The Royal, St Kilda

It was such a beautiful winter's day in Melbourne today with a glorious blue sky and no leaves on the trees that I decided to take some photos.

This is The Royal, a block of flats in St Kilda. It dates from 1933 and was designed by Archibald Ikin.

The Royal is one of the most striking buildings in Melbourne yet it still conforms to the limit of three storeys to avoid having install a lift.

I find the multi-levelled arched column above the front entrance astounding and it is fantastic that all the balconies are still open so we can see the building as it was originally constructed in the 1930s.

The door is set back in the entrance with a decorative lintel over the lettering of the name of the building.

Inside, wood panel doors with small leadlight windows lead to the ground floor flats from a small foyer. The staircase is also wood-panelled supported by wooden deco posts.

Leadlight windows consisting of geometric shapes provide light for the upper levels of the stairwell.

The real estate board showed the lounge of a one bedroom flat which had a lovely fireplace and a fantastic deco ceiling panel.

Soda Fountain, Woolworth Walk, Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina boasts a bone fide piece of American nostalgia with it's Soda Fountain.

Located in the former Woolworth Building which has been restyled as Woolworth Walk, an art gallery supporting local artists. I believe they sourced original equipment and fixtures from former Woolworth stores across the US to establish this completely refurbished soda fountain.

The line of stools at the counter are pure deco as are the lights but my favourite part is the elegant sweep of the back legs of the chairs around each table.

And Yes that is my milkshake on the counter waiting for me after all that hard work taking this picture.

Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne

Today I had the priviledge to have a look around Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne, camera in hand.

In the 1880s, a theatre was built on the site of an open-air entertainment venue. Originally called The Alexandra, it was renamed Her Majesty's after Queen Victoria at the turn of the 20th century. It remained Her Majesty's even after Queen Victoria's death in 1901 until 1924 when it was decided His Majesty's was more appropriate.

In 1929 most of the auditorium was destroyed by fire and the theatre effectively ceased as a live venue for 5 years although it did house a movie studio and a couple of radio stations.

In 1934, the theatre re-opened with a new moderne, art deco interior including geometric shaped lights, plaster friezes depicting classic themes and wave motifs carried through to the air vents.

Three of these magnificent lights hang in the Dress Circle Foyer (above) also known as the Melba Foyer after the portrait of Dame Nellie Melba on the wall at one end. This foyer also have a number of wall lights in similar style and much of the original furniture.

The railing on the stairs leading up to the foyer is a fanstically stylish feature.

The wave motif has been designed into the metal work and the wide handrail itself is made up of a series of silver bands.

My favourite part is the spiral at the bottom and the way the marble of the stairs also curves around to create a full circle.

Renamed Her Majesty's following the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, the theatre is now owned by former Australian TV star Mike Walsh and from what I saw today she is in very good hands and continues to host blockbuster shows to entertain new generations of Melburians.

Blueberries, Blackpool

The signs on the upper storey of one of these buildings in Blackpool read Blueberries which I believe is a menswear store. I don't know if they were the original occupants in the same way that Burton's the Tailors adopted the deco style for may of their buildings.

The surface is completed in a cream faience or terra cotta finish with a bright blue design just below the roofline.

In a similar manner to the Ahlwyn flats in South Yarra, the central decorated sections stand out from the red bricks of the rest of the structure.

The shops are obviously a pair but with a with differences.

For instance, the near building has inset columns on the corners with simple deco capitals sitting up against the blue Blackpool sky. Even the seagull seems to be admiring their charm.

Ahlwyn, South Yarra

This block of flats, called Ahlwyn, offer a nice contrast between the cream render surrounding the balconies and windows and the red brick of the rest of the structure.

They were constructed in 1936 to a design by Arthur W Plaisted in Park Street, South Yarra.

The metalwork on the fence and gate, to me, are reminicient of French deco metalwork.

The lettering above the front entrance which spells out the name and number of the flats add period style and sit in front of a series of horizontal lines set in the render.

The pair of lamps add another decorative element to the composition and even the brickwork above the entrance has small sections of bricks set out from the wall to provide further interest.

City Veterinary Hospital, Tulsa

Sometimes you find yourself in a foreign city, on a bus, camera in hand and a deco building comes into view and you attempt a quick photo.

Often the results are complete rubbish but sometimes everything aligns. The trees and the lamp posts and the cars and the pedestrians and any number of other things leave enough of a gap to get a clear shot. Sometimes it is even in focus.

This is the City Veterinary Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A modest building but anice use of squares, stepped back curved ends and extensive use of glass bricks.

Just don't ask me where it is, I was up the back of the bus with the other naughty kids.

Toilet Block, San Francisco Maritme National Historical Park

I love a deco toilet block.

This little beauty is in the San Francsico Maritime National Historical Park.

The bands of wave motifs are perfect for a setting on the bay. The maritime theme is continued with the small porthole window and the railed viewing deck on the roof.

The door is set back into the circular wall with a small porch. It could be a front door to a country cottage complete with flowering garden.

The Baths, Middle Brighton

The Baths, Middle Brighton have a long and interesting history. They were originally opened in 1881 but were effectively wrecked during a storm in 1934.

Architects, Oakley & Parkes, designed a moderne streamline building which was opened in the summer of 1936.

Then in 1988, the baths received another makeover to take them into the 21st Century which added some modern glass-enclosed spaces to the pavillion while still preserving the original look of Oakley & Parkes' work.

I think this is another great example of how older buildings can be adapted for modern requirements. In this case the building has retained it's original purpose.

It is clear to anyone looking at the structure which parts date from the 1930s and which parts date from the 1980s.