25 August 2025

I’ve never liked this development on the edge of Fawkner Park and Commercial Road; the park side looked nice enough in the winter sunshine, but if you look closely it really needs some maintenance. No idea who designed it, but it apparently dates from 1982.

Another reason to dislike it is that it replaced a delightful Pasadena Mansions c1918, though in the 50s that was horribly altered and turned into offices.

This replacement, called Greenview, appears to be ground /first level office/medical suites, with flats above, in two rows with a courtyard between, bit no lift, or only at one end ? It feels very 70s, with that fawn brick, and the stepped back idea was avant guarde in the late 60s, which I always thought a bit silly because you end up with very deep flats lower down or just odd open space, but yes you do get sunnier balconies.

Update : I’m told it’s an early work by Denton Corker Marshall, very unlike what they were doing around 1980, so maybe it’s actually earlier.

Surprised that most of my followers liked it

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