A Building in Asmara

There is a lot to like in this Modernist corner building in Asmara. The metal balconies are sweet and note that the two on the corner do actually wrap around the corner of the building.

I really like that the top corner of the building has been cut-out to form a roof terrace and that the higher roofline behind it is stepped.

I can't can't tell you any more about it. This is just another fabulous piece of architecture in Asmara.

Gledden Building, Perth

The Gledden Building, on the corner of Hay & William Sts in Perth, was named in honour of Robert Gledden, mining surveyor and benefactor to the University of Western Australia, who continue to own the building.

It was designed by architect Harold Boas and constructed in 1937-38, ten years after Gledden's death.

The foyer includes a mailbox that, while plain by American standards, is relatively rare in Australia.

Elsewhere the foyer is decorated with indigenous flora and fauna.

Devon House, Perth

This wonderful signage belongs to a great little Art Deco building in Hay Street, Perth.

Devon House dating from 1938 was designed by William T Leighton who is perhaps better known for his cinema designs.

It is a shame that the boxy contemporary signage distracts so much from the architecture of the building.

I like the way Leighton has designed the near corner of the building using a series of squat rounded columns.

The roofline features a simple trident shape with two stylised decorative panels directly above the highest pair of windows.

Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto

Despite a construction date of 1951, the Bank of Nova Scotia in King St West, Toronto offers a lot for fans of Art Deco architecture.

The answer, as explained in Tim Morawetz's book Art Deco Architecture in Toronto is that the initial design was done by John M Lyle between 1929-36 but died before the building was constructed.

The building was redesigned and completed by Mathers and Haldenby with Beck and Eadie between 1946-51.

My favourite part of the building are the reliefs depicting figures from classical mythology by artist Frederick Winkler.

Public Service of Oklahoma Building, Tulsa

The development of Oklahoma's oil industry in the 1920s meant that cities like Tulsa underwent incredible growth resulting in a wonderful treasury of Art Deco architecture.

The Public Service of Oklahoma Building from 1929 presents a rather grey exterior however the architect Arthur M Atkinson has incorporated many Art Deco motifs into the facade.

Bennett Apartments, Buffalo

The Bennett Apartments in Buffalo, NY exhibit a number of Art Deco features. Dark coloured bricks are used as a way to introduce a pattern of lines against the lighter bricks of the rest of the building. These darker bricks are also set-out from the wall providing texture to the apartment block.

The patterning is best seen on the exterior of the stairwells and around the entrances where the use of glass bricks is also apparent.

Each entrance also has a semi-circular ribbed porch to provide shelter for residents using the doorways.

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.

Marlborough Hall, Elizabeth Bay

Marlborough Hall (1938) in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney was designed by architect Emil Sodersten.

This asymetrical block of flats has a stepped roofline above the entrance with a flagpole at the highest point and, I suppose, a small rounded porch-like structure.

I think it is too high to be an actual porch and besides there is a matching porch at street level.

I like the feature of the triangle shaped amber coloured glass windows running the height of the building between the two porches.