Not much to look at but radical in its day, a cantilevered stair inside a mini #glasscurtainwall, built in 1936 for #Pilkingtons glass factory on #MelbourneRoad in #Geelong, designed by local firm #LairdandBuchan; the stair is very #modernist compared to the great long #streamlinedmodern front in white pained brick, with curved insets doorways, a bit … Continue reading A bit Modern: Pilkingtons Glass Factory Geelong, 1936
Beaut #ArtDeco #wroughtirongate on the #RoyalMelbourneRegimentDrillHall in Victoria Street near the Queen Vic Market. Built 1937, and designed by #GeorgeHallendal, who was the architect for work in Victoria built by the Commonwealth at the time. There’s a few other great #drillhall’s he designed, love the one in Mildura especially.
November 2018 The grand 1923 frontage of the #FederalMills in Geelong which I’d read about finally made the effort - what is now a series of flexible office spaces started out as WW1 mills built by the Federal Government to make cloth out of wool for uniforms, sold in 1923 when this bit added, which … Continue reading Building as Billboard : Federal Woolen Mills, Geelong, 1923
4 November 2018 Love the animals up here on the facade of the #QueenVictoriaMarket #MeatHall, some sheep and cows, live versions of the meat inside ! I'm told they were sculpted by #JohnSimpsonMcKennal, father of more famous #BertramMacKennal. I remember when they were painted up from the whole thing being whitish in the 90s (I … Continue reading Queen Victoria Market Meat Hall, 1884, William Salway; sculpted freeze John Simpson MacKennal.
Quite a #streamlined landmark - the celebrated #FreemasonsHospital in #EastMelbourne is a result of the front corner being a matching 1958 extension to the original 1937 #hospital designed by #StephensonandMeldrum. They were famous for introducing white stark european #modernism to #Melbourne starting with the 1934 #mercyhospital just round the corner. The extension makes it striking, … Continue reading You want streamlined ? Freemasons Hospital, East Melbourne, 1937 + 1958.
This is the best #backofatownhall ever ! Mainly because the then Emerald Hill Council leased an entire block that had been an orphan asylum on the eponymous hill, and put the hall in the middle, with axial streets front and back - most other town halls had to settle for corners or even mid blocks. … Continue reading Municipal Grandeur: South Melbourne Town Hall, Charles Webb, 1879.
Looks like staff orientation for the #EsplanadeHotel - they’re going to need them with 4 floors of bars and restaurants and live music too ! There’s nice classical features around the door which I don’t remember, they’ve even kept the cracked I suppose 60s terrazzo stairs, and the new glass roof over the front bar … Continue reading Ready to Rick’n’Roll: renovations at the Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda, 1878.
The lesser seen but still impressive east face of #RipponLeaEstate, showing off that so-called #LombardicRomanesque #polychromebrick that #JosephReedArchitect introduced in the late 1860s, when the first stage of Frederick Sargood’s house was built. I guess this house is unique for amongst so many other features for having three impressive fronts - even the back is … Continue reading Rippon Lea historic house and garden, Elsternwick.
Fisherman’s Pier restaurant, a most unexpected thing on the Geelong waterfront, a fabbo combo of #FrankLloydWright influence and fun #clamshell reference; designed by #ErminSmrekar, one of those European #emigrearchitect who designed way outside the mainstream of #MelbourneArchitecture. Ermin was from Trieste, and arrived in the 50s having studied architecture there, and brought the wild experimentation … Continue reading Really out there : Fishermans Pier Restaurant Geelong, Ermin Smrekar, 1971
12 November 2018 Very upsetting but I thought I should go. For those not from #Melbourne, the flowers are a tribute to Sisto Malaspina, co-owner of #Pellegrinis, who was killed by a wannabe terrorist/man with a #mentalillness, probably both, just 2 blocks away. Shocking when something like that happens to someone you know. Used to … Continue reading Pellegrini’s, Bourke Street – death of Sisto Malespina
If the Nazi's never took power, would Berlin have Europe's tallest skyscraper and East Prussia be a honeymoon destination ?
Storey of Melbourne 