Evenings With DADo: Schindler Space Architect at Walsh Street

Walsh Street’s living room at 290 Walsh Street South Yarra, Victoria AU 3141 becomes a small-screen cinema and conversation pit when Robin Boyd Foundation hosts Evenings with DADo, the program that pairs film screenings with expert talks. On Tuesday 14 April the house doors open for Schindler Space Architect, a feature documentary that traces R. M. Schindler’s influence on modern domestic architecture and the California indoor-outdoor lifestyle. This two-hour program begins with a short guided orientation of the Walsh Street house — one of Robin Boyd’s intimate experimentations in residential modernism — then moves into the screening and post-film discussion led by invited speakers. The event is designed for architecture lovers and curious travelers alike: you’ll see rare archival imagery, hear perspectives from contemporary practitioners, and feel the cork floors underfoot as the room itself prompts talk about materiality, light, and space. The film features narration by Meryl Streep and Udo Kier and commentary from figures such as Frank Gehry and Steven Holl, portraying Schindler’s work across Los Angeles, Taos, and early-20th-century Vienna influences. What makes this evening a standout is how the program uses a heritage home as both venue and subject. Walsh Street cannot be altered for universal access, so the evening preserves the integrity of Boyd’s domestic setting while offering a close, domestic-scale experience that larger cinemas never replicate. It’s a rare chance to consider architectural history inside a lived interior, juxtaposing the film’s exploration of emigre modernism with the very walls that host the dialogue. Practical details matter: the screening enforces a 16+ age limit, does not allow external food or drink, and requests guests to check large bags at entry; stiletto or pointed heels are prohibited to protect cork flooring. Discounted tickets are available for RBF Friends and Boyd Circle members — consider joining to support the foundation and save on future events. Accessibility questions and tailored mobility support are handled via [email protected]; note that bathroom facilities are not wheelchair accessible. For visitors basing themselves in South Yarra, this event pairs perfectly with evening walks down Chapel Street, a glass of local wine, or a daytime visit to nearby design bookshops. The program’s curators—Thandi Lane, Andrew MacKinnon, Tom Hibbert, and Jasper Caverly—bring film, architecture history, and conversation together in a format that rewards both casual viewers and design professionals. If you travel for architecture, this is one of those small, concentrated experiences that changes how you look at houses, streets, and the ideas that shape them. Arrive early to explore the façade and garden, pick up printed program notes, and stay after the talk to meet speakers when possible; these moments often reveal unpublished details about construction, materials, and the dialogues that shape Australian modern architecture domestic practice.