4 May 2023 Quite shocked to see that VCAT has actually said no to something on the basis of a bad heritage outcome - in this case facadism of the 1889 Royal Hotel in Clifton Hill. The developers wanted to keep only the two main walls, and given the lower buildings all round, the token … Continue reading VCAT says facadism not ok ! →

24 April 2023 The grand Eastern Market, 1/2 a city block on the corner of Bourke & Exhibition, was designed by Reed& Barnes, and completed in 1879 - but the few photos of the interior are mainly from its demolition in 1960. They show it had three large arched roofs, with skylights along each side … Continue reading Eastern Market →

6 April 2015 Repost 2015: Old #prahrancourthouse. Great and rather rare example of #roughfaced #sandstone in a city of italianate cement render or bricky gothic, but of course perfect for an image of solid, dour justice. Architect Charles Gilchrist working in the #publicworksdepartment, built 1887. Surprisingly all the fine Gothic stonework and entry to the … Continue reading Old Prahran Courthouse →

5 April 2014: Great untouched #cornershop in #northcarlton on cnr #richardsonstreet and station street. Love the original #rusting #verandah with posts right on the #kerb unlike repros that have to be setback. And original #shopwindows. The #weathereddoor of that #cornershop. Looks like nothings been #painted since ….before ww2 !

5 April 2014: Cant get much more #restored than this. Could have gone beyond the typical #brunswickgreen and #indianred colour scheme though. The #tuckpointing on the #polychromebrick is excellent though. The flat lintel with #voussoirs in brick a bit unusual.

5 April 2017: (#rant warning). The #StateLibraryVictoria looking splendid in the 3pm sun in early April - but not for long ! The #ScapeSwanston #studenthousing now going up diagonally opposite will be casting a shadow exactly where that tree shadow on the left is, up to and over the #portico. Swipe to see it at … Continue reading State Library in the shade →

1 December 2025 The new City Square, better than I was expecting! It’s smaller now, but has planting along both sides, with long benches facing the open area, much more like a small European square. A better feel than a large space only used sometimes for events. As I keep saying, that’s what Fed Sq … Continue reading New City Square /Town Hall station entrance →

Original post 4 April 2015: Great old stuff revealed on #brunswickstreet #shopfront renovation. Original #Bluestone #pilasters and #paintedsign - sadly the lower two thirds of bluestone actually scaped back. Original corner entrance reinstated. Having said all that its prob going to be some hipster joint or clothes shop, certainly not a # newsagent, which actually … Continue reading Revealed details, Brunswick Street →

Original post 3 April 2018: Postmodern reference, but rather literal - this new block of #StKildaFlats has an actual map of #StKilda on it; but not our place, instead it’s the Scottish islands from which the name comes (there is no actual saint, nobody knows how the westernmost #outerhebrides ended up with that name). I … Continue reading Contemporary flats St Kilda. →

Original post 2 April 2019: The former #FaradayStreetStateSchool was built in 1876 and has so many #damntrees in front you can hardly see it! Great #polychromebrick #GothicRevival design by #JosephReedArchitect, one of the many 1872 completion winners for schools when Victoria started free and compulsory education. This was the only one of this design built … Continue reading Faraday Street State School →