This is one I was hoping that Corona might have cancelled, but no, it’s for sale ‘with permit’ for a crazy tower perched on legs over preserved facades, a design given the tick by VCAT, despite a previous version being knocked back…and now the design has changed too, not the @armarchitecture mesh sock, plainer, possibly … Continue reading Unbelievable really. Facadism plus way too close…. →

Sad to hear today that local residents have been informed that the demolition of the 1954 #APMboilerHouse in Alphington is about to commence. Designed by #MussenMackayAndPotter, it is significant as the first all-glass curtain wall in Victoria, and an example of an architects vision applied to an industrial building - which led to it being … Continue reading APM Boiler House to be demolished soon →

19 March 2021: Very impressive flats in my street, and equally impressive #gumtrees, a great combo. This is one of the many #StKildaFlats made out of older buildings. This started out as a pair of very spacious 12 room three storey #terracehouses, possibly built as early as 1863, known as "Lansdown Place (1 and 2). … Continue reading Grandeur in Dalgety Street, St Kilda →

19 March 2021: The wonderfully named Valma, a tiny block of 3 flats, making such a bold statement with very fat curved #balcony fronts, deepset windows behind, reminding me of #tropicalArtDeco tropical, keeping the sun well off (but the top one has air con anyway). #WHMerritt, 1936. Seems when it was done up the stair … Continue reading Valma, St Kilda, 1936 →

Great old #paintedsign in an ex-shop on #CanterburyRoadMiddlePark; there are two intact shop windows, one small one large, and they’re in a small weatherboard structure that was added in 1892 taking up most of the front garden of a weatherboard house of 1887 - which was probably done to raise some urgent $ given the … Continue reading Shop sign, on an odd shop in Middle Park →

First posted this in 2014 (!), hasn’t changed a bit ! Here’s what I said in 2018 : #LittleCollinStreet, just off Elizabeth St, I think the only building in the #melbcbd that's still #abandoned above the ground floor (in the last 15 years all the others have become flats). Built as the #colonialbankhotel in 1892, … Continue reading Abandoned ! Colonial Bank Hotel, Little Collins Street →

Original post 17 August 2020 I’m not a huge fan of the #SouthgateCentre, built in 1992, though I can see that it has historic interest as the first element of the complete transformation of the south bank area from industrial to hyper commercialism, and its #Postmodern, but not terribly exciting pomo; designed but very commercial … Continue reading Southgate Centre to be demolished →

14 August 2020 Fantastic #highvictorian house in #LochStreetStKilda, which I can’t believe I havnt posted before ! And also my god after it was sold in 2010 (having been the West StKilda RSL since perhaps 1949) the new owners did an amazing job restoring all the missing bits ! The @nationaltrustvic has an old photo … Continue reading (Very) Late Victorian in Loch Street, St Kilda West →

Original post 13 August 2020 This is ‘dervish’ by #ClementMeadmore, rather lost behind the trees of the #SouthbankPromende, not it’s original location. It was originally installed in 1981 on the upper deck of #HamerHall, on its own plot of grass, but was moved down down prob when Southgate opened, about 92. Reportedly he was displeased, … Continue reading Abstract art in Southbank – Dervish by Clement Mead-more →

Original post 10 August 2020 ‘Rochelle’, #MaryStreetStKilda, says it’s 1910, very very retro for that date looks exactly like 1890, but parapets never lie ! Or maybe they do, the parapet looks quite different, less elaborate than the rest, there’s nothing sitting on the elaborate paired corbels, and the plaque with delicate swag is very … Continue reading Terraces, Mary Street, West St Kilda →