A mid-century round house in Madison, Wisconsin, has just hit the market –
Built in 1952-53 by architect James Dresser, who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin, the house has a central skylight, curved hallways, cork walls, a mix of wood and cork floors, and a round brick fireplace. It was for some years the architect’s family home.
Structurally, the house is a concrete shell built on a radial framework of curved steel beams. Stylistically, it’s both circular and angular, its round form accented by a series of triangular windows.
The innovative house was featured in a November 1952 edition of Popular Mechanics, which said, in something of rhetorical flourish, that “cobwebs will never collect in the corners” of the new house because “there aren’t any corners.”
A comparison of old and new photos show how the house has been altered over the years, though its basic shape remains unchanged, as do its amazing wood floors –
The original floor plan shows fun details like a round kitchen, round carport and round terrace, some of which no longer exist –
The asking price for the house is $449K.