A Roy Grounds-designed townhouse has sold for a whopping sum at auction after hundreds of buyers inspected the home.
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The 1960s-built Forrest home sold for $1.72 million at a competitive auction in early November.
The two-bedroom home is one of just a handful designed by the late architect, whose work includes the Shine Dome among other Canberra buildings.
Seven bidders registered for the auction of 1/3 Tasmania Circle, Forrest which started with a $1.3 million bid.
Selling agent Stephen Thompson of LJ Hooker Manuka said the eventual sale price "defied" expectations for a home of that size.
The property is also under a company title arrangement, where owners acquire a share in the company that owns the building, which can be less appealing to buyers.
"You can get a lot more bang for your buck in other areas but I think that you pay a premium for good architecture and that's a classic example of it," Mr Thompson said.
Architects and history buffs inspect the home
More than 370 people viewed the townhouse during the sale campaign.
"We understand at least 24 were architects all just wanting to have a look, plus we had a lot of heritage [industry] people coming in and having a look at it as well," Mr Thompson said.
There was a mix of buyers through the doors, including young couples eyeing a renovation and a significant portion of empty-nesters wanting to downsize.
The successful buyers were locals who appreciated the architecture, Mr Thompson said.
Listed as a significant building by the Australian Institute of Architects, the home features a kitchen, bathroom and double-height living space on the ground floor, overlooked by a mezzanine.
Upstairs there are two bedrooms, connected by a bathroom and wardrobe, and a study in the mezzanine.
The late Aldo Giurgola, the architect of Parliament House, owned the townhouse the 1980s, the Australian Institute of Architects states.
A number of academics and architects, as well as a former prime minister, have owned and lived in the Roy Grounds townhouses since the 1960s.
Former prime minister William and Lady McMahon owned the single-storey townhouse in the complex for a time, while Canberra developer Terry Snow has also lived in one of the homes.
Boost of auction activity
Auction activity is set to increase in Canberra this weekend. There are 127 auctions scheduled, up from 109 last week which returned a clearance rate of 50.5 per cent.
The combined capital cities are expecting the second busiest auctions week of the year, with a total 3084 homes slated for auction.
It's a slight increase on last week's figures but a 27.8 per cent rise on the auction numbers seen this time last year.