Bulevar España 2299, Montevideo

I spotted this building while we were in Bulevar España in Montevideo waiting for a bus (or a taxi if we could attract one) to take us back to our hotel. It didn't look like much especially since that tree was obscuring my view of the corner of the building. Something, boredom perhaps, made me walk a little along the side street unveiling an amazing geometric construction sitting on the roofline.

I thought it looked a bit like a modernist dog ... but I could have been delirious after a long day looking at wonderful Montevideo architecture.

Police Station, Montevideo

Late last month I wrote about a Police Building in Montevideo. A huge grey building that couldn't be any more different to this pastel blue 1st Comisaria Police Station in the Ciudad Vieja (Old City).

90 Gray Street, Hamilton

This noodle & sushi shop at 90 Gray Street, Hamilton was originally Uren's Pharmacy. It was built in the late 1930s and designed by architects Seabrook & Fildes. The input of this Melbourne firm explains the relatively grand side entrance (leading to offices) with two fins sitting across the vertical window above the doorway.

Reference:
Hamilton - Art Deco & Modernism, Diane Luhrs & Linley Bramall, 2011

Ambulance Station, Griffith

This is the Griffith District Ambulance Station and I haven't been able to find out too much about it. If you read yesterday's post you'll see the similarity with the Ambulance Station in nearby Leeton.

Perhaps both buildings were designed by the same architect, S J O'Halloran of Wagga Wagga, or maybe the same contractor, C Churchill of Newcastle, was involved in both projects. It could be neither. Perhaps there was a bit of the fence left over from the Griffith job and they gave it to Leeton so they could use it for their gates.

Ambulance Station, Leeton

The Ambulance Station in Leeton, located in the New South Wales irrigation area near the Murrumbidgee River, was designed by architect, S J O'Halloran of Wagga Wagga, and was constructed by contractor, C Churchill of Newcastle. The date above the ambulance bay reads 1952.

A interesting aspect of the property is the concrete barrels that serve as gate posts and the metal gates composed of large interlocking circles, but more on that tomorrow.

Reference:
Leeton ~ Yango ~ Whitton - Heritage Trails Booklet, Leeton Shire Council, 2011

Edificio Otto Wulf, Buenos Aires

I admit this is an unusual building to be featured on a blog about Art Deco buildings but if you've been following this blog for any time you'll know that my definition of Art Deco is the widest possible definition and I even stray from that on occasions.

This is Edificio Otto Wulf at Avenida Belgrano, 601 in Buenos Aires. Designed by Morten F Rönnow it was built between 1912 and 1914.

The skyscraperpage.com lists the building as Art Nouveau which fits the time of its construction and while I can see Nouveau elements I would have placed the style of the building as older.

Then again, I can see areas where the decoration has be simplified using geometric shapes as I would expect to see on an Art Deco building from the 1920s. And the row of large figures on the third storey façade would be very much at home in the Deco period.

Reference:
Edificio Otto Wulf, Buenos Aires - skyscraperpage.com

Portree, Sydney

This is Portree, an apartment block in Sydney.

I see it as a very Sydney building ... mostly because of the use of dark bricks. That just seems to be a Sydney thing.

The dark bricks work really well as a backdrop for the rendered white open balconies and central tower.

Edificio Fabiao, Copacabana

Edificio Fabiao in Copacabana is a bit grey, almost brutal, for such a lovely Rio seaside location but I think it is beautiful even through its chunky decoration.

It has a lovely door for starters. And when you visit, make sure you have a close look at the building number (46). It is very small but very, very stylish.