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Explore Melbourne’s heritage buildings
Tuesday 10 January 2012, 11.29 AM
By The Team | Posted in Events and
Places and
Style
Tour groups already zigzag around our streets and laneways, learning about the city’s history, shops, chocolates and other charms, but a new series of tours is hitting the pavement, this time celebrating Melbourne’s architecture.
Architect Esther Sugihto, landscape architect Mark Skiba and urban designer Andy Fergus run Melbourne Architours. The tours are split into three time periods: Settlement to Marvellous Melbourne, Federation to Art Deco and Modernism to Contemporary.
Federation to Art Deco is running this Sunday morning, covering both well-known buildings and some that are off the beaten track. One of the guides’ favourites is Mitchell House on Elizabeth Street. ‘It’s quite prominent, it’s been well restored and it was quite progressive at the time it was built,’ says Esther Sugihto.
Another signature Art Deco building on Melbourne’s skyline is the Manchester Unity building on the corner of Collins and Swanston Streets. The tour takes in the timber and brass features inside this stunning building – the first in Melbourne to have an escalator.
As well as covering design features, the tour guides talk about the architects behind each building and put them into a historical, political and economic context.
Esther Sugihto reveals that the guides and tour groups find there is so much to talk about that they usually continue the conversation over a drink or coffee.
‘After the tours we sit around and discuss what everyone’s thoughts are and how the city is progressing,’ she says. ‘It’s such a design-rich city, and the tours are really about creating awareness of how the built environment is changing and evolving.’
At the moment this dedicated trio of archiphiles is running one tour per month, with only 15 places available for each. However, private tours can also be arranged. Full details are at Melbourne Architours.
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2 comments
ArchiTours – When is your next scheduled Modernism to Contemporary Tour? I really loved the Federation to Art Deco one last year – you guys have definitely got me looking upwards in the city now
By Stephen Emilio
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Hi Stephen,
Glad you enjoyed it! The next Modernism to Contemporary tour is on Sunday 11 March, but get in touch with us if you are interested in a custom tour
http://www.architours.com.au
Cheers,
Esther
By Esther Sugihto
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