I knew the #acousticshed over the #melbournecitysquare site for the #melbournemetro town hall station was going to be big, but seeing it is another thing. It’s 20m high, 30m wide and 90m long. And it’s going to be there for about 5 years. Ps I think no need to build a new city square I … Continue reading Great big shed in Swanston Street →

#LowtherHall in #Essendon was in #openhousemelbourne but I missed it ! Closed at 2. But you can see from the street, and I found lots of historic photos. Became Anglican #GirlsSchool named after the then Archbishop in 1919, bought from #EWCole, of #ColesBookArcade, he bought it when he was in his 80s, that’s him in … Continue reading Gone with the Wind Mansion in Essendon →

When the plans say ‘retain heritage building’ but they mean ‘retain two walls and the appearance of a heritage building’. Huge #studenthousing project on #SwanstonStreet, #Carlton, designed by @hayball_arch. The 3D rendering clearly implies it was more or less staying, but I’ve got the plans, and it’s clearly marked ‘retain this bit of wall demolish … Continue reading Facadism No 9 →

Rather fetching, and apparently built in 1944, during the war. Huppert & Co engineering must’ve been an essential industry. Very nice #ArtDecoFactory with a hint of Modernism - that grid of #squarewindows, still with original steel frames. Unfortunate addition on one end, and not sure that the double openings at that end arnt newish, the … Continue reading Deco morphing to Modern in 1944 →

The #FootscrayPsychiatricCentre is a real #Brutalist beauty ! (photos by @johnjovic) - I helped write the nomination to #HeritageVictoria, and today they said yes ! Being a good example of #Brutalism, with all that sculptural #offformconcrete (the big slightly yellow panels are actually#precast) was only one reason, it’s also demonstrative of the #deinstitutionalisation that started … Continue reading Brutalist Footscray Psychiatric Centre heading for the VHR. →

The #OxfordandPeel apartment project by #jacksonclementsburrows, completed 2016, is one of their most respectful of context, namely that Oxford Street is entirely lined with the big Edwardian #redbrick buildings of the #FoyandGibson manufacturing empire, by #WilliamPittArchitect. I might have liked it even better if it was in exactly the same #redbrick, but I guess it … Continue reading Contextual in Collingwood →

25 July 2019 The #FoyAndGibson buildings in #Collingwood occupy a number of whole blocks down hill from #SmithStreetCollingwood, which are more monolithic in my mind than a photo can capture but you get the idea. They had a huge #departmentstore in 3 buildings on Smith Street and basically made everything here ! From wool to … Continue reading Foy & Gibson Collingwood red brick streets →

25 July 2019 A famous bit of #heritagecompromise in #SmithStreetCollingwood (actually the #Fitzroy side). In the 1980s a redevelopment saw the old Ackmans Store (aka 'Monster Furniture Arcade'), which occupied a whole block, completely demolished except for the very front wall, to allow a then very large Safeway’s supermarket, with a rooftop carpark, leaving the … Continue reading The original facadism – Smith Street Safeways. →

Lucky enough to get an invite to the launch of this book #AustraliaModern on Friday, with exhibition at the #melbourneschoolofdesign - an overview of #Modernism in Australia 1925-75 by highlighting 100 places - a project centred in Melbs but Philip and Julie have nobly gone out to ensure the whole country is covered, but of … Continue reading Australia Modern in 100 buildings. →

So cute ! #SmithStreetFitzroy, Edwardian, but heavy leaning toward Arts&Crafts. A Trove newspaper trawl tell me that it was Globe Loans from the 1880s to 1914, then WW1 recruiting, then in 1917 Lucas&Co Furs applied to register a ‘new factory’ here, employing 10 females, it sort of looks a bit industrial, though tiny, so I’d … Continue reading Cute Edwardian on Smith Street →