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.