Wesley Church heritage yuk

This looks about as bad as I thought it would – the 1859 manse next to the #WesleyChurchMelbourne more or less engulfed by the giant office tower just completed around it. Part of a very unsatisfactory compromise, sacrificing the (very dilapidated) #PrincessMaryClub, and allowing this, in order that the church got $5mill for restoration works, and $1mill /year ground rent. I’d have preferred no tower, and the #UnitingChurch maybe let go of the site completely (they’ve also go St Michaels after all) and maybe it was a different denomination or better yet a concert hall (but nobody was going to pay for that) or maybe a foodie venue ? Or perhaps at least if they’d moved the manse backwards like I suggested (sketch), it would be facing the other old buildings back there, around a nice courtyard, and at least from the front still have sky behind it. Note I havnt seen it myself, these photos, with permission, from @while.i.was.wading, @cristinaz13, the_nathanuelle_adventure, and @armitagejones.