Original post 6 October 2019:

One of the more peculiar #midcenturymodern #officebuildings in the city is this one at 406 Lonsdale Street. It was built speculatively by the AMP society in 1958, up to the then still in force 132ft height limit. It was designed by Bates Smart McCutcheon, who were busily also designing a bunch of great sheer curtain wall projects at the same time, most famously ICI House. It was better with the horizontal window framing, but with this scattered wide bay window things, it’s quite odd. Turned into #studenthousing in 1993, but now pow it’s just small apartments for sale, including studios that face a light well.

Update 2023: Described incorrectly as ‘highly intact’, it was one of the 55 modernist places heritage listed late last year as part of the Hoddle Grid Heritage Review. I’m sure I told them otherwise ….

• modernistmelbourne