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Architect Newton Penprase, originally from Cornwall, started building this house in 1936. Intended for Penprase himself to live in, the house’s name “Bendhu” was borrowed from that of a nearby coastal feature. Construction lasted about 20 years in total, including extensions by two other architects. Started at a time when currents like Art Deco and Art Nouveau were in vogue, the house’s structure is quite unique, as it resembles a hodgepodge of white geometric shapes smashed together, the color only broken by its many windows.
Its appearance isn’t the only thing setting it apart from other nearby buildings. Lime and stone were the traditional construction materials in the area, but Penprase favored concrete instead. Its long construction time led to it earning the nickname (among others), “the House That Was Never Finished,” apparently due to its owner’s tendency to constantly tinker with it.
Newton Penprase died in 1978, and the current owners took over Bendhu in 1993, the year after it had already been recognized as a Listed Building. Apparently, the house is as peculiar inside as its exterior and the owners have strived to conserve as much of it as possible. Bendhu’s uniqueness has led to at least one book being written about its construction and it is likely one of the best sources regarding the evolution of the house’s interior, during Penprase’s time and beyond.
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