Pt. Leo Estate, 3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Australia. Writer: Dimity Noble
Located on the tip of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the Point Leo Estate has been a private retreat for the last 25 years. Now its owners, the Gandels, have opened its doors to the public, who can explore its 134-hectare vineyard and park, dotted with over 40 sculptures by leading artists such as Anthony Pryor and Tony Cragg. At its heart, perched on the estate’s highest elevation, is a new building by Melbourne practice Jolson.
Its façade is a serpentine 6m-tall concrete wall (pictured), with hand-burnished concave curves that mimic the curvature of a wine barrel. The wall twists and turns to create a circular courtyard with a solitary Australian bottle tree in its centre, and a forecourt that perfectly frames a steel arch by Inge King. The sculptural structure conceals a cellar and two restaurants with expansive glass windows opening on the vineyards beyond.
