Masterwork in three movements, award-winning Triptych for sale

Mercury

11-06-2025

An escape. A sanctuary. A place of artistic inspiration.
There is nothing quite like this 100-acre property in Koonya, a home that was boldly designed and expertly crafted to create a unique living experience.
Simple, clean, and does justice to the stunning Tasmanian environment — this was the brief for Triptych from Glue Society artist-director Jonathan Kneebone to his architects at Room 11.
Mr Kneebone said his properties at Koonya are a deliberate attempt to live up to the location in a way that adds to the experience of the site.
'We set out to create buildings which felt artistic in their own right — so they immediately engage you,' he said.
'But once inside each of the spaces, your experience of that landscape is transformed in some way.
'The main house, glass house and folly all provide a totally immersive and instantly inspirational feeling.
'And those feelings don't diminish with time. They get under your skin and live with you.
'They work like a favourite painting, or a cherished personal item.'
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Triptych is listed for sale with The Agency Hobart and Sydney Sotheby's International Realty.
The Agency property partner Georgie Rayner described visiting the property as an otherworldly, unforgettable experience.
She said it is one of those special homes where there was nothing quite like seeing it in person.
'The architecture is extraordinary and stunning. The feeling when standing in the space and what has been created is overwhelming, impressive and so very Tasmanian,' Mrs Rayner said.
'Nothing I've seen compares. Triptych has a sense of freedom and escapism, and as soon as you arrive the feeling is almost visceral, like a weight instantly lifts from your shoulders.'
Triptych is set on over 40ha across two titles on the Tasman Peninsula, just one hour from Hobart Airport.
This landmark estate comprises three architectural forms: The Blunt House, The Glass House, and The Folly, or, as it is sometimes called, The Pulmonum.
The Blunt House is low, sculptural and elemental, a three-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling that invites you to be still.
Its horizontal form and minimal palette are grounded in the landscape, its interiors designed to frame moments: the first light over Norfolk Bay, the wild rush of weather, the quiet of dusk.
It is both a shelter and a stage for the natural theatre beyond its walls.
From the entry, descending downstairs and then opening into a long hall that beckons you forward, there is a pull towards the gigantic view of the landscape.
There is a lightheartedness to the design too, a sense of whimsical fun, such as the sheepskin cupboards; a bath that is at floor level, with mirrors under the benches that are unnoticeable until you are in the tub; and one of the bedrooms features a horizontal window where the view is only revealed when you lie down.
The Glass House is an exercise in radical transparency, and from afar looks to be two parallel lines set against the landscape.
Suspended lightly above the earth, it dissolves the barrier between interior and exterior.
Here, inspiration is drawn from the slow rhythm of the tides, the dance of light, and the raw elegance of Tasmania's bushland.
It is part modernist homage, part shack. If your shack features four glass walls that can, when desired, be opened to the outdoors.
Only the bathroom is enclosed.
There is, however, also an easy solution for night-time privacy at bedtime.
The Folly is a playful sculptural intervention in the landscape. A place for pause, play or for quiet reflection.
Mrs Rayner said privacy is ensured, and not only by the vast land. It also comes from the way and the place in which these dwellings were designed and built in harmony with the landscape.
'It is not unlike a Mona experience. It is bold and mind-blowing. Your first time visiting Triptych will leave you breathless, like you are floating,' she said.
'It is art as much as architecture. While minimalist, Triptych is also warm, comfortable and inviting. It is a magical, tactile, textural experience.'
Listed for sale by The Agency Hobart and Sydney Sotheby's International Realty, No.67 & 75 Grooms Hill Rd, Koonya will be sold at auction on July 14 at 5pm.