The Prahran Arcade is being restored. Or at least the facade - some very rusted iron being replaced, and ancient peeling paint removed, and then a skim coat on all that delicate detailing. Overseen by @rbaarchitects, works by @aboderestoration. Here’s what I said in 2016 - The #prahranarcade possibly one of the most extraordinarily mad … Continue reading Prahran Arcade restoration →

Repost 2019: Rainy Sunday so off to the #MelbourneJewishMuseum ! The Kadimah Hall in #LygonStreet was built in 1933 as a secular community hall, and had its own Yiddish theatre troupe (!) - the community moved south side in the postwar period, and since 1969 its belonged to another (rather smaller!) migrant community; Loved this … Continue reading Jewish Museum visit →

Repost 2016: Pathetic attempt at historic reconstruction at the Imperial Hotel on Bourke Street. The window details on the right were added recently, having been knocked off the the 70s, and were originally exactly like ones on the left, on the shop row that was part of the original 1864 building. I've been waiting like … Continue reading Imperial Hotel ‘restoration’ →

7 September 2017: #HorsfallChapel at #TrinityCollegeMelbourne, a great, possibly the best, and very early #ArtsandCraftsstyle Gothic church in Victoria. Designed principally by Alexander North of #NorthandWilliams, built 1912-1917. Love the simplified Gothic, slightly tapered solid forms in brick, with the main window occupying much of the facade. The junior partner #LouisWilliams went on to design … Continue reading Trinity College →

Repost 2018: Great set of #polychromebrick #MelbourneTerraces in #PeelStreetCollingwood. The pair of #shophouses have odd huge brackets, a wild huge pediment thing and what look like chimneys but arnt. Peel street has a number of ex-shops scattered down its length, perhaps once was it was almost an extension of Smith Street shopping, but possibly they … Continue reading Terraces, Peel Street Collingwood →

Repost 2017: The original #cloister at #MelbourneUniversity. In the middle of a huge site, it started off as three wings, built 1853-57, designed by #FMWhite (who was still around in 1888 designing huge city office blocks). Always lovely to walk through, love the brick #vaulting. But did you know the wonderful bit of #cloister at … Continue reading Old Quad Melbourne University →

7 September 2018: Def one of my fave city buildings. Former #StateAccidentInsurance office, 1941, #PercyEverett, #publicworksdepartment chief architect showing his creativity again in his only ‘commercial’ office building. Quite a contrast to his other tower, the New York skyscraper style #russellstreetpolicestation done at the same time. It's a careful balance of competing #horizontal and #verticals, … Continue reading Moderne in Collins Street →

Repost 2019: Speaking of the wastefulness of demolition, #embodiedenergy and all that, here’s how they did it in the olden days - just covert the large old house to four flats ! 25 #AclandStreetStKilda. Flat 2 sold in 2017 for just over a mill.

5 September 2017: Fabbo #terracepair on Royal Parade, Parkville, built 1888 (peak of the #landboom) with a wealth of crunchy detail, never painted. The distinctive elements like the wheeled #scrolledbrackets on the #parapet and the stumpy columns look very much like the work of builder/designer #NormanHitchcock. Love the grimacing lions. They’re also the relatively rare … Continue reading OTT Victorian In Parkville →

6 September 2019: Anyone remember The Secret Life of Us ? This c1928 block in #AclandStreet was where half of them lived. Having a popular TV series set in a suburb that was once cheap where the characters are young lawyers and doctors, well, it means you’re being priced out ! Then I moved to … Continue reading Secret Life on Acland Street →