9 May 2019, updated 2024 : Swann House in William Street was built in 1921-2 for the #StateElectricityCommission. Designed by their architect AR La Gerche, it’s rather plain, described at the time as ‘severe simplicity’, and a bit spoiled by two extra floors added in 1949. I saw a month ago it was scaffolded up, and found a 2020 permit issued for an upgrade including an addition in the back corner, which sounds fine. In 2019 I checked the lobby to see if original- there’s loads of nice grey-on-grey #BuchanMarble dados, very typical for interwar city buildings, but there’s green marble panels that look stuck on, might be 80s or 90s, they match the lift surround, and the brassy lifts are definitely new. The copper doors are very nice, but that’s it. The floor is def new, might have been terrazzo originally. Too much shiny brass, and little bright modern lights, made photos difficult. Just realised there’s repousse copper panels above the lift, the middle depicting original commission chair John Monash in his WW1 uniform, looks maybe 60s ? No idea if any of the original stuff will remain. Side note : John Pascoe Fawkner built his first house in 1835 on what would later become this site. First photo wikimedia.
Storey of Melbourne 