Original post 23 July 2020 Deserve to preserve ? This is the chapel at #KostkaHall, Xavier’s junior school in #Brighton that they’ve just said they’re closing. It was built in 1966-7, designed by prolific church architect #AlanGRobertson, one of the few circular churches/chapels in Vic, nice spire thing, but prob the best part is the … Continue reading Modernist Chapel, Kostka Hall, Brighton, 1967
Month: July 2020
MCG Hotel / Parade Hotel, East Melbourne, almost facadism, looks bad.
Original post 4 October 2019 Not #facadism, seeing as they kept the whole front section, but shows how you can still make it look terrible - in this case by having it sit in front of a huge wall of new building, like a stubbed toe, made even worse that the streetscape is also a … Continue reading MCG Hotel / Parade Hotel, East Melbourne, almost facadism, looks bad.
Victorian house on Fitzroy Street, saved (30 years ago)
Original post 21 July 2020 Photos 29 June Perfectly nice if not outstanding Victorian house in #FitzroyStreetStKilda, but the interesting thing is it was abandoned in the 80s/early 90s, the owner sitting on it hoping for some #demolitionbyneglect, but before it got to that point the then #StKildaCouncil passed a local law about deliberate dilapidation, … Continue reading Victorian house on Fitzroy Street, saved (30 years ago)
Port Melbourne Theatre, 1913, burnt
Original post 20 July 2020 Photos 14 July Sad sight on #BayStreetPortMelbourne, been this way since a fire in 2015 (I think). Its yet another surviving (partly) very early cinema, being built as the Port Theatre in 1913, and closing in 1956, and used for retail ever since. In 2018 a permit was issued to … Continue reading Port Melbourne Theatre, 1913, burnt
ABC studios, Elsternwick, 1993
5 October 2020 Photos August 2018 The old #ABCstudios in Selwyn Street #Elsternwick that’s proposed to be demolished is a rather quirky bit of #postmodernism, by @armarchitecture, 1993 - channeling 60s brown brick factories, either side of a 50s style one (or maybe that part is an old factory). The proposal is rather huge, though … Continue reading ABC studios, Elsternwick, 1993
AMP, Lonsdale Street, 1958
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 … Continue reading AMP, Lonsdale Street, 1958
Kingsclere, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 1926
Original post 19 July 2020 Photos 29 June #Kingsclere in #FitzroyStreetStKilda has a rather late Edwardian facade for its 1926 date, but has an interesting interior, being built around a courtyard, very rare in Melbourne. Though seems architect #PJOconnor didn’t think the it needed to be anything other than very plain #redbrick; it’s quite lushly … Continue reading Kingsclere, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 1926
Art Deco shopfront, Little Collins Street.
Original post 18 July 2020 Photos 20 June Great little #ArtDeco #shopfront in #littlecollinsstreet in the Royal Arcade building; don’t know date or designer. One of melbourne's most striking #artdeco #shopfront. So #modernist looks like might be new repro, but no its 30s. It's a shopfront inthe edwardian rebuild of the #littlecollinsstreet back end of … Continue reading Art Deco shopfront, Little Collins Street.
Thinking of ‘home’, Devon, Exeter and (something), East Melbourne
Original post 17 October 2019 10,12 and 14 #PowlettStreet, #EastMelbourne, 1886, and all named after English counties, where of course most Melburnians came from in the 19thC. Three #terracehouses all the same in a row but oddly with a space between them rather than an actual row with shared #partywalls. Most terrace houses were #buildtorent, … Continue reading Thinking of ‘home’, Devon, Exeter and (something), East Melbourne
Premier Tower, Spencer Street
Original post 7 October 2019 The #PremierTower on #SpencerStreet was designed by @elenberg_fraser employing their signature wave-forms, but in this case it’s alarmingly wobbly from some angles. And it’s supposedly inspired by Beyoncé (!). It really stands out because until now Spencer Street hasn’t seen any new #penciltowers like other streets, and unless someone demolished … Continue reading Premier Tower, Spencer Street









