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Original post 23 Feb 2019: CollinsArch is massive, not so much an arch as a lump, not helped by the steppyness, as I said to anyone who would listen, which was nobody. You’ll only see that it actually is an arch from pretty much directly north or south, the rest of the time it’ll be … Continue reading Collins Arch – lumpy, and a public space fail
The Orrong Hotel is one of the more striking Art Deco pubs in Melbourne, with that stepped corner tower. And the Fosters neon sign is original! Always thought maybe 80s Deco-revival, but no it’s 1939. It’s mostly intact, but at some point the bricks and speed lines and ‘hotel’ sign were rendered over, then later … Continue reading Orrong Hotel, High Street Armadale
Love this - a #HighVictorian facade with lots going on. Corinthian pilasters in two pairs, with narrow windows each side with short bits of cornice above, and a serlian window motif in the centre without the cornice, and with different parapet balustrade. It’s also very intact, complete with urns. Almost certainly 188-1891, the peak of … Continue reading High Victorian in Carlisle Street
5 October 2022 Another great image from my collection of screensavers - Collins Street in 1934, all lit up with the illuminations for the Centenary of Victoria. Considering that at the time the only street lights were nice but not very bright lamps on posts, this must have seemed like a blaze ! Though perhaps … Continue reading Centenary of Victoria 1934
7 October 2022 The Premier announced that when they build a new Royal Melbourne Hospital, and a new Womens, in Arden, that the old one would be demolished - but in the middle of an awful lot of additions, the original 1941 building is reasonably intact. It was the biggest most modern hospital in Victoria … Continue reading Royal Melbourne Hospital
3 August 2022 Amazing house in High Street Prahran next to the old Mechanics Institute. I couldn’t find out anything, so @jdflemington came to the rescue! It was built in 1888, designed by Prockter & Ruck (#EdwinRuck), and described as ‘a modern Queen Anne residence’. It was commissioned by Dr Richard Wallace, a leading homeopathic … Continue reading High Victorian in High Street Prahran
Repost from 2016: A bit of American Georgian Revival in a #StKilda side street, off Fitzroy Street - which is one of the few places in #Melbourne where stylish #flats were built above shops - until then usually only the shopkeepers lived above the shop. Probably 1930s. Update : it’s 1932, Joseph Plottel (thanks to … Continue reading The Warwick
Published in Spirit of Progress, Journal for the Art Deco and Modernism Society of Australia, Spring 2016 The T&G Buildings found across Australia and New Zealand are, employing an overused word, literally iconic. The tall square tower, emblazoned with ‘T&G’, topped by that distinctive stepped ziggurat-like capping, creates an easily recognised symbol of the company. … Continue reading All the T&G Buildings
Young & Jackson’s After they’ve finished the metro station entrance behind Young & Jacksons, the planning allows for a 10-12 storey building (up to the 40m height limit) wrapping right around (with a 6m gap next to the Nicholas Building). I’d much prefer we keep this view of old side walls intact, and allow just … Continue reading Development over CBD metro stations – Young & Jackson’s and City Square
So the Hoddle Grid Heritage Review has finally been approved by the Minister and gazetted. That’s 121 buildings, and five little precincts. There’s some places that should have been listed long ago, and there are lots of little cute but sometimes rather altered places, and about 50 postwar high rise, some of which are rather … Continue reading Hoddle Grid Heritage Review complete
If the Nazi's never took power, would Berlin have Europe's tallest skyscraper and East Prussia be a honeymoon destination ?
Storey of Melbourne 