November 2025

RMIT’s Building 1, all brooding Gothic/Romanesque, softened by trees on both sides, my pics from this year back to 2016. The great #RomanesqueRevival tower (described at the time as (‘Scotch Gothic’) and the #LatrobeStreet frontage completed 1892, designed by #OakdenAddisonandKemp.

The bit on the far left, in fact the whole rear half, was built 5 years earlier, to a design won in competition by Terry & Oakden with Nahum Barnet. Always amazed how 19thC buildings often built in stages, usually sticking to the original design, though here the walls are plainer but the turret taller. Also amazed at the expensive looking design of philanthropic endeavours like this, originally the Working Men’s College, a kind of trades school, a step up from apprenticeships, but not a university degree.

This enterprise all pushed by benefactor #FrancisOrmond – that’s an 1897 statue of him in front. And this building is now named after him too.

It has a fun rear, with the big semi-circular projection of the original lecture theatre, now with a cafe under. Nice entrance with lead lights too. I didn’t wander much inside, so borrowed pics from @pe_architects who did an extensive refurb in 2010.

Could only find a few early pics of students, one of a cookery class in 1891, and one of a chemistry class in the 20s.

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