Repost 2019: What were they thinking ? I mean the architects and I presume VCAT that let this happen. Gotta be the worst example of #facadism in #Melbourne. You can see they kept bits of roof, but to no effect, very small setback on one side, bigger setback on the corner, but the scale of … Continue reading Facadism, possibly the worst … →

19 September 2021 Having just read Judith Buckridge’s history of St Kilda Road ‘Grand Boulevard’, I wanted to see if I could work out what it actually looked like in its hey day, since there’s no postcards or film that show it clearly lined with mansions, which dome people still say they remember. So it … Continue reading St Kilda Road – was it really lined with Mansions? →

21 September 2016: My favourite house built for the #ministryofhousing’s #infillhousingprogram; it’s by #NormanDay, c1983, in #stgeorgesroad #northfitzroy, just where it meets Brunswick Street. Classical references in simple suburban materials - a giant #splitpediment in #redbrick, atop a formal inset square of #creambrick that curves inward for a little #baroque inflection, with vestigial pipe columns … Continue reading Ministry of Housing infill program 1980s →

18 September 2015: #Atlas. Featuring #Australia prominently on his shoulders. Relocated from the top of the 19th century building here at 404 #collinsstreet when it was replaced in the late 50s by a new #atlasinsurance building. Sadly a bit high up to appreciate, and backed by an aircon intake. Moved here (a second time) from … Continue reading Atlas Insurance, Collins Street →

Repost 2017: #ManchesterUnity, #MarcusBarlow, built within 12 months in 1932, symbol of hope in the depths of the #GreatDepression, #firstescalators, #tallesttower (actually not, but certainly best known) etcetera, but #hardtophotograph since it faces partly south, and the #streettrees have grown around it…so which one is best ? 20 December 2017: The rather excellent but somewhat … Continue reading Manchester Unity Building →

Repost 2018: The excellent thoroughly #OTT #hoghvictorian #WustermannBuildings in #BridgeRoadRichmond. I presume c1890. Possibly #JABKoch since he was German as I presume mr Wustermann was, but there’s also German American #WilliamWolf. Update : no it was built c1901, so not by Wolf since hed left by then, but could still be Koch. Further update thanks … Continue reading Elaborate Edwardian in Bridge Road →

Repost 2019: I quite like this one, ‘Meridian’ on the hill of #StKildaRoad at #AlmaRoad, #CHTarchitecture do a lot with a little, BUT it’s another random highrise, popping up all in its own; and it has the the problem with firsts, it’s built with most flats looking out the sides, over low rise, but not … Continue reading Graphic design in St Kilda →

17 September 2021 Landene, one of the remaining #stkildaroadmansions, but you’d have to say more of a big house than a mansion. Made a bit bigger by expanding the right front room downstairs into a sunroom. Built 1897 for McHenry England, tea importer. The heritage study doesn’t mention an architect. Unusual sort of almost Regency … Continue reading Landene, last private house on St Kilda Road →

16 September 2019: Looks like 30s #creambrick #earlymodern flats in #StKilda - but actually it’s 1959 ! #BurnettLodge in Burnett St. Thanks to whoever did the wiki page on #MordechaiBenshrnesh, I can see that most of his projects pick up the ideas of 1920s European avant-guard, very plain rectilinear unadorned, I guess from his training … Continue reading Burnett Lodge, nice garden →

Repost 2018: This is the best time of year to photograph the #MelbourneTownHall, except for the odd glass boxes. Interesting to compare with the 1866 design and 1870 version. Designed by #ReedandBarnes, #JosephReedArchitect. Partly the sketch is a bit vertically exaggerated, but also the site was enlarged a little, so the central bays were built … Continue reading Melbourne Town Hall →