Original post 14 October 2019
#Demolition pending ! The very stylish, severe, minimalist, Scottish Amicable on Queen Street, #YunckenFreeman, 1965, which has only just got permanent heritage protection, is proposed to be demolished !! Planning docs for the new tower quotes an engineer’s report (which has been peer reviewed) which says the facade is ‘in poor form’ and ‘its retention is unworkable’ – so @cityofmelbourne’s heritage advisor said the precast panels of which its made should be reproduced – which is what you do with Modernist curtain walls that have failed eg the UN and Lever House in NY – but the planners have instead gone for a facade that ‘references’ the original, ie gridded and precast, but the #BatesSmart plans dont show exactly what they’ll be like…just the red grid, which as far as I can see is much wider than the current one. Last pic is their original design.
So should we demand a reconstruction ? ask to see the engineers report ? I dont think we should just let it be demolished without a word, so at least lament the destruction ?
