Hardy Reserve Drinking Fountain, Carlton

Previously I've written about a pair of drinking fountains in Yarra Park at either end of Brunton Avenue (see thumbnail images, right). Recently I found another one in Carlton and, as you can see, the design of all three fountains is identical.

This one is in Hardy Reserve, directly behind the Melbourne General Cemetery.

It bears a plaque explaining the reserve is named after Cr Robert John Hardy who was a local representative for Victoria Ward on Melbourne City Council from 17 May 1915 to 23 May 1937.

Brunton Avenue Drinking Fountain
Another Brunton Avenue Drinking Fountain

Eritrean Electricity Authority, Asmara

This is one of my favourite photos from Asmara.

I like the juxtaposition of the horse-drawn cart, complete with car wheels, passing the Eritrean Electricity Authority building.

As for the building itself, I find the triple column arrangement at the apex of the gable fascinating. I'm not sure if it is the shape of the actual structures or the negative space around them that makes it most interesting for more. It is probably the combination of both.

Then to top it off, the logo of the Eritrean Electricity Authority, a light bulb inside a electricity bolt with a transmission pylon in the background.

Taurea, South Yarra

Taurea is an interesting block of flats in South Yarra.

The entrance is flanked by large circular planters which sit just below the level of the ground floor balconies.

The cantilevered porch is rounded.

As are the balconies on the upper storeys.

At the roofline three horizontal lines wrap around the corner while a vertical band of geometric shapes reached almsot to the ground. It reminded me of the work of Burley-Griffin.

Herman Ridder JHS, Bronx

Herman Ridder Junior High School in the Bronx was being renovated when I visited as part of the the 8th World Congress on Art Deco in 2005 so I had to be a bit creative to avoid the hoardings and scaffolding.

This photo shows the top of the multi-stepped tower including the Mayan style decorative friezes around the circular crown, the panels above the windows and the large urns on top of the square columns.

Notice also the subtle use of colour in the small marbled pink panels.

One of the main features of the tower are the stylised figures flanking the windows. I presume they represent students as they could be wearing school robes and seem to be holding open books.

The school was designed by Walter C Martin and dates from 1929-31.

I remember there were some deco features inside the school building but the tiles on walls at the stairways really stood out for me.

Angel Cottage, Portmeirion

I don't think anyone would describe Angel Cottage in Portmeirion as Art Deco and I am certainly not going to try.

Portmeirion, however, is a very interesting place.

Sir Clough Williams-Ellis purchased the site in the mid-1920s and proceeded to build his concept of a coastal village over the following fifty years.

Angel Cottage was the first new building built by Williams-Ellis in 1926.

My favourite part of the building is the Angel relief.

In the 1960s, Portmeirion was used as the set for the cult TV series The Prisoner. A modern reinterpretation Series 2, sadly not filmed in Portmeirion, is due to be screened in Britain during 2009.

Regent Theatre, Hokitika

In the mid 1930s New Zealand town of Hokitika needed a new theatre.

The Princess Theatre had been built in the 1880s and was by then in very poor condition.

The Christchurch architect W Melville Lawry designed a new theatre and local builder E H Shirley won the tender to construct the building. The Regent Theatre was completed in December 1935. Two weeks ago it hosted the Hokitika community Christmas Carol evening.

Today the theatre is a Listed Building with a Conservation Plan developed by specilist Conservation Architect, Ian Bowman.

In recent years, a Members Society has been actively chasing 400 members, to match the number of seats in the theatre.

Regent Theatre, Hokitika website: www.hokitikaregent.com

M U Building, Adelaide

This is a great building in Franklin Street, Adelaide. I photographed it in 2005 and I hope it is still there because I didn't get to this part of town the last time I was in Adelaide.

I call it the M U Building because it has this wonderful deco motif on the facade featuring the initials M & U.

Ellan Vannin, Durban

This large block of flats in Durban is called Ellan Vannin.

From the above angle you can notice the curved end to the canopy over the doorway.

Otherwise, the minimal decoration on the building consisted almost exclusively of straight lines. The other exception is the diamond motifs at the roofline of the projecting sections of the facade.

The windows are interesting. I suspect that at one time they were all metal frames with small square panes but over time some have been replaced with larger panes.

The main doors by contrast are wooden with this fantastic sunburst design.