Original post 6 January 2021:
The ‘Batman Automatic Telephone Exchange’ in #FlindersLane, near Market Street, which I photographed in 2013. I went specially because I hadn’t ever noticed it ! And it’s great. Would have been very avant garde if it had been built when it was first designed, possibly as early as 1948, but construction didn’t start until 1950 and it wasn’t finished until 1957, by which time cream bricks were old fashioned and #glasscurtainwalls popping up everywhere. In 1949 the design was modified slightly and they said they would add a bomb shelter in the event of atom bombs (😮☹️!). Remarkably it’s quite intact (still a #telephoneexchange I guess) and only now is it getting to be #heritagelisted as part of the #HoddleGridHeritageReview. Designed by the Commonwealth Dep of Works & Housing, so no individual architect known, but it’s similar to other exchanges built in the 50s. B&W photos from @naagovau.
Storey of Melbourne 