Original post 24 April 2020 The second #cinemainterior I’m helping trying to save - this lattice ceiling is now hidden above shop partitions of the BBQ galore next to the Richmond Town Hall- it’s simpler than your average old cinema interior, but has a fascinating history. First built in 1888 as a #SkatingRink, when the … Continue reading Two cinema interiors not protected, Richmond and Collingwood →

22 April 2020 Photos 20 September 2019 Repost 2020: Pretty crazy but there it is in the middle of #BourkeStreet. The 1969 #HoytsCinemaCentre was designed by Sydney based #PeterMullerArchitect; vertical piers on the sides, some leaning-in solid bits too - vs the main leaning out volume, the #upsidedownpagoda (not a pagoda but it does have … Continue reading Hoyts Cinema Centre, Bourke Street, 1969 →

Original post 10 October 2019 Everyone’s favourite giant TV screen hovering over a carpark ❤️❤️ except #MatthewGuy who called it an eyesore - #TotalHouse, designed by #BogleBanfield, finished 1966. Hanging on but god knows what’ll happen - it was bought to become a 70 storey tower, then we got it added to the #heritageregister in … Continue reading Total House, Russell Street, 1962 →

Original post 22 April 2020 Another architectural disaster from #BridgeRoadRichmond ...... I was going to say that the Epworth demolished the left half of this, but no, seems it was always like this; and it was built in 1941 for Grynberg Drapers. With two flats upstate each accessed from inside each of the two shops. … Continue reading Art Deco in Bridge Road, Richmond →

Original post March 2018 : The #PatonBuilding, 1905, architect #NahumBarnet. One of the wonderful #TallArchedRedBrickRomanesque, a style peculiar to Melbourne, combining American #RomanesqueRevival (the tall arches, maybe from #LouisSullivan), #QueenAnne, and sometimes #ArtNouveau details. The panels between the windows are tulips ? pomegranates? but a bit like octopuses too. The red brick here is actually … Continue reading Paton Building, Elizabeth Street, 1905. →

Original post 20 April 2020 Photos 12 September 2019 It’s easy to overlook (in a way) but the former SEC building in #FlindersStreet is actually one of the earliest fully fledged #ArtDeco buildings in the city. Completed in mid 1932, in date it’s just after Coles in Bourke Street (1930, the oldest remaining), but just … Continue reading SEC building, Flinders Street, 1932. →

Original post 18 April 2020 Another case of an amazing thing lost, but in this case it’s just the facade, and it’s been replaced twice. At what is now called #333Collins, the current facade was created in 1990, replacing an art deco facade created in 1939, which had in turn replaced the original one, built … Continue reading CBA bank Collins Street – 1893, 1939, 1990. →

Original post 1 August 2014 Surprisingly a very early house survives in the CBD, the John Smith house in Queen Street, a rare Colonial Georgian style house. First built as two storeys, started in 1849, designed by #CharlesLaing, but not finished till 1852, because all the workers rushed off to find gold. Smith was a publican … Continue reading John T Smith House, Queen Street →

17 April 2020 Okay it could have been worse but it could have been better; hard to meld a giant new thing with a little old single storey factory though - but I think probably better without the extra box at the front, if the front of the factory was retained completely including the roof. … Continue reading Facadism on Bridge Road Richmond →

Original post 16 April 2020 A nice #ArtDecoFactory in #BerkeleyStreet, #SouthCarlton. It was built for #REPCO in 1938, and the architect was FA Bell. This area was by the 30s a bit of a car area, with Melford Motors and various suppliers; this was REPCO’s warehouse for their spare parts business. It looks a bit … Continue reading REPCO, South Carlton and Richmond, 1938 →