied
The house has always attracted interest, even after Walker moved out and rented it for some years. He admitted that when he had an exhibition of his artwork last spring (called The ARTchiTect at Home) most of the viewers were there to see the house.
“I’ve got a little apartment at my office so I spend a bit of time here. I don’t think I’ll build a new house. I’m approaching my 82nd birthday. So, while I hate the idea of retirement, I quite like the idea of slowing down,” Walker told OneRoof.
He is currently working on a project in Tonga, which he is excited about.
He also takes a swipe at current planning regulations. “You know, in the 70s and 80s, 75% of your time was designing and 25% was red tape. Now it’s reversed. We used to build 12 or 15 houses a year. Now we’d be lucky to do three, with all the paperwork.”
He also hit out at architects who impose their views on their clients. “I think architects are designing houses they’re not going to live in. So I think it’s wrong for architects to impose too much of their view on someone else’s house. You’ve got to be careful.”
The house is listed with Tommy’s agents Alexia and Danielle Stoddart. Alexia told OneRoof they were not putting a price guide on the property. “The RV is $2.45m and that’s all we’ll show.”
She said the reaction to the house within her own office had been fantastic.
“It is a unique opportunity. It’s like a classic car or something owned by somebody famous. It’s a piece of history.”
She added: “After I went through the property, I went home and said to my husband, ‘We're moving’. There will be people out there that will have that same view.”
- 175 Grant Road, in Thorndon, Wellington, is for sale by way of tender, closing July 11
