26 April 2016: The Rochester Castle Hotel in Johnston Street Fitzroy, a nice bit of elaborate and intact Victoriana but harder to see the detail now it’s all black ! Was a nice ochre in 2014, last time I snapped it. Update : the pediment says 1852, but for too grand for that date, rebuilt … Continue reading Rochester Castle, black →

22 April 2024 It’s not often an architecture firm goes bust, but Elenberg Fraser has just gone into administration, leaving a legacy of at least 20 wavy wiggly glassy tall apartment towers. I don’t dislike them, it’s nice to see colour and variety on the skyline, but they’re mostly part of the build as much … Continue reading Elenberg Fraser gone bust →

19 April 2024 A bit of ‘immigrant nostalgic’ style - Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Burnley Street Richmond. The postwar migrant communities pretty much always went for traditional styles in their churches, though rarely employing an architect, instead applying suburban building techniques to evoke churches in the home countries (in this case perhaps Byzantine era … Continue reading Migrant heritage in Richmond →

19 April 2024 The lovely arched bricked facade of Reidy’s 1911 warehouse in Lonsdale Street near Spencer used to dominate the streetscape; now it’s getting lost amongst the towers, with another one coming. Its yet another example of facadism, only the front wall and short bits of side wall were retained - at least the … Continue reading Reidy’s facade, Lonsdale Street →

19 April 2019 Repost 2019: This house on #BeaconsfieldParade was built in 2017, and eight months later the owners sold it, because they were ‘spending most of our time overseas’. #1percenters. By @bojan_simic_architecture, it’s meant to evoke a ship, but really it’s just ovals - or maybe the back of a ship ? Update : … Continue reading Oval ship shape →

20 April 2024 Who doesn’t like a nice old bluestone lane ? Cyclists and less able people I guess. But they are so very Melbourne, so you’d think the @cityofmelbourne would do their best to not muck them up, but their infrastructure division worries about maintenance costs, accessibility, and doesn’t have a very clear policy. … Continue reading Bluestone laneways in the CBD →

20 April 2024 Yay or nay ? The idea of demolishing all the 1960s housing commission high rise towers is in the Age today. Architect Peter McIntyre, who helped design the red brick ones in Nicolson Street Carlton, one of the first on the list (last pic), points out they’re likely quite structurally sound. Those … Continue reading Demolish all the Housing Commission towers ? →

17 April 2024 As part of the creation of the student precinct at Melbourne Uni, the raised deck around the back of the stylish 1940 Frank Tait building by Percy Everett was removed, and now it’s the focal point of the generous landscaping, which slopes down toward it. Designed by @aspectstudios, there’s lots of places … Continue reading Student Precinct, Melbourne University →

14 April 2024 I quite like this one, the Quincy Hotel on King Street near Flinders completed in 2020 - a simple idea of golden wavy fins catching the light works well. A different approach from #ElenbergfFraser, not their normal wavy shiny curtain walls. BUT I’m annoyed that it doesn’t respond to the context at … Continue reading Golden fins in King Street →

14 April 2024 A little gold rush era survivor from 1855 in Lonsdale Street near King Street. It was built by Edward Fitzsimmons, and was first an office, becoming a shop in 1859. A painted sign on the side was revealed in 2018 then covered again, advertising it as a temperance hotel later in its … Continue reading Squished colonial in Lonsdale Street →