Repost 2017: A Gothic sandwich in Collins up from Queen. In the middle, Aldersgate House (originally Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance, dont know when it became Aldersgate), built 1924 designed by #sydneysmithoggandserpell which would have stuck out from lower stuff until the almost exactly matching #decogothic vertically striped blocks built either side- Trustees Chambers, #AandKHenderson on … Continue reading Gothic x 3 →

Repost 2017: #RoyalExhibitionBuilding looking fine in the #eveningsun. When I first saw the #historicphoto with a lake I thought ‘there’s no lake there !’ but there is, though pretty sure it was overgrown until recently (?), but certainly looks smaller than in 1880. Architect #ReedandBarnes, garden #WilliamSangster.

So the @cityofmelbourne has created a Design Review Panel, who are going to provide advice on selected projects, hopefully improving them in some way - there’s 10 members and 18 experts, lots of great names, can’t fault that, but remains to be seen what kind of improvements they might actually generate - the size and … Continue reading City of Melbourne Design Review Panel →

Repost 2019: South Melbourne Woolies, opp the market - I think it’s the combo of giant bulk and cheap looking glass and detailing that makes this one so …..urgh. The ‘streetscape’ part, that is the first two levels with a variety of looks, is ok, but the rest ! Good to have a local giant … Continue reading Spotlight on South Melbourne →

Repost 2017: The #HorticulturalHall, 1873, designed by #WilliamEllerker, with a front office section added later in 1878 (also Ellerker?) faces the heavy traffic of #VictoriaStreet opposite the Carlton gardens. Back in the days before tv, every interest group had a hall, and the #RoyalHorticulturalSociety was important enough to get this prominent spot, and counted luminaries … Continue reading Horticultural Hall →

10 October 2021: Rather unexpected to find this in a reserve in Essendon West ! (and thanks to @alisonmp for the pics). This was built as the Infant Welfare Centre in 1963 - the City of Keilor Engineer Garnet Price thought up this solution for the uneven ground, taking his cues from some of the … Continue reading Space age community centre in Essendon →

Here’s something quite spectacular, in Cotham Road, Kew, currently for sale- Ross House, originally Charleville, built 1889, for Charles Donaldson, architect H Shallers (who I’ve never heard of). I’ve come to realise that these mansions are all somewhat the same, with variety mainly on whether there’s a tower, and in the verandahs, with solid ones … Continue reading Victorian Mansion for sale, Kew →

10 October 2017: #NationalGalleryofVictoria main #courtyard. Original design #RoyGrounds, completed 1968; exterior and courtyard walls clad in Melbourne #bluestone, pretty unusual for the 60s. The #Glassroof and that triangular thing masking the escalators part of complete overhaul in 2003 designed by #MarioBellini. What happened still makes me mad, there’s more floor space, but the woody … Continue reading NGV, so altered →

October 2014: If you look up, there’s lots to see ! Looks rather Islamic, and happens to be an Afghan Restaurant 25 November 2024 Photo of some ghost signs in Brunswick Street in 2016, above @lucrezia_and_de_sade near Alexandra Parade. Can’t read any of it except perhaps laundromat, which would therefore be 1950s ? Did they … Continue reading Brunswick Street shop tops →

14 September 2017 Repost 2017: The old (second) #AMPbuildingmelbourne, Collins corner Market Street, 1931. I can see why it’s described as ‘cubic’, but you have to be at the right angle, a function of being built up to the #132ftheightlimit. Suitably massive for an insurance co, it’s very fine, all Sydney sandstone, stylised classical, with … Continue reading AMP Building, Collins Street →