Author: Rohan Storey
#FalconerTerrace, Napier Street,#Fitzroy, 1866, one of the most impressive terraces in Melbs, not because it’s huge or elaborate but because it’s relative simple, but unusual, with a plain upper storey, and a ground level that’s an even arcade with no demarcation between the houses (it’s two arches per house), on solid #bluestone piers. Nice. (But … Continue reading Falconer Terrace, Fitzroy 1866.
#StJohnsToorak has this amazingly huge spire/tower, attached to an otherwise very low roofed not that big church, with small small windows and doors, the roofs coming way down - I thought maybe the spire was added later to compensate for the small scale but no apparently it’s based on the original 1859 #WilliamWardell design, though … Continue reading St Johns Toorak, Pugin-esque Gothic Revival downunder.
Inside #StJohnsToorak, nave completed 1860, designed by #WilliamWardell, and its kind of small and intimate, and rather dim - had to brighten up all the pics ! Only has small highlight windows and very low aisles. Found a 19thC photo of the interior (very rare), showing great Gothic style brass chandelier things, possibly gaslit, which … Continue reading St Johns Toorak, great Louis Williams additions to Wardell’s only Anglican Church.
The #pews at #StJohnsToorak are all delightful #Australiana, carved with flora along the tops, birds below on the south side, and animals on the north side - all helpfully with their names carved in too, though you need a flash to see that bit. They were designed by prolific church architect #LouisWilliamsArchitect, an carved by … Continue reading Australiana in St Johns Toorak. Plus some nice opus sectile
#ClendonLodge is one of the lesser known houses by #WalterBurleyGriffin and #MarionMahonyGriffin, built in 1927, even though it’s right on the pointy corner where #ClendonRoad meets #ToorakRoad, maybe cos it’s hidden by generous planting. Also, it’s not the most exciting of their houses, pretty straight forward #PrairieStyle, as they were doing in Chicago before they … Continue reading Prairie Style in Toorak.
Original post 22 December 2019: Woy Woy, #MarineParade, #Elwood, Geoffrey Mewton, 1936. Amazing bit of almost #Bauhaus in Melbourne, designed by Mewton, who did a whole series of 30s rendered or cream brick boxy houses too, all dem now except #JustinMadden’s house in Essendon. Woy Woy has just been renovated to become airb&bs, it’s bright … Continue reading Woy Woy, Elwood, early Modern in Melbourne
Local Kensington identity James Wales certainly made a statement with this, his home combined with the office for his business, the #KensingtonPropertyExchange, plus attached shophouse, designed by E Owen Hughes. Somehow it’s all survived intact, never painted, never altered, even the shopfront is intact. Very much of the #landboom eta, in fact by the time … Continue reading Making a mark in Kensington
😮😁 Seen in Hyde Street, #Footscray. One for you
Dec 2019 Fantastic old sign in Bellair St, Kensington. A bloke jumped out of his car to tell me he knew the family ! Local legend apparently. Kensington Neighbourhood House tells me that : “Bill Pearce set up a plumbing business in the 1940s. The only gear he could afford was carried on his bike. … Continue reading 1940s signwriting
Repost 2019: #StalbridgeChambers, 1891, by #TwentymanabdAskew, another one of #myfavouritebuilding’s. At nine floors, it’s one of the two remaining 19thC skyscrapers in Melbourne (the other is the gothic #NationalMutual, Queen & Collins). Love the way every floor is subtly different, something they also did on #TheBlockArcade, and #FinksBuilding (demolished). It was offices, but also a … Continue reading Stalbridge Chambers, 1891
If the Nazi's never took power, would Berlin have Europe's tallest skyscraper and East Prussia be a honeymoon destination ?
