Freemasons Hospital, East Melbourne

I love the Miami feel of this photo but it is actually the stairs at the side of the Freemasons Hospital in East Melbourne. The hospital was designed by Stephenson & Meldrum and built by J R & E Seccull in 1936-37 for the United Grand Lodge of Victoria.

References:
Freemasons Hospital, On My Doorstep website

Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture

Today I popped into a bookshop and had a flick through the extremely large Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture , edited by Philip Goad & Julie Willis. The entry I was particularly looking for was on Stuart Calder, the architect who designed the grandstand (left) at Glenferrie Oval in Hawthorn. In fact, the Calder entry includes one of my photos of the grandstand which is a big thrill because there are not that many photos in the book.

OMG! A Draw

The AFL Grand Final yesterday finished in a draw so the adventure continues for another week.

For the people in this house in Elwood another week of tension and excitment.

It was the wierdest feeling at the 'G' yesterday as 100,000 people stood stunned then chatting among themsleves as the players regrouped on the ground. The minute's silence when required on ANZAC day and the like is amazing when a big crowd is standing silently in respect but that noise after the draw will live with me forever.

All being well I will be back there next Saturday afternoon still dreaming that the Saints can win it.

GO SAINTERS!!!

Go Saints, 2010 AFL Grand Final

St Kilda have won their way into successive Grand Finals for only the second time in their 137 year history. In 1965 we finished top of the ladder and lost the Grand Final before winning the premiership, our only premiership, in 1966 beating Collingwood by 1 point.

In 2009 we finished top and lost the Grand Final and today we play Collingwood for premiership glory. I will be among the 100,000 plus people at the 'G' today and I can only dream of what it will feel like if we are in front when the final siren sounds.

Last year I posted photos of 20th C buildings decorated in St Kilda colours so I've done the same this year, including some old favourites and some new ones.

Raising the St Kilda flag at the Prince of Wales in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Streamline flat in Fitzroy Street

Saints fans posing for a picture outside a red, white and black shop in Fitzroy Street.

Marli Place, Upper Esplanade

St Kilda flags on Vineyard Restaurant, Acland Street. I wonder if they decorated the lamppost as well.

A Saints flag on the corner of the Vineyard Restaurant in Acland Street, St Kilda.

A St Kilda guernsey in a ground floor flat in St Kilda.

90s 'crusader' style St Kilda guernsey.

Very loyal Sainters in Ballantrae.

Flats in Middle Park

Old VFL St Kilda guernsey in the window of a flat in Middle Park.

St Kilda flag flying over the St Kilda Sea Baths.

GO SAINTERS!

Garden Avenue, East Melbourne

This is one of the blocks of flats in the Art Deco enclave of Garden Avenue in East Melbourne.

Lonsdale House Demolition Commences

Colonial First State Management Company and Myer have started their demolition of Lonsdale House this morning. Katya has posted a photo on her Bosco Parrasio blog.

There is a community protest planned for 6pm tonight at Lonsdale House to voice community anger over Colonial First State Management Company, Myer, the City of Melbourne, Planning Minister Justin Madden and the State Government to allowing this iconic building to be obliterated from our city.

Dorijo, East Melbourne

The entrance to Dorijo, a block of flats in Victoria Parade in East Melbourne, only hints at what a spectacular Art Deco building it is.

It was designed by I G Anderson in 1934 the similarities to his, now doomed to demolition, Lonsdale House are most obvious in the tower.

A minor design aspect that attracts my eye is the reduction in the size of the three balconies as they progress up the facade. Each succeeding level is slightly smaller that the preceeding one.

El Sonia, St Kilda East

El Sonia in St Kilda East is wonderful mish-mash of deco styles.

A central entrance tower with glass bricks, two Art Deco decorative panels, El Sonia spelt out in cursive metal work and flanked by two small rounded balconies.

Two original garages with wooden doors and small windows and maybe with the move to a greener world cars might fit through those narrow openings once more.

Then there is that almost clumsy square open balcony above one of the garages not to mention the conventional (but practical for Melbourne's weather) pitched tile roof.

If you look carefully on the nearest rounded balcony you'll see, alongside the Australian flag, a Geelong FC flag. Deep in enemy territory, so to speak, but Australian Rules Football, in general, is not like that.

Congratulations to Geelong in the Grand Final yesterday. They have been an awesome team over the past three years.

For St Kilda - heaven can wait.

No. 6 Garden Avenue, East Melbourne

Garden Avenue in East Melbourne is a small enclave of Art Deco blocks of flats.

No. 6 combines horizontal elements in the windows of each flat including the circular rooms to the left. There are also horizontal lines between each floor and also in subtle use of bricks on the ground floor and above the windows.

On the face of the stairwell on the right, the emphasis is on the vertical with four columns leading from above the entrance to the roofline.

The building is completed on the right hand side by with a curved corner, softening the edge of the building.

Kalingrad, East Melbourne

I call this block of flats in East Melbourne Kalingrad but I really don't have a clue. The name on the gate post reads Kalingr so I've added a few letters to come up with a suitably exotic name. If anyone knows the real name I've love to hear it.

Like so many flats built in Melbourne between the wars, this is a only three storeys tall because local building regulations would have required a lift to be installed if it was any taller.

It is lovely to see the original open balconies have not been enclosed like you see on many other flats of this type. I especially like the lines around the balonies denoting the floors. Three lines on the top floor, two lines on the middle and one at ground level.

Kalingrad is a little deco gem and even if I have got the name wrong, it will always by Kalingrad to me.