Chart House c1940, architect unknown – pretty radical for 1940, looks so 50s, except for the #steelframedwindows, with opening leaves, 50s would be aluminium frames. I don’t love it, but it’s very interesting. Rather oddly the heritage study by @lovellchen says the front was altered in the 50s, but the side wasn’t, so only the side is worth preserving (😮). Seems highly unlikely the front would be altered too much only 10 years after construction. Checking out the original drawings in the archives would sort this out. Proposed to be facaded for an 18 storey hotel.

Melbourne house isn’t the most exciting building ever, but it’s 1923, and fits in fine with the proposed #HardwareLane #heritageprecinct, which should start right here, but no this one was left out. Also no height limit. So late last year bought for $30 mill, then a 35 storey hotel proposed, now its 20, but really, enough already !

28 January 2021

So pleased to hear that the 1923 Melbourne House in Little Bourke Street won’t be demolished completely after all – it got unaccountably left out of the Hardware Lane heritage precinct, and immediately proposed to be replaced by a 25 storey hotel (casting extra gloom too) – but now it’s to be 14 floors of offices instead, keeping the facade too (in this case facadism is ok, because ….it feels like a victory). Wonder if it was the market or @cityofmelbourne or locals opposition to the height ? It’s also now proposed for #heritagelisting as part of the #hoddlegridheritagereview (assuming not demolished before its done), and @contextheritage research shows that it was designed by #SyndeySmithOggAndSerpell as warehouse/industrial spaces for AG Healing motor and push bike manufacturers, though they moved on in 1927. It was converted to offices in 1988 for @leocussen who only moved out in 2017. It’s pretty typical for 1920s industrial /office buildings not on the main streets, essentially very stripped classical. The first design of 1922 was much more elaborate. Apparently it was pink originally, which they’re planning to restore as well as the window frames. Nice signage.

2024 update : it was indeed listed in the review (individually, still not part of the precinct !) and late last year put up for sale, with the permit retaining the facade. Been empty since 2019. First pic City of Melb, pic of opposing locals from The Age, others from the planning applications.

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