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Endangered Melbourne Buildings



You are here : HOME > THREATENED HERITAGE BUILDINGS

Threatened Heritage Buildings

It is not always easy to predict a disaster that will claim our great buildings, as the burning down of St Kilda's landmark Pier kiosk and the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks show us. However many of Melbourne's finest buildings are currently under a more silent threat which has claimed countless more victims - development and demolition.
Development applications can be sinister and often unnoticed until we have lost what can't be replaced. Thankfully, there are organisations such as the Victorian Heritage Register and National Trust to help save our buildings, but this doesn't always work.
This section will showcase buildings currently under threat, and encourage people to express their views and opinions on whether these buildings are worth saving at all.
It is often important when considering heritage to realise that to save buildings you sometimes need to find innovative new uses for them once their use by date is reached.

The Walking Melbourne Endangered List

The Old Eastern Arcade

Status : This rare Byzantine inspired building is proposed for demolition as part of a new office development.
Demolition of the existing buildings and the construction of a 25 storeybuilding for use as serviced apartments, ground level retail and basement car parking
The full planning application can be read here.
Current state:
Original plans:
Article on development proposal:
  • Discuss this building in the Heritage & Conservation Forum

Lonsdale House, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Status : This stunning modern-style office building was recently subject to a development proposal by a syndicate including Myer for a multi-storey retail complex.
  • Discuss this building in the Heritage & Conservation Forum

Tram Sheds (Penfold's buildings). Victoria Parade, Fitzroy

Status : This stunning but derelict moderne-style tram shed - one of the rare works of reknowned interwar architect Harry Norris - in a heritage overlay was part of a proposal for demolition for a new apartment complex. VCAT ruled that the sheds could be demolished.
The Art Deco Society has further information and updates on this building.
  • Discuss this building in the Heritage & Conservation Forum

Victoria Carpark, Little Collins Street, Melbourne

Status : The 1930s moderne-style carpark was recently subject to a development proposal for a multi-storey office tower. It is on the heritage register because it was the first of it's type in the city of Melbourne. Dissapointingly VCAT has overruled the legal protection status of the VHR and granted the developer an exemption to allowed much of the building to be demolished and only parts of the external fabric of the building to be retained. Other heritage buildings on the site WILL be demolished, including the 1920s style Scots church hall, resulting in the loss of one of few remaining consistent human scale streetscapes in the city.
  • Discuss this building in the Heritage & Conservation Forum

Esplanade Hotel, St Kilda

Status : VCAT have approved a residential tower behind the esplanade. Plans are to retain the hotel as a live music venue, but the developer, Becton, has not disclosed full plans for the historic Victorian Italianate styled hotel.
  • View the Walking Melbourne Database profile
  • Discuss this building in the Heritage & Conservation Forum

Baymor Court Flats, St Kilda

Status : VCAT have approved the 1920s Spanish Mission styled flats to be removed to make way for a new Becton developed residential tower. They were demolished in 2004.

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