When the plans say ‘retain heritage building’ but they mean ‘retain two walls and the appearance of a heritage building’. Huge #studenthousing project on #SwanstonStreet, #Carlton, designed by @hayball_arch. The 3D rendering clearly implies it was more or less staying, but I’ve got the plans, and it’s clearly marked ‘retain this bit of wall demolish … Continue reading Facadism No 9 →

Rather fetching, and apparently built in 1944, during the war. Huppert & Co engineering must’ve been an essential industry. Very nice #ArtDecoFactory with a hint of Modernism - that grid of #squarewindows, still with original steel frames. Unfortunate addition on one end, and not sure that the double openings at that end arnt newish, the … Continue reading Deco morphing to Modern in 1944 →

The #FootscrayPsychiatricCentre is a real #Brutalist beauty ! (photos by @johnjovic) - I helped write the nomination to #HeritageVictoria, and today they said yes ! Being a good example of #Brutalism, with all that sculptural #offformconcrete (the big slightly yellow panels are actually#precast) was only one reason, it’s also demonstrative of the #deinstitutionalisation that started … Continue reading Brutalist Footscray Psychiatric Centre heading for the VHR. →

The #OxfordandPeel apartment project by #jacksonclementsburrows, completed 2016, is one of their most respectful of context, namely that Oxford Street is entirely lined with the big Edwardian #redbrick buildings of the #FoyandGibson manufacturing empire, by #WilliamPittArchitect. I might have liked it even better if it was in exactly the same #redbrick, but I guess it … Continue reading Contextual in Collingwood →

25 July 2019 The #FoyAndGibson buildings in #Collingwood occupy a number of whole blocks down hill from #SmithStreetCollingwood, which are more monolithic in my mind than a photo can capture but you get the idea. They had a huge #departmentstore in 3 buildings on Smith Street and basically made everything here ! From wool to … Continue reading Foy & Gibson Collingwood red brick streets →

25 July 2019 A famous bit of #heritagecompromise in #SmithStreetCollingwood (actually the #Fitzroy side). In the 1980s a redevelopment saw the old Ackmans Store (aka 'Monster Furniture Arcade'), which occupied a whole block, completely demolished except for the very front wall, to allow a then very large Safeway’s supermarket, with a rooftop carpark, leaving the … Continue reading The original facadism – Smith Street Safeways. →

Lucky enough to get an invite to the launch of this book #AustraliaModern on Friday, with exhibition at the #melbourneschoolofdesign - an overview of #Modernism in Australia 1925-75 by highlighting 100 places - a project centred in Melbs but Philip and Julie have nobly gone out to ensure the whole country is covered, but of … Continue reading Australia Modern in 100 buildings. →

So cute ! #SmithStreetFitzroy, Edwardian, but heavy leaning toward Arts&Crafts. A Trove newspaper trawl tell me that it was Globe Loans from the 1880s to 1914, then WW1 recruiting, then in 1917 Lucas&Co Furs applied to register a ‘new factory’ here, employing 10 females, it sort of looks a bit industrial, though tiny, so I’d … Continue reading Cute Edwardian on Smith Street →

July 2019 The transformation of the Edwardian #OsloGuestHouse for #theBlock2019 is complete ! I’ve got photos going back to Dec last year when they started. Not bad, but annoyingly in the currently popular black and grey #colourscheme, and the #palmtrees are pathetically lacking in fronds (I suppose they’ll grow) and I reckon they detract a … Continue reading The Block 2019 – 9/10 for the frontage restoration. →

A nice Victorian pub ? No, a pretty bad reproduction from 2007, built after the original 1871 Victoria Hotel in #SouthMelbourne was demolished in 2003 because it became ‘unstable’ while they were reducing it to two facades for the giant development behind. It’s made out of #tiltslab panels, you can see the joins and #weepholes. … Continue reading Historic reproduction fail. →