9 July 2018: The fabbo #AuditoriumBuilding, #NahumBarnet, 1913, so named cos it was built like the Chicago one with offices above, privately funded concert hall below. Built by the Tait theatrical family, it didn’t really pay for itself, became a cinema by 1915, completely rebuilt as the Metro Collins 1935, closed in the 70s, then … Continue reading Auditorium Building, facadism →

15 August 2018 The lovely slightly exotic #TheosophicalBuilding, #MarshandMichaelson, 1936, beautiful stone facade, with Egyptian style columns, a bit patchy though. The Theosphists, a kind of esoteric religion, sold up in c1970, when the @CityofMelbourne bought it along with the Regent planning to replace both with a high rise hotel to help pay for the … Continue reading Theosophical Society, 1937 →

A pair of large and unusually styled terraces in#ClarendonStreetEastMelbourne; built in 1908 and designed by #GraingerKennedyAndLittle (that’s John Grainger, engineer and architect, and Percy’s father). The East Melb Historical Society says they were built as flats, but I can’t find any evidence of that, plus there’s only one door. Two more but narrower were added … Continue reading Edwardian terraces, East Melbourne →

Repost this day 2018: #PolychromeBrick - how to do a lot with a little. A hall-like church with a lot going on in just the front wall; various elements thrust forward slightly, and outlined in special notched #voussoir bricks in two colours, and two different arches too. #MethodistChurch in #NicholsonStreet #NorthFitzroy, built 1874, designed by … Continue reading Polychrome Church, 1874 →

Repost this day 2018: The impressive Ukrainian (Greek) Catholic Church cathedral of #SaintsPeterandPaul in #NorthMelbourne. As the second most common religion from a country that we didn’t get a lot of immigration from, they found a good site and built big ! By church specialists #SmithandTracey, finished 1963. Patterned brick, thin shell arches, a stylised … Continue reading Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, 1963 →

8 July 2017, updated 2025: McPhersons Showroom, Collins Street (near Spencer), 1936 (top floor 1938), Stuart P Calder with Reid&Pearson; built for the implement and tool makers, these huge long display windows were filled with #nutsandbolts and things like a #ballbearingbandsaw. Very stylish home for such products, and externally amazingly intact. This building is often … Continue reading Modernist McPhersons, Collins Street →

Repost this day 2015: One of the best examples of heritage retention while also building a tower - About 9 buildings were retained in full to form part of the podium of the 1992 #telstrahq #officetower by #PerrotLyonMathieson. Once the centre of the notorious #littlelon #slum, the whole block was cleared except the outside edges … Continue reading Preservation well done →

Repost this day 2019: Very nice #polychromebrick church(es) on Howe Crescent, #SouthMelbourne, built for the Congregationalists. Larger one is 1874, and was designed by #WHElleker (later joined with Kilburn and did the fab #cityofmelbournebuilding); the smaller but also nice thing next door was the first church, built only 6 years earlier, and then became the … Continue reading Congregational Church, South Melbourne →

Original post 17 April 2017: The grand #TandGBuilding, #CollinsStreet, #AandKHenderson, 1929, enlarged to the right and taller #tower 1939 (and to the rear in 1959). The largest #interwarmelbourne #officblock, the HQ for the once huge #TemperanceandGeneral Insurance business, with mini versions of this in capital cities and many smaller towns across Australia and New Zealand, … Continue reading T & G Building →

5 July 2021 More #LostMelbourne, the rather chunky but impressive home of the #YWCAMelbourne, built in 1913, on Russell Street just down from Collins. Sadly demolished in the mid 70s, the big site eventually becoming the #GrandHyattMelbourne which opened in 1983. Designed by #NahumBarnet at the height of his long prolific career, when he was … Continue reading YWCA, Nahum Barnet →