July 2026

The John Medley building at Melbourne University is very likely to be demolished. I don’t think it’s amazing architecture but it’s pretty interesting.

Built 1969-71, designed by famous architect Roy Grounds as a gateway to the University. In fact it’s pretty obviously inspired by a medieval gateway, with squat towers either side and a great arch between (eg Windsor Castle, pic 6). By the 60s Grounds was exploring monumental and traditional forms, notably the NGV, with its bluestone walls and arch (1968). Here it’s softer, using light brown bricks, and sections that stick out in precast conc. The solid conc arch is very arched, but it does have amusing ‘arrow slit’ windows. The deep eaved roofs over the attic arnt exactly medieval. Most windows do the offset jig, but the deep hooded windows on the projecting bits vary (though I didn’t notice at first), and create strong shadow patterns.

The arch has such presence its the favoured spot for graduation photos (I gave up waiting for them to move). There’s a lot of trees around the whole thing, kind of hard to take in – it’s much more striking in the older pics. They also show it was built just before the ‘mad max’ carpark, which cuts off the long view into the campus.

The Uni wants to demolish it and the other mid century faculties along Grattan Street – none of which are heritage listed, but probably should be – to create a long park space ‘to enhance the student experience’, but it just seems crazy to me when Unis are always pressed for space. They also want to better connect to University Square to the south, fair enough, but Grattan Street runs through ….. better landscaping will do, and they don’t own the square anyway, which is currently being landscaped to a CofM plan. It’s all rather perplexing.

Old pics Melb Uni archive.

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