6 January 2025

A bit of Brutalism hiding down Poplar Road in Parkville which I snapped in 2014 (first pic however is @brutalistcharm 2016, better than mine). I knew nothing about it then, and now it’s now proposed for heritage listing in the very recent Parkville Heritage Review, which tells me that it’s the WR Lane Laboratories, part of the big CSL site, designed by the Commonwealth Public Works Department and completed in 1972. It’s pretty early for bare concrete Brutalism in Victoria, and features some fine detailing with those expressed balconies, railings and beams. This is a rather direct quote from the then famous Kaganawa Prefecture offices by Kenzo Tange, completed in 1958 (last pic). Total House in Russell Street did it first in 1965, but not as thoroughly (it’s blue). The back is much the same, but features some great ducts (pic from the review). The Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (I now realise basically a government vaccine factory), began operations here in 1919, taking over a site which had been used to produce the smallpox vaccine since 1881(!). Theres some nice early 20s buildings here too.

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