Author: Rohan Storey

Late Modernism in Bourke Street – Eagle House, 1972

Original post 2 February 2020 Photos 1 October 2019 Eagle House in #BourkeStreet was completed in 1972, and replaced #OxfordChambers of the previous post. Designed by supreme Modernists #YunckenFreeman it’s actually #LateModern, when it was all about slick surfaces, and this is the stand out example, and so it’s on the #VictorianHeritageRegister. I nominated it … Continue reading Late Modernism in Bourke Street – Eagle House, 1972 →

Oxford Chambers, Bourke Street, 1889-1970

First posted 1 February 2020 While I’m on #lostmelbourne, there’s the famous ones, but there were quite a lot of ornate #highvictorian ‘chambers’ like this that mushroomed in the 1880s and disappeared in the 50s-70s, mostly with only a few photos now in archives - and @heraldsunphoto_retro has a great collection slowly filling up their … Continue reading Oxford Chambers, Bourke Street, 1889-1970 →

Australia Hotel, Collins Street 1939, glamorous and gay.

First posted 31 January 2020 The Hotel Australia, in the middle of #CollinsStreet, opened June 1939, and hard to believe, but it was demolished as late as 1989. I remember being shocked when I heard (this was just before I started working at the NationalTrust), I guess it wasn’t highly regarded architecturally because it was … Continue reading Australia Hotel, Collins Street 1939, glamorous and gay. →

Chevron Hotel, St Kilda Road, 1934, high class back in the day.

First posted 30 January 2020: The #ChevronHotel in #StKildaRoad wasnt heritage listed an nearly demolished in the early 2000s for a high rise, but surprisingly it didn’t happen (helicopter flight paths ?), instead the main part was kept as apartments, a rear wing knocked off, and 10 storey blocks built on the inside edges of … Continue reading Chevron Hotel, St Kilda Road, 1934, high class back in the day. →

John Wardle in Spring Street

First posted Instagram 28 February 2020 A bit of fun design from @johnwardlearchitects; the angular brick I mean #bricktile entry to the office block he designed plonked on top of the #ElmsFamilyHotel. I like it, though better in #redbrick like the old buildings either side, and like the little industrial bldg it replaced. In fact … Continue reading John Wardle in Spring Street →

Spring Street Mission House done over first time in, well, maybe forever.

First posted Instagram 27 February 2020 The Anglican Mission To The Streets And Lanes in Spring Street was treated much better than the #ElmsFamilyHotel by the @australianunity office thing; they just took out a back corner (a kitchen) and kept the rest of it more or less intact, though I didn’t get to see the … Continue reading Spring Street Mission House done over first time in, well, maybe forever. →

80 Collins Street new tower

8 Nov 2019 😮 not a fan; but if you’re going to cantilever, at least do it a long way up and make it look like a hanging part of the building, not a whole building leaning out. That angling inward bit is unfortunate, and wasn’t meant to be there, it was just going hang, … Continue reading 80 Collins Street new tower →

Elms Family a bit more than a facade but not much – John Wardle on Spring Street.

First posted Instagram 28 February 2020. Poor ole 1925 #ElmsFamilyHotel, got #heritagelisted but not before plans were already underway to build something big on top (by @johnwardlearchitects), so it was mostly demolished - but Im pleased to see they actually kept one internal wall complete with with lovely blue #pubtiles - BUT they made the … Continue reading Elms Family a bit more than a facade but not much – John Wardle on Spring Street. →

Victorian townhouses in the Paris End, an early conservation win.

First posted 9 November 2019 #MelvilleHouse, one of the few big houses/terrace houses built for the medical profession in the 19th century, when the #parisend was the Harley St of Melbourne. They were built for Dr Ray in 1881, and designed by #NathanielBillings, in a fairly elaborate #RenaissanceRevival. They were knocked over her and shops … Continue reading Victorian townhouses in the Paris End, an early conservation win. →

Edwardian Tudor in Collins Street.

First posted 9 November 2019 #ProfessionalChambers in #CollinsStreet has a rather nice entry (but they could have thought of a more inventive name!). For a while I thought maybe it wasn’t worthy of the VictorianHeritageRegister, I mean it’s a very nice example of #TudorRevival, but there are plenty of them, though maybe not so many … Continue reading Edwardian Tudor in Collins Street. →