Author: Rohan Storey
Original post 6 October 2019: One of the more peculiar #midcenturymodern #officebuildings in the city is this one at 406 Lonsdale Street. It was built speculatively by the AMP society in 1958, up to the then still in force 132ft height limit. It was designed by Bates Smart McCutcheon, who were busily also designing a … Continue reading AMP, Lonsdale Street, 1958
Original post 19 July 2020 Photos 29 June #Kingsclere in #FitzroyStreetStKilda has a rather late Edwardian facade for its 1926 date, but has an interesting interior, being built around a courtyard, very rare in Melbourne. Though seems architect #PJOconnor didn’t think the it needed to be anything other than very plain #redbrick; it’s quite lushly … Continue reading Kingsclere, Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, 1926
Original post 18 July 2020 Photos 20 June Great little #ArtDeco #shopfront in #littlecollinsstreet in the Royal Arcade building; don’t know date or designer. One of melbourne's most striking #artdeco #shopfront. So #modernist looks like might be new repro, but no its 30s. It's a shopfront inthe edwardian rebuild of the #littlecollinsstreet back end of … Continue reading Art Deco shopfront, Little Collins Street.
Original post 17 October 2019 10,12 and 14 #PowlettStreet, #EastMelbourne, 1886, and all named after English counties, where of course most Melburnians came from in the 19thC. Three #terracehouses all the same in a row but oddly with a space between them rather than an actual row with shared #partywalls. Most terrace houses were #buildtorent, … Continue reading Thinking of ‘home’, Devon, Exeter and (something), East Melbourne
Original post 7 October 2019 The #PremierTower on #SpencerStreet was designed by @elenberg_fraser employing their signature wave-forms, but in this case it’s alarmingly wobbly from some angles. And it’s supposedly inspired by Beyoncé (!). It really stands out because until now Spencer Street hasn’t seen any new #penciltowers like other streets, and unless someone demolished … Continue reading Premier Tower, Spencer Street
Original post 17 July 2020 Time for my annual pilgrimage to see Finn Barr, in Cecil Street, #SouthMelbourne in winter, this time with my wide angle. Here’s what I said in 2017: Built in 1885 for local doctor WH Ford, who obviously wanted to make a statement! A #terracehouse with a facade and tower worthy … Continue reading Finn Barr, South Melbourne, 1885
Original post 16 July 2020 Seen in #BayStreetPortMelbourne- this has to be one of the WORST ‘heritage’ outcomes in melbs - I couldn’t believe it when I saw I first saw it many years ago. The 1913 church is not only completely hemmed in, only the external walls are left, and possibly not the east … Continue reading Horrible heritage outcome, Holy Trinity, Port Melbourne
Original post 15 July 2020 Just passed by this particularly wonky cottage in Station Street #PortMelbourne, seems it was sold in 2017 for just under a $mill, and it’s a complete wreck inside ! I’d guess it would be quite an effort to even save the front; an interesting case for the heritage advisor if … Continue reading A real fixer upper in Port Melbourne
Original post 14 July 2020 This very stylish block on my street is called San Diego, but it’s quite obscured by some #damntrees. It’s clearly 1930s Art Deco, with a bit of Bauhaus influence, all those stepped volumes with corner steel framed windows, and little sticking out balconies. That's about all I know, except that … Continue reading San Diego, 1936
Original post 11-13 July 2020 Photos 20 June The exterior of the #ManchesterUnityBuilding is Gothic/Deco, but the interiors are fully #ArtDecostyle; zigzags and chevrons and little delicate patterns. But there’s some oddities too, showing maybe architect #MarcusBarlow hadn’t quite fully grasped how the style was usually executed - there’s a sort of flat pink marble … Continue reading Manchester Unity Building lobby
If the Nazi's never took power, would Berlin have Europe's tallest skyscraper and East Prussia be a honeymoon destination ?
