12 July 2021
Very stylish little thing on #SturtStreetSouthMelbourne; thought it would be anonymous but no, the nice #PeterWille photo at @library_vic identifies it as offices for Burston Brothers, who ran the Malthouse next door, built 1956, and designed by #YunckenFreeman, who went on in the 60s to become refined modernists using expressed steel frames – first seen here ! No doubt directly inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s work at IIT in Chicago from the late 40s, pioneering steel frame with brick infill (though originally developed in Germany in the late 20s). The steel is expressed as #Ibeams on the front, but they’re flat down the back, where there’s a gantry thing.
Used by various arts organisations over the years, so I guess it’s was part of the Malthouse gift of the site by CUB – the theatre itself is right behind. Missed in the recent #southbankheritage review, but safe (until they want to add another theatre). Old colour image #peterwille from 1970.
Storey of Melbourne 