Quirky medieval inspired Aqueduct and Tent House hits market in Northcote

The intriguing Aqueduct and Tent House in Northcote has hit the market for the first time.

Roll up, roll up, roll up for an intriguing Northcote home that looks like a medieval circus tent.

The curtain has been lifted for the first time on the quirky local landmark, best known to neighbourhood kids as “the circus house”, after it was listed for sale.

Architect Simon Thornton let his imagination run wild on the two-bedroom residence that also surprisingly hinges on a Roman-inspired wooden aqueduct.

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Built 16 years ago, the Aqueduct and Tent House is just one of many wacky one-off homes he’s designed across Melbourne and Victoria.

Others include a Brunswick extension that takes the form of a milk carton and a Woodend home shaped like a crashed rocket.

Those with a playful streak may also be inclined to toast Thornton’s cheeky addition to a former Temperance Hall which resembles a wine bottle and glass.

Jellis Craig, Northcote listing agent Justin Mellar said neighbours were among those lining up to see inside the Aqueduct and Tent House at 5 Atkinson St, Northcote.

The low-maintenance property still has room for a swimming pool and deck.

Archways feature throughout the home in a nod to Roman architecture.

The kitchen has a walk-in pantry and Miele and Siemens appliances.

“It was probably one of the houses I’ve been most excited to walk into because you don’t know what is behind that crazy facade,” Mr Mellar said.

“It is much more modern internally that you would think … the feedback is that once you get inside it’s actually really beautiful, it’s elegant, it’s grand and it’s built to a really high quality.”

Creativity meets comfort throughout the two-storey house, where the aqueduct acts a north-facing corridor framing views of a swimming pool and outdoor entertainment area.

The circus tent carves out space for a triangular open-plan living area with a reading nook and well-appointed kitchen.

Mr Mellar said the vendor, now in her 90s, was a widower who designed the house only with herself in mind.

The outdoor entertainment area is on the northern side of the house.

The house has two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.

“She thought ‘it’s going to be my last house, I don’t really care what happens afterwards’. Whereas with a lot of houses that we see built consider the resale value and try and appeal to the masses,” he said.

He’s set a $2m price guide for the property and is calling for expressions of interest by October 21.

The architect said the long, narrow site, little more than 5m wide, and the owner’s previous work running a die cast factory inspired the aqueduct design.

He then added a medieval tent as a lightweight historical element to counterbalance the aqueduct’s heaviness.

Thornton’s pursuit of fictional architecture, with a story of its own, also led to his Milk Carton House extension in Brunswick.

The Milk Carton House extension.

Simon Thornton’s ‘Rocket House’ is designed to look like a crashed rocket.

It looks exactly like a milk carton, right down to the used-by date on the roof, and includes milk-drop light fittings and a ‘puddle’ of split milk in the landscaping.

“It’s very hard to explain it rationally but I just felt the form of it was tall and think and it really was the kind of milk carton that was on the table at home,” Thornton said.

“I had the idea of taking that actual carton and making a model of the house extension and showing it to the owners.

“First they thought I was just lazy and using a milk carton because I couldn’t be bothered making a proper model then they realised that it was supposed to be looking exactly like that.”

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