Fisherman’s Pier restaurant, a most unexpected thing on the Geelong waterfront, a fabbo combo of #FrankLloydWright influence and fun #clamshell reference; designed by #ErminSmrekar, one of those European #emigrearchitect who designed way outside the mainstream of #MelbourneArchitecture. Ermin was from Trieste, and arrived in the 50s having studied architecture there, and brought the wild experimentation … Continue reading Really out there : Fishermans Pier Restaurant Geelong, Ermin Smrekar, 1971 →

12 November 2018 Very upsetting but I thought I should go. For those not from #Melbourne, the flowers are a tribute to Sisto Malaspina, co-owner of #Pellegrinis, who was killed by a wannabe terrorist/man with a #mentalillness, probably both, just 2 blocks away. Shocking when something like that happens to someone you know. Used to … Continue reading Pellegrini’s, Bourke Street – death of Sisto Malespina →

#RMITDesignHub, #SeanGodsell, 2012; popular with photographers for its #enigmaticminimalism, but you gotta somehow cut out the traffic, and ignore the towers built around in the 6 years since. (Funfacts : the discs were meant to be solar cells, odd idea given only some rotate, sideways, and something was built terribly wrong cos they all had … Continue reading RMIT Design Hub, Sean Godsell, 2012 →

The delightful and interesting #Southwold at 57 #AclandStreetStKilda; built in 1915 as a #maisonette, one independent flat above another, with the two entry doors side by side in the inset porch, a type popular in the UK at the time. (The pair of conventional Edwardian houses next door were built at the same time). There’s … Continue reading Southwold, Acland Street, St Kilda, 1915 maisonettes. →

A very curious house at 168 #ChurchStreetBrighton which I thought might have been the one made out of the gatehouse of the mad 1890s mansion Norwood that once stood on the Brighton foreshore, but no that’s a different one. This does have very #QueenAnne #stainedglasswindows, very square patterns, and also the stairs look QueenAnne, but … Continue reading Goombah, Church Street, Brighton, 1891; Phillip Treeby. →

Original post 4 April 2020 Boncap, 1935, L Garrard Cahn – a rather severe bit of #ArtDeco in #FitzroyStreetStKilda. One of the few blocks of flats in Melb built on a shopping strip with shops below - the others are mainly also here or in Acland Street. Great lines, though the balconies rather limit views … Continue reading Boncap, Fitzroy Street St Kilda, 1935 →

Victoria House, 220 #ClarendonStreetEastMelbourne, built 1914. The first flats built in Melbourne, just before during and after WW1, were often in this severe #redbrick form, rather than Edwardian or Arts & Crafts style, don’t ask me why! This one was designed by #PhillipHudson, best known for later joining with Janes Wardrop and winning the 1924 … Continue reading Early flats : Victoria House and Clarendon, East Melbourne →

This rather nice c1910 #ArtsandCrafts clock with #Australiana motifs in the #NationalGalleryofVictoria has a direct #FlindersStreetStation connection - it was designed by #JamesFawcett who designed that famous landmark ! (Along with HPC Ashworth). Fawcett was a champion of the Arts & Crafts and designed all the #ArtNouveau stained glass and pressed metal ceilings inside. Not … Continue reading James Fawcett, Flinders Street Station architect. →

Francis House, #CollinsStreet, up near 101 Collins, always a fave, I guess cos it looks so cute squeezed between the other buildings. Slightly better photo than sept last year, when I said : #FrancisHouse, by #BlackettandForster, 1927, famous for winning the first architecture award in Victoria, the #StreetArchitectureMedal, in 1929 (which, as it sounds, was … Continue reading Francis House, Collins Street →