2 September 2024

Some striking flats I’ve passed a million times in Hotham Street, East St Kilda. A bit of 1920s European modern as practiced by Jewish emigre architect Mordecai Benshemesh in the early postwar period (he’s best known for Edgewater Towers). Called the Francelaw Flats, they were designed 1948, but not completed till 1951, and feature his then trademark blocky cream brick volumes, with horizontal lines, porthole windows and sticky-out balconies (the front ones are actually a bit wonky, I wouldn’t be surprised if the posts were added later). Quite spacious layouts, and of course it has that great generous garden area, neither of which you get any more, partly/mostly because of profits and carparking (there’s about 6 spaces out back for 12 flats). Designed for Jewish clients, and many early residents were Jewish too. The block was refreshed just last year by @rowestudio_ , so no original kitchens or bathrooms now, but they kept the doors and fireplaces. The top floor flats each get a part of the flat roof. They must have also added that annoying porch that got in the way of my photos, on a rather stormy day. Last two pics and plan and inside from real estate site.

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