Mercy Hospital, 1935

Mercy Hospital, 1935

18 May 2019 :

The #earlymodernist horizontal lines of the old #mercymaternity #hospital in #eastmelbourne by #stephensonandmeldrum 1935. The second curved bit was added 1939, the next bit in the 70s, and the curved corner entry canopies added in the 90s.
I’m pleased I made the effort to get this on the #victorianheritageregister when I was at the national trust in the 90s. It was an obvious candidate really given its one of the first #Bauhaus inspired building in Victoria. In fact Stephenson was
directly influenced by #AlvarAalto’s already famous #PaimioSanatorium completed in 1933 which he saw on a study trip for this hospital. Love the sculpted beams under the #balconies, sort of primitive cantilevering. Note though the little not-modern curls on the balcony, painted an strong orangy red c2013. The entry is very cubist, though originally looks like it had tiles, wonder if they were deep blue like the tiles at their next hospital, the Freemasons round the corner, where a few are left. My photos from 2014 and 2019.

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