The former Women’s Hospital Carpark, Grattan Street, Carlton, designed by Mockridge Stahle & Mitchell and built in 1974 is rather good architecture, from the soft end of Brutalism. Recommend for heritage listing, generating some local opposition of course (2nd image – The Age). I’ve always quite liked it, the rounded edges in board marked concrete, the fawn bricks, the native planting. Clearly inspired by similar more stark carparks, namely the Preston Bus Station in the north of England, by Ingham and Wilson, and the more sculptural Temple Street Parking Garage in Yale by Brutalist pioneer Paul Rudolph (just got a nice big book on him).
Storey of Melbourne 
I take the view that this carpark is unique and for all the reasons mentioned needs to be protected against demolition or being repurposed for another use.
In addition, the ´inner’ suburbs of Melbourne are increasing becoming unpleasant places to live as residents use public roads / streets to park vehicles. The result meaning that these streets more often than not become single lane roads that are incapable of handling traffic. Then these the issue of emergency vehicles being slowed or not even able to access these streets.
Bikes are NOT the solution, if we continue to regard car parking as something we don’t need and people continue to see that car parking space in front their property as being their spot’ then we will very quickly reach the point where these inner Melbourne suburbs will not be valued as the choice place to live. I believe we are well on the way to seeing this happen. Perhaps it’s to late to go back.
What’s attractive about a inner suburban streets full of residents parked cars. Properties should have off street parking so as to clear these streets and in doing so improve there appearance while dramatically improving traffic flows.
This carpark for many reasons must remain.
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