Honestly why bother ? What planner agreed to this ? Not only a terrible example of #facadism, keeping only literally the front wall, but they’ve put a few more holes in it too. So barely represents what it was, a plain industrial building, which maybe wasn’t worth being #heritagelisted in the first place. Maybe it … Continue reading Facadism, literally →

26 January 2020 This slightly crappy back end of St Vincents Hospital Melbourne is actually the most historic part, and one of the first ‘modern’ hospital blocks in Vic that’s still around, with generous balconies for patients to sit on, away from the germs that everyone had finally accepted were real. Built in 1905, designed … Continue reading St Vincent’s Hospital – the grand Edwardian front we missed out on. →

25 January 2020 The Healy Wing of St Vincents Hospital Melbourne is rather special, love the way the bricks grade up in colour from dark to light (only one other bldg in a Melb I know of does that), and the top levels step back, giving a bit of a NY skyscraper silhouette, though the … Continue reading St Vincent’s Hospital Healy Wing, almost Art Deco. →

The #HealyWing of #StVincentsHospitalMelbourne has all these great mosaic floors ! The tiles leading to the chapel are #hexagonaltiles and I guess the salve is the Latin for both hello and good health, but it might be literally a salve ? The chapel is in the earlier 1905 wing hence the Victorian looking doors with … Continue reading Looking down at St Vincent’s Hospital. →

13 November 2019 #deservetopreserve ? The #ReserveBankofAustralia Melbourne branch building was built in 1962-65 (as far as I can tell), and was designed by the Commonwealth Department of Works (with #ProfessorBrianLewis of Melb Uni archi school helping). It had an ‘arcade’ around the base, now filled in, and huge #SidneyNolan mural in the foyer, moved … Continue reading Reserve Bank tower Collins Street, replaced ? →

From the archives - the #SaracensHeadHotel on #BourkeStreet Up from Elizabeth was created 1875 by adding a floor to the 1847 original. Basically a typical Italianate form, but the arches are (just) keyhole arches, there’s a couple of crescent motif finials, and a pair of #oniondome ones, and an actual Saracen's head. The first photo … Continue reading Saracens Head Hotel, Bourke Street, minus the actual head. →

January 2020 The #castironlamps on #PrincesBridge were installed a long time after the bridge was opened in 1888- in May 1926, when they made the news ! They trialled a variety of globes, featured in another article from 1925, when they installed the first single cast iron lamps on St Kilda Road. The article doesn't … Continue reading Cast iron street lamps Princes Bridge. →

First posted instagram January 24, 2020  This about as good as it gets ! The existing building is rather plain for 1891 when it was built as the HQ and workshop for ubiquitous #stainedglass manufacturers #FergusonAndUrie (though they soon lost most of their business with the 1890s crash and sold it in 1899). Its pretty … Continue reading This is good, actually; a tower without facadism →

First posted instagram January 23, 2020  For anyone not from Melbs, this is northern Victoria topsoil /desert dust come loose due to the drought, blown by the storms the last few days, then dumped by yesterday’s downpour. I read it on the news then was surprised walking down the street it was literally everywhere ! … Continue reading Mallee dust lands in Melbs →

‘Sunset Beach Tower’, #BeaconsfieldParade, #StKilda, 1969. Not my favourite beachfront #highrise, a bit severe, but interesting patterned panels, but no #sunshading or balconies at all, must get hot ! But great views. Also needs a paint, or possibly take the paint off. Odd angled struts at the top. It’s another #SolSapir, quite different to his … Continue reading Another Sol Sapir, but not like the others. →