Repost this day 2018: The fine #ElsternwickPostOffice, built in 1891 in the then new #QueenAnne style; the Victorian #PublicWorksDepartment under #JHMarsden from 1890 went all experimental, abandoning the clearly Gothic or Italianate for Romanesque, Queen Anne, Flemish, Scottish Baronial or an eclectic mix- this one clearly QueenAnne/Flemish. Originally it had cute verandahs each side, clearly … Continue reading Elsternwick Post Office 1891 →

20 August 2021 A short survey of what was lost for the #melbournecitysquare - and before sounding off at @cityofmelbourne, note that the wonderful Victoria Buildings and #QueensWalkArcade on the corner were bought, and demolished by a developer in 1966, and it was only then Council decided to buy it and put the much talked … Continue reading What was there before the City Square ? →

20 August 2018: The former #ElsternwickFireStation, built 1896, one of 32 new fire stations built between 1892 and 1896 by the newly formed Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Before that it was volunteer brigades or competing insurance brigades (they’d ignore you if you weren’t covered). Great #RomanesqueRevival or is it #QueenAnne with a #Moorish #horseshoearch, let’s … Continue reading Elsternwick Fire Station, 1896 →

The fabulous Pasadena Mansions, built c1918, ‘on the corner of St Kilda Road and Commercial Road’- but as far as I can work it out, actually located along the block next to Fawkner Park. Think it later got an extension on the corner, possibly called Coronado. In the 50s it got converted horribly into offices, … Continue reading Lost St Kilda Road →

19 August 2018, updated 2025: At RMIT, buildings 5, 7 and 9 all join up into one continuous #StreamlineModerne building along the east side of Bowen Street. As designed by the great, prolific Percy Everett of the Victorian #PublicWorksDepartment, but built in five very spaced stages. The southern part of Building 9 and Building 5 … Continue reading RMIT streamlining →

Repost this day 2019 (2021-the new thing is nearly finished but no photos yet) : I’m not going to miss this one, even though it’s the first architecture job I ever had ! In 1987. A firm from Brisbane called Bell Puddy, mostly did little shopping centres, my first job was a presentation drawing for … Continue reading St Moritz to Luxury Flats →

Rather good #TudorRevival flats at the St Kilda end of #StKildaRoad; designed by #MarshAndMichaelson (better known for deco things), built 1936 as rather spacious flats, I guess befitting a road that was still mainly mansions and gardens (but plenty were guest houses by then, and plenty of flats too). The Port Phillip heritage citation says … Continue reading Grand Tudor flats in St Kilda Road →

Repost Aug 2017 + Sept 2018 : The former #BankofAustralasiaCollinsStreet was built in 1876 as a two storey edifice, designed by #ReedandBarnes ( #JosephReedArchitect) in #RenaissanceRevival “of plain but vigorous character”; then in 1928-9 #AandKHenderson added three floors, one exactly matching (though windows changed to square), one attic and one setback, and rebuilt the interior … Continue reading Grand Collins Street Bank →

Repost 2018: A #DecoDelight, Dickens Street Elwood. So many Deco flats, but this one a stand out - #heritagecolours (love the greeny green of the window frames), rounded balconies, with the one closest to Brighton Road overlapping the side lane. #WHMerritt, 1936, a makeover of an earlier building - perhaps that explains the little study/box … Continue reading Deco in Dickens Street Elwood →

18 July 2018, updated 2024: #RussellStreetPostOffice, designed 1946, by the Commonwealth Dep of Works, built 1948-1954, many delays and costing twice the estimated £1/2mill - rather retro looking by then, almost preWW2 #modernist, but I like it very much. It housed a big telephone exchange on 1st-3rd floors, and a cafeteria on the top. There … Continue reading Late 40s Modernism in Russell Street →