Can’t get more 80s #postmodern. 476 #StKildaRoad. Uber cool blue glass, baby blue framing and that polished granite with pearlescent bits that was so popular then. Untouched, and hardly a sign of age. Future heritage. Could be @aboutsjb or @bharchitects who both did quite a few blocks here in the 80s. Update : it is or was called Leopold House, by Bruce Henderson, no date though.
Another of the many Postmodern office blocks built in#StKildaRoad, 1985-91, this one really more #latemodern, which is defined by slick, taut #curtainwalls. Simple but effective, two shades of striped #mirrorglass wrapping round a corner, complete with some #publicart by Japanese Australian #AkioMakigawa. Originally the Dunn&Bradstreet building, but don’t know date or architect. Unfortunate new entry canopy, I mean why not at least a slim profile ?
This is one of my fave #postmodern offices on St Kilda Road, though it’s not as dynamic as originally, since they painted the 45* grid / entry slice structure from blue to black, it’s now almost invisible. They also added an unnecessary thick canopy. I also like the chunk taken out of the top corner, replaced by a grid. No idea of architect or exact date.
The Armstrong Jones building on #StKildaRoad, by Synman Justin Bialek, 1984-5, one of about 13 Postmodern office blocks there; always liked the barrel-vault up top, originally a tennis court for stressed executives, now childcare.
Another St Kilda Road postmodern office block, by Peddle Thorpe & Learmonth, 1989-90, originally called Digital- a company that made #minicomputers, made redundant by desktop PCs. Eventually absorbed into HP. Typical 80s elements, blue mirror glass, a bow front, and squares subdivided by lots of criss-cross window frames – curiously there’s a column in the centre! Guess the spacing just worked out that way ? It also looks like it’s got shoulder pads 😁
St Kilda Road such a trove of these things, which I realise are different from the city pomo towers – they were all big name architects, and not so cheesy, or should I say fun, these one employing cut off corners, bow fronts, stripes, mirror glass, gables and clocks, and they are more 3D since they’re free standing.
Another #stkildaroadpomo office block – so 80s – mirror #smokedglass. And a couple of zippy sculptures called ‘the performers’ by Anthony Pryor. And polished brown granite. And another case of a central column, with an off-centre entry behind. It’s by @aboutsjb (Synman Justin Bialek), not sure of date, but I’m pretty sure I went here to get my US Visa in 1984? Its a fine mirror box, but seems to be stained by the joints decaying, and it’s not my favourite of the 14 pomo office blocks here.
Repost 16 July 2018:
Sad to learn that the most mirrored of the 1980s #mirrorglass #officeblocks of them all on #StKildaRoad, opp Toorak Rd, was sold last year for $68mill (!!) no doubt to be replaced by apartments- this block has a #heightlimit of 85m, that’s about 28 floors.
2021 update : it was refurbed and sold in 2019 for $98 mill (!!!) to ‘overseas buyers’; wonder if they paid too much in hindsight?
Storey of Melbourne 