7 February 2025 The 1989 St Kilda Police Station at the bottom of Chapel Street is not a likeable building, but it’s notable that it was heritage listed only about 10 years later ! In fact it was identified for listing in a 1992 St Kilda study, which unusually had a brief to look at … Continue reading St Kilda Police Pomo →

4 February 2025 Sheer frameless mirror glass was all the rage in the 80s, and this one on the corner of St Kilda Road where Toorak Road becomes Kingsway is the shiniest and sheerest of them all. Reflects its surroundings so much maybe you havnt even noticed it. Derided at the time, Im now a … Continue reading Who’s the most mirrored of them all ? →

4 February 2025 A few modernist houses in the Yarra Boulevard heritage precinct that I snapped in 2016 on the theme of ‘elevated above the carport’. It was a bit of a fight to get the precinct up, with some owners opposed, others all in favour, and very glad it happened in 2014. The precinct, … Continue reading Kew Modern, Studley Precinct →

2 February 2025 The RMIT Green Brain that I photographed in 2013; I quite like it, sort of like a huge sculpture that sits on top of the building, though normally I’d say no additions or keep them low and simple. Could do without the green cloud verandah though. It was designed by @armarchitecture, completed … Continue reading Brain fart →

1 February 2025 Rather fabulous townhouses in Brighton Road Balaclava, corner of Albion Street, where all wall surfaces including the chimneys are made up of crazy-paved brick/blockwork, in a range of sizes and colours, including bricks with impressed patterns. And that’s on top of also going all Art Deco, with nearly every corner delightfully curved, … Continue reading Crazy Deco brickwork →

1 February 2025 Im posting this block of flats at the bay end of Robe Street St Kilda not because of its architectural qualities, though it is a very nice combo of Arts & Crafts and Spanish, but because of a memory it evokes - waaay bank in the mid 80s when I was a … Continue reading Grand scale flats, St Kilda →

1 February 2025 A rather unusual but fun parapet detail on 6-8 Fawkner Street St Kilda, which I’m told dates from 1901 and was designed by Sydney Smith & Ogg - but they often used the famous Arts & Crafts designer and teacher Robert Haddon, who sold designs to other architects. The very Art Nouveau … Continue reading Art Nouveau in St Kilda →

1 February 2025 I was a bit sorry to see this old monument just toppled to the ground; it happened overnight the day before Australia Day, no doubt because it was a monument to one of our ‘founders’ John Batman. I always thought he was a rather sad figure, claiming to have bought the site … Continue reading Batman over →

28 January 2025 Cute but careworn Deco thing at the bottom of Chapel Street near Carlisle. Unusual in that it looks like it was built as an office with a flat or flats above and behind. It also sticks out because there’s a big carpark next door. The office is a lawyers with an old … Continue reading Cute Deco in Balaclava →

28 January 2021 The Agriculture Department once stood in #StAndrewsPlace #EastMelbourne. Built in 1948-51, it was designed by my fave #PercyEverett, Public Works Chief Architect, in his signature dynamic modern form, in this case stepped to suit the angled site with opposing horizontals and verticals - very retro for the date but very stylish ! … Continue reading Lost late Moderne →