20 May 2024 The State Government Offices in Geelong have just been added to the Victorian Heritage Register - I remember when the people of Geelong voted it as the most ugly building in town in the early 90s, when Brutalistm was very under appreciated. The wacky but very dramatic upside down pyramid design was … Continue reading Geelong State Offices →

20 May 2024 The ex Masonic Club Building in Flinders Street, which has just had a refresh, looks nice, though it’s not terribly architecturally interesting. Completed in 1927, the design was by Joseph Plottel, who won a competition (and went on to do many flats city buildings and the Footscray Town Hall); the style is … Continue reading Masonic Club Building →

20 May 2024 My first Instagram post 2013; bought my first smart phone, then in the tram going home immediately downloaded Instagram, created an account, and photographed myself - caption “Stylish ? Great Chinese brand 'Goldus'. Cost me $10 at market stall.” 11 years later, I’ve done 6122 posts, though since 2021 many are repeats. … Continue reading My first post →

19 May 2024 A dragon almost in flight ! This one at 48 Nimmo Street Middle Park is featured in the 1989 book on Federation houses “Towards the Dawn”. Not totally sure it's original, too extravagant for this modest house, might be an early product of Gargoyles & Dragons who started in 1977 - but … Continue reading Dragons & Gargoyles →

18 May 2024 So the tent-like coverings of the service stations either side of the approach to the Westgate Bridge are proposed for heritage listing by the City of Melbourne. They’re not my favourite things, but I appreciate their uniqueness, so yes they should be listed. Cable roofs became a thing in the 1950s, and … Continue reading Tensile roofed petrol station →

18 May 2024 At 6 Loch Street, West St Kilda there’s a block of flats called Glamis Towers that I posted about in 2017 when I discovered it was a single owner and all the kitchens and bathrooms were pretty much original ! Its very nice 1940 Art Deco, with an unusual arrangement of 2 … Continue reading Glamis Towers, St Kilda →

16 May 2024 Re: replacing whole housing commission estates, here’s an example in North Melbourne, on Abbotsford Street - a triangular block that was cleared of old housing in the 60s (possibly mainly timber cottages), and replaced with two storey apartment blocks zigzagging across the site with lawn and some trees between. Possibly the idea … Continue reading Social Housing redevelopment North Melbourne →

14 May 2024 Nice to see a building in a park covered in greenery ! This is the Parks Victoria office and depot in Albert Park, designed by Archier and Harrison and White, with sustainability by @hipvhype and landscape by @_openwork, built in 2019. It’s got wide eaves with planted roofs and trailing plants, while … Continue reading Albert Park – Parks Victoria →

14 May 2024 On Hotham Street East Melbourne rather unexpectedly there’s a modernist ex church. Built for the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, for those from Northern Europe, such as Latvians and Estonians (who were in the first wave of postwar migrants, drawn mainly from the Baltic states). Designed by Godfrey Spowers Hughes Mewton & Lobb … Continue reading Modernist Church, East Melbourne →

13 May 2014 : Always fascinated by this wildly unusual building on the corner of Drummond and Pelham Streets Carlton, which I now know was built as the #childrenshospital. They first located here in 1875 when Redmond Barry donated his rather large house and grounds, then rebuilt starting 1899 all in Edwardian #redbrick #dutchgable style … Continue reading Ex Children’s Hospital, Carlton →