Another Bus stop.

This picture was kindly sent in by Lazy Aussie, of Perths Worst. And worst this bus stop aint! Located in the hills, this a fantastic example if publci furniture design. So space age, yet translated into  cheap, readily available materials. Cheap, yet it still works, looks fantastic and totally cosmic.  I think what strikes me about this so much is imagination. It is a fantastic vision, a great little folly and excercise in testing design boundaries, yet it is easy to make and cheap.  Letting nothing get in the way of your vision. Unlike a lot of todays insipid and uninspired public furniture, this shows what you can do with imagination, creativity and an industrious mindset.  Think what you could do with the budget allocated these days. Public design that tests boundaries. Brilliant.

Unknown Housing

This is a grouped dwelling on Malcolm Street about to be demolished, and i think it is a great shame. These are beautiful little modern houses, in the vein of the ’sydney school’( for lack of a better descriptor) in the way they hug the site as it falls away towards the back, and the use of organic materials/colour choice. ie the proliferation of green paint, and also greenery in general. Great split level planning and generally very considerate and workable planning inside. Flexible. Each level has a large plane of glazing providing a great amount of natural light.  Clerestories to the top level are also an exellent addition. Very cute little modern excercise in small housing and tight planning. Although in a pretty awful state at the moment, it would not take much to make these excellent little houses again, and to retain some character within the street. Although i greatly admire the architects that are doing the thing thats replacing these houses, GresleyAbas architetects, I just really want these to stay. there are vacant blocks around,build on those! Anyways, these will be a great loss to West Austrlaian architecture. And i hate that. 

Sunny Mead

Sunny Mead, an apartment block in Mount Street Perth, was completed in 1961 and designed by the ubiquitous apartment design duo Krantz and Sheldon. It is a delightful multi storey building and curiously slim in profile. The stair well is attached to the side of the building and the use of angled glazing panels wondefully articulate the content to the exterior. The bulk of the structure is an intimidating mass of red brick with small windows regularly punched through. To the south west side are generous balconies with great use of industrial mesh/fencing as balustrades.  The entry is also a delightful feature with severe geometry articulating movement and a wonderful concrete canopy atretching out over the entry doors. Delightful.

South Fremantle High School

This is the South Fremantle High School on Lefroy Road, done by CCN in 1967. It is a wonderful school complex with  a great set of buildings, that all work together and develop a very strong overall thematic style. I love the broken pediment buildings that stretch on, and the covered walkways, and rock gardens scattered around the place. The long uninterupted facades are both imposing and breath taking. Intense. The whole school develops a very brutal, dry outpost type of scenario. Beautiful. Photos from the library, and fritz kos.

CoCS Sunday School

This is the church of christ scientists sunday school next door to the older art deco place in the city. I love this building, it seems (i expect by accident) very Venturian in nature to me, very bizarre. Its form is exeptionally strong, brutal and completely uncomprimising. It gives the impression of a large and forceful building. But it is actually very small, and quite friendly in scale. Almost a touch of ‘I AM A MONUMENT!’. Both complex and condtradictory. ha! this is just high theory applied in hindsight, but it is still interesting, and I think a neccesary conversation when discussing this building. Other than that, it is a very nice, and well detailed late 60s modern/brutalist structure, with great use of high and low windows to create that floating illusion between both wall and roof. Wall and floor, and interestingly wall and column. Great. Unfortunately i do not know the author. But the old photo is Fritz Kos, from SLWA.

NEWS!!!!!

so i have news!!! and im not pregnant! There is a talk on tomorry night at the bakery, Iredale Pederson Hook and Joe Chindarsi are speaking, so come down if you care about architecture and love perth. 2 really great firms. 5 clams if your a student, 10 if not. 6 oclock. be there and square. show your support.

love me.

McNess Memorial

This is the Mcness Memorial gardens in the CBD, just opposite QV1. So surprising to find great little landscaping gems in the city, so often overlooked. This was moved from its original location, but it was still retained which is great! It is a wonderful art deco bit of landscaping, designed by one of our leading Art Deco practitioners WG Bennet, creator of the Raffles for one.. Such a wonderful space, but it has kind of lost some love, looks a bit like a junky/chromer hang out. oh well, it rules.

Bus Stop

This is my first bus stop posted, but I will do more. They are a wonderful addition to the West Australian streetscape. They are so brutal, and so magnificent. And so slept on. This is not as good as the concrete versions, but i love the simplicity, form, and honesty in this unassuming piece of design. Form follows function, yet still shines. The new bust stops have nothing on these. Photo by Clam Walnut.

RAYMOND JONES’ HOUSE

This is Raymond Jones’ hosue in Fremantle.  I dont have much to say about it, becuase it blows my mind so much I plan on investigating it much further. I have not felt this strongly about a piece of architecture on first sight in a very long time. It literally melted my brain. To have this, sitting in the middle of the suburbs, quietly existing on the periphery astounds me. It reminds me of the house in Mon Oncle. It is so modern. In every sense of the word. Shapes, materials, execution, everything. The cladding is so shiny, and harsh, the windows are so severe and interesting. The way it reasts to the street, and to itself is so good. Anywyas, I dont want to rattle on to much, just enjoy the pictures.

Perry Lakes Stadium

This is Perry Lakes stadium in Floreat, design for the commonwealth games held here in 1962. It is an important piece of our history, and a great piece of modernist architecture. It is however, being demolished and making way for progress. sigh. Although this new plan has merits(the stadium is an obvious white elephant, is in a terrible state of disrepair,and the design is unsuitable for our climate etc), it is still a sad loss.  I am unsure of the architect apart from PWD. Possibly william Green. If you know, tell me! Such beautiful details, and is a great place to explore, the details are wonderful. Fenestration arrangement, finishes, light fittings, stairs etc etc. Its just awesome. Goodbye perry lakes. you will be missed!