The site for the 2025 Tapestry Design Prize design challenge is the iconic Boyd House II/Walsh Street, designed by Robin Boyd for his family in 1957.
Applicants will have the opportunity to create designs for five distinct spaces within the house.
The five finalist designs will be woven into tapestry and exhibited at Walsh Street in November 2025.
Boyd House II/Walsh Street exterior
Boyd House II/Walsh Street
Robin Boyd designed Walsh Street for his family in 1957. As an exemplar of Australian modernist architecture, this iconic residence continues to influence design thinking today.
Boyd used Walsh Street as an opportunity to reject domestic conventions and contribute a house of programmatic and technical innovation and mastery. The residence consists of two open-plan pavilions unified by a glazed internal courtyard garden. Boyd employed an innovative tension roof structure of six steel cables suspended from two large I beams at the front and back of the house. Beneath this sweeping canopy, the master bedroom occupies a dramatic mezzanine and doubles as a living area. The design affords a high degree of flexibility for modern entertaining and the varying degrees of privacy necessary for day-to-day family life.
The house remains unchanged from the time it was first designed and occupied by the Boyd Family in 1959. The interiors colour palette of dark grey, punches of red, brown and mustard, was chosen by Patricia Boyd with interior designer Marion Hall Best which complement the natural cork and jarrah tones. Walsh Street is furnished with pieces designed by Boyd, Grant and Mary Featherston, BKF (butterfly chairs), Maruni60, Thonet and Bertoia. Adorning the walls are works by Asher Bilu, Arthur Boyd, Dorothy Braund, Kevin Connor, Don Laycock, and Tony Woods. The residence provides a unique insight into local and international design and art leaders of the 50s and 60s.
Top to bottom: Boyd House II/Walsh Street Bedroom, Living Room
Prize Overview
A panel of ATW master weavers will select five finalists—one for each design site. Each finalist will receive an artist fee of $1,000 for the limited use of their design, which will be realised as a tapestry for exhibition and sale. The winner of the $5,000 prize will be chosen by an external jury, while the $1,000 People’s Choice Award will be awarded to the tapestry that receives the most votes during the exhibition at Walsh Street.
The five finalist tapestries will be displayed in situ at Walsh Street and available for purchase. Designs must be created for one of the five specified design sites and adhere to the given dimensions.
We welcome applications from architects, and interior designers, either as individuals or as part of a team. Artists are also encouraged to apply when collaborating with one of the above professionals. This opportunity is open to those who live and work in Australia.
Designing for tapestry
Tapestries work best with clear, balanced compositions and defined focal points, as overly complex designs with too many details may not translate well due to the limits of weaving techniques. Designs with bold, defined lines or shapes are easier to adapt, while delicate lines might get lost in the fabric’s texture.
The texture of the artwork is also key, as it influences how the fabric reflects different elements. Designs with varying textures, like smooth or rough elements, can translate well into tapestry when thoughtfully planned. Overall, the best designs for tapestries strike a balance between simplicity and detail, allowing the fabric's texture to enhance the art rather than obscure it.
Boyd House II/Walsh Street exterior
KEY DATES
Entries Open: Monday 7 April 2025
Entries Close: Monday 19 May 2025, midnight AEST
Finalists announced: July 2025
Winner announced: Thursday 13 November 2025, 6pm at Boyd House II/Walsh Street
LOCATION
290 Walsh Street, South Yarra, Australia.
Traditional Custodians of the land Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation.
VISIT WALSH STREET
Visit Walsh Street in person by attending one of their guided tours. Book a tour here.
Design Sites
SITE 1 & 2:
Living Room
The living room at Walsh Street remains much as it was when the Boyd family lived there, embodying his vision of open plan living and seamless indoor-outdoor connections. Featuring mostly concealed lighting and low lighting levels, the space exudes a warm and intimate atmosphere.
SITE 3:
Mandie’s Bedroom
Located in the Children’s Pavilion, with a view looking north to the courtyard, Mandie’s room was designed as a flexible space that could adapt to the family's needs. A built-in wardrobe functioned as both storage and a temporary divider, allowing for privacy when Mandie was home from boarding school while maintaining an open, communal feel when she was away.
SITE 4:
Children’s Playroom
Next door to Mandie’s room, is a flexible space for the Boyd children to play and watch television. The Children’s Pavilion, like the rest of the home, reflects Boyd’s innovative approach to architecture, it is here that the steel cables terminate their journey, connecting to a second I-beam.
SITE 5:
Suzy’s Bedroom
Robin and Patricia's youngest daughter Suzy’s bedroom is located at the rear of the Children’s Pavilion. Soft light filters through the rear Stegbar ‘windowall’ – an innovation which, Boyd collaborated with Brian Stegley in developing. This cosy room continues the use of bagged brick in dark grey and jarrah clad walls, with mustard carpet and a custom painted bronze and terracotta feature wall painted by Boyd for his daughter.
Photography of Boyd House II/Walsh Street by Mainroad Marketing and Marie-Lusie Skibbe.