January 2019 The best #highrise on the #BeaconsfieldParade foreshore - Plaza 333, #SolSapir, 1970, #stkildawest. This is one of the relatively few #apartmenttowers of the period with 'decoration', in this case spiky projecting edges to the #precastpanels, check out that detail, love it ! Sol Sapir did all 9 towers along Beaconsfield Parade and up … Continue reading Sol Sapir, king of waterfront high rise. →

Anyone been in the basement here ?? It’s the fabulous #MelbourneSafeDeposit, built by the Stock Exchange Co, same time as the Exchange building, attached but separate, and also designed by #WilliamPittArchitect, very similar but not as ornate top and bottom and not in stone. Had a bay added on the left in 1923 by the … Continue reading Safe Deposit vaults made of ‘undrillable steel’, sounds good ! →

So as part of the changes at the #GothicBank / #ANZWorldHeadquarters, these atriums, created in 1989-93, are going to be opened up and become ‘outside’ into a north and south ‘#campiello’; losing the not-great #pomo vaguely #Gothic structures no great loss, but a curious decision - is it #laneway mania ? The first one (photos … Continue reading Gothic atriums to new laneways. →

The #MelbourneStockExchange soon after completion in maybe 1891; the spire thing on top was demolished in 1923 when the #ESandAbank took over the building, but was completely reconstructed by @lovellchen in 1989-92. The carved stone facade is generally just amazing OTT #highvictorian #GothicRevival, described as ‘Modern Gothic’ at the time. #WilliamPittArchitect really was a talent. … Continue reading Stock Exchange, William Pitt, 1888-91 →

The original entry to the #MelbourneStockExchange, a great #GothicRevival concoction by #WilliamPittArchitect, lost in 1923 when the entrance was moved to the side, where the details were sort of reconstructed in 1989-92, by @lovellchen, after removing the lifts. Now it's proposed to put lifts back, inside a taller foyer, designed by @kerstin_thompson_architects; Im so contrary, … Continue reading Heritage fake or fab ? →

The fabulous #CathedralRoom of the #GothicBank in #CollinsStreet was actually built in 1888-90 as the ‘vestibule’ (a room for informal deals I think) of the #MelbourneStockExchange, designed by the versatile #WilliamPittArchitect (the #callroom, where the shouting part went on, was upstairs). There are plans to turn it into a restaurant, so it’ll be full of … Continue reading Cathedral Room, Collins Street →

Thought this was just a random Gothic grotesque on the heavily elaborated facade of #WilliamPitt’s 1888-91 stock exchange, but reckon it’s the #WingedLionOfVenice, chosen as a suitably mercantile symbol for the grand #GothicRevival #MelbourneStockExchange -you can see M S E carved in the shield in #GothicScript. Another thing to note is the lions are looking … Continue reading Gothic Bank grotesques →

Would you believe this was someone’s house ? #SirGeorgeVerdon, local manager of the #ESandAbank in the 1880s clearly believed in living above the shop, but in a very grand manner. So above the Gothic Bank chamber windows, the first floor #VenetianGothic #tracery was the balcony outside the dining room, while the #colonnade above was the … Continue reading Sir George Verdon’s House →

An excellent Victorian #shoptop right next to yesterday’s bank on #ClarendonStreetSouthMelbourne. Lots of great details, an #openpediment over each window, with an elaborate #acroterion, supported on #castironcolumns, very unusual, and an elaborate arch inside with #classicalmask #keystone. The left one is even unpainted ! A bit ochre, prob from the last #limewash. But missing whatever … Continue reading ShopTop no 5 →