Repost this day 2019: Must say I never really noticed the #RegentTheatreMelbourne growing up even though I spent a bit of time in the city - prob because it was closed and abandoned in the 70s; the basement #PlazaBallroom was added to the #CitySquare when it opened in 1980, but all that was left was … Continue reading Regent Theatre →

Repost 2017: Mandeville Hall, Toorak, originally Athelstan, important for the double #bowfront section of very big rooms, designed by #CharlesWebb, added in 1876 to the front of an earlier house. But it’s most important for the lavish and original interior decoration from the same date, by London firm #GillowAndCo, in rich late Victorian colours and … Continue reading Mandeville Hall, Charles Webb and Gillow & Co. →

An interesting block on Toorak Road West in South Yarra- built 1938, designed by one of my fave architects, #IGAnderson, but not quite his signature bold folded or curved volumes, a bit more domestic, and more typical Art Deco, but still plenty of curves and horizontals and verticals in feature brick- with a massive chimney, … Continue reading I G Anderson in South Yarra →

Repost 2015: Surprised to find that the area east of glenhuntly station is almost entirely 50s -70s #villaunits , the sort with a central drive, and some flats. Either not actually subdivided until then, or lots of earlier timber cottages replaced. I noticed a lots of indian inhabitants.

30 July 2018: Extraordinary glamorous 1988 house by #HolgarandHolgar at 57 #StGeorgesRoadToorak. Classical but reinterpreted through 70s curvy and diagonal transformations. The rounded curved corners of the front are rather Gaudi but the white and gold inside is a bit gaudy. Wrapped around a tennis court with an indoor pool in the rear wing and … Continue reading Holgar mansion in Toorak →

Repost this day 2018: #XavierChapel, #SchreiberandJorgenson, designed by #OleJorgensen 1925, built 1927-34. Seen this from Bakers Road since I was a kid, finally got in, thanks #MelbourneOpenHouse. This is essentially a large Baroque style church, with the 3 domes, but simplified, with a Neoclassical Ionic portico, rather huge for a school chapel. Apparently it’s had … Continue reading Xavier Chapel, Kew →

29 July 2019: Truly spectacular- #TayCreggan in #Hawthorn was open today for the first time (I think) for #openhousemelbourne2019. Designed by #GuyonPurchas (son of #AlfredPurchas) as his own house in 1891-2 but the depression hit and he had to sell it, possibly unfinished. But he came back to do alterations for the new owners in … Continue reading Tay Creggan, Hawthorn →

July 2026 Sacred Heart, Grey Street St Kilda, 3 mins walk from my flat, is famous for its free lunches and op shop, but has a great and interesting church too! Love the bold brown brick and classical bits, and a huge bell tower looming from down the back. Its kind of squeezed into its … Continue reading Sacred Heart St Kilda →

28 July 2018: The #EsplanadeVaults: Having known there were ex-shops under the #UpperEsplanade for like 30 years, finally seen them, thanks #OpenHouseMelbourne. Built 1891 when the Esplanade was rebuilt to carry #cabletrams, these 10 shops did fine until increasing traffic on the #LowerEsplanade led to removing the verandahs in the 50s and finally bricking them … Continue reading Esplanade Vaults →

July 2021 Nice block of #ArtDecoflats in Park Street South Yarra, built 1936. Can’t find the architect, but then it’s nice rather than really interesting- great wrought iron front gate-door, though probably not original. Seems like single owner until 2014, when sold for $4.4m, though as a set of six titles. Only rented since then. … Continue reading Deco flats Park Street South Yarra →