October 2021 Rather amazing house in Hawthorn for sale thought I’d share - the real estate agents say it was built 1876, but been abandoned ‘a good 10 years’ - clearly after they started renovating. It’s in Yarra Grove, in that funny area between Hawthorn Station and Leonda that’s only got a couple of ways … Continue reading Abandoned house in Hawthorn →

3 October 2014: Early 1880s #terracehouses barry street #southcarlton, or at least the front sections. In the late 90s #melbourneuniversity was moving into south carlton and was going to #demolish all the terraces - a furore ensued and in the end two houses were dem, the rest retained to two room depth (#frontportionism ?) And … Continue reading Barry Street Carlton →

4 October 2017: A pair of terraces at 86-88 #CollinsStreet in the #ParisEnd. Built in 1872, designed by #JamesGall, some of the grand houses in the area, the ‘Harley Street of Melbourne’, often occupied by well to do doctors in the 19thC, with surgeries at ground level. A third terrace was demolished in the early … Continue reading Grand terraces, Collins Street →

Repost 2018: The rather nice #ToorakBowlsClub, a timber vernacular structure, first part dating from 1914 - might be the symmetrical gabled bit on the left - with the other part featuring #neoclassical columns and multi pane windows, maybe it’s #capecodstyle ? apparently dating from the 1950s. Can’t find anything much on Trove, but @stonningtonlibraries has … Continue reading Toorak Bowls Club →

3 October 2019: Rather plain, but important as one of the few places built before WW2 designed by a female architect - a #blockofflats in George St #EastMelbourne, built 1933, designed by Edith Ingpen, the first woman to graduate from the Uni Melb course, and I think the only sole #femalearchitect working in Victoria in … Continue reading Edith Ingpen, early female architect →

Repost 2018: The not amazing but not nothing #QueensBridgeHotel, 1927, #PeckandKempter, a nice #strippedclassical design, rather prefiguring Art Deco, and probably not long for this world. [2021 update: after a battle at Panel this did in fact get #heritagelisted late 2020]. Pretty sure way back in the 80s it was #heritagelisted, but it dropped out … Continue reading Queensbridge Hotel, listed →

Repost 2019: A #roofscape created by the #132ftheightlimit, imposed in 1916, and only ‘uninhabited towers’ allowed above, eg the #ManchesterUnity spire in the distance. So glad it was reimposed in 1982! As 40m. And that not much went over it in the 50s-70s when it wasn’t there. Lucky city. View from the Myer Menswear 4th … Continue reading City roofs →

Repost 2017: A great oversized baroque #brokenpediment on a little Brunswick #terracehouse. Thanks to @lunchboxarchitect for letting me add to my #melbterraceparapet collection. 2021 update : it’s Roser Street, and it’s next to hut separated from a set of four with matching parapets- possibly one between was demolished ?

Repost 2019: So while #RobinBoyd was doing crazy experiments with thin steel, timber trusses, shell concrete etc in the early 1950s he also did this ! Modern Georgian. Built in 1953 for the Bretts, in #Toorak of course, on a tiny little street almost on the river called Buddle Drive. It had chain balustrades originally, … Continue reading Boyd going Georgian, 1953 →

Repost 2019: Surprised to see a big old #Victorianpub behind the South Melbourne Market amongst 60s /70s industrial rubbish - The Albion, built in 1888 with #QueenAnnestyle detailing (and an Art Deco parapet), designed by Powell & Witaker. Turns out this is the famous pub that burnt down in an arson attack in 2015 - … Continue reading Albion Hotel South Melbourne →