11 September 2014/2025: Swinburne Technical School Chemistry Building, Burwood Road Hawthorn, 1946 - another #modernist / #artdeco creation by #percyeverett of the #publicworksdepartment. I like the stepped effect, including the #steelframedwindows, Percy always liked to make an impact even on small projects. Missing a giant flagpole, which I now realise was tapered up from the … Continue reading Swinburne Chemistry, 1946 →

10 September 2019, updated 27 December 2024: The speccy Del Marie in #StLeonardsAve #StKilda, one of best Art Deco blocks around, partly because it’s so 3D, and sticks up, with that little tower marking the stairs down the side. A bit hidden by a majestic palm, and a lush garden. Built 1937, designed by #StuartHall, … Continue reading Del Marie, St Kilda →

9 September 2013: 'Palmer Hous'. Nice #midcenturymodern #lobby not amazing but one of few we got in #melbourne. In fact now I think of it practically the only mid century lobby left. Nice #terrazzo and green #marble outside white inside. To be #demolished, since only C graded. 2021: 8 years later the too- squeezed-in new … Continue reading Lost Modern in Collins Street →

Repost 2018: Naliandrah, Glendye Court, Toorak, one the many fabbo houses by Polish -born husband and wife team #HolgarandHolgar, this one from 1967, for Alan and Ada Selwyn, and perhaps their first big lush Toorak house. This one could be a contemporary design, with a patterned screen and a pointy curved wing to one side … Continue reading 2 Holgars in Toorak, in the same street. →

The Prahran Arcade is being restored. Or at least the facade - some very rusted iron being replaced, and ancient peeling paint removed, and then a skim coat on all that delicate detailing. Overseen by @rbaarchitects, works by @aboderestoration. Here’s what I said in 2016 - The #prahranarcade possibly one of the most extraordinarily mad … Continue reading Prahran Arcade restoration →

Repost 2019: Rainy Sunday so off to the #MelbourneJewishMuseum ! The Kadimah Hall in #LygonStreet was built in 1933 as a secular community hall, and had its own Yiddish theatre troupe (!) - the community moved south side in the postwar period, and since 1969 its belonged to another (rather smaller!) migrant community; Loved this … Continue reading Jewish Museum visit →

Repost 2016: Pathetic attempt at historic reconstruction at the Imperial Hotel on Bourke Street. The window details on the right were added recently, having been knocked off the the 70s, and were originally exactly like ones on the left, on the shop row that was part of the original 1864 building. I've been waiting like … Continue reading Imperial Hotel ‘restoration’ →

7 September 2017: #HorsfallChapel at #TrinityCollegeMelbourne, a great, possibly the best, and very early #ArtsandCraftsstyle Gothic church in Victoria. Designed principally by Alexander North of #NorthandWilliams, built 1912-1917. Love the simplified Gothic, slightly tapered solid forms in brick, with the main window occupying much of the facade. The junior partner #LouisWilliams went on to design … Continue reading Trinity College →

Repost 2018: Great set of #polychromebrick #MelbourneTerraces in #PeelStreetCollingwood. The pair of #shophouses have odd huge brackets, a wild huge pediment thing and what look like chimneys but arnt. Peel street has a number of ex-shops scattered down its length, perhaps once was it was almost an extension of Smith Street shopping, but possibly they … Continue reading Terraces, Peel Street Collingwood →

Repost 2017: The original #cloister at #MelbourneUniversity. In the middle of a huge site, it started off as three wings, built 1853-57, designed by #FMWhite (who was still around in 1888 designing huge city office blocks). Always lovely to walk through, love the brick #vaulting. But did you know the wonderful bit of #cloister at … Continue reading Old Quad Melbourne University →