Summer QR codes around town

Wednesday 18 January 2012, 2:06 PM
By The Team | Posted in Competitions and Events and Places

There is so much to do in the city this summer it’s hard to keep track. That’s why we’ve turned to QR codes to help people explore the city and discover more about all the great things on offer.

The QR codes are scattered all over Melbourne and look a lot like a randomly pixelated black and white box – see left.

To find out what’s happening, all you need to do is scan one of the QR codes (QR stands for quick response) with a smart phone  such as iPhone or Android, and information about the area, things to do and available offers will be delivered right to your phone.

Offers include special retail promotions and dining offers at a range of city venues.

Where can you find the QR codes?
The QR codes are located on Snap me t-shirts worn by staff at Flinders Street and driving mobile billboard scooters around the city, as well as at fixed locations along the Yarra River to Docklands.

How do I download a QR code reader or app?
Through iTunes app store or via the web. These are free and easy to download.

If I don’t have a smart phone, can I still find out what the offers are?
You can only access the QR codes using a smart phone, however there is plenty of information on the City of Melbourne What’s On website listing things to do in the city this summer, catering for all age groups.

How long are the offers valid?
The offers will be available during the 462 summer campaign and will change from time to time as new offers become available.

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.

Marvellous Melbournalia

Tuesday 6 December 2011, 4:11 PM
By The Team | Posted in Events and Places and Style and Things

Do you love Melbourne? Its creative inhabitants and its world-class shopping? Then Melbournalia is the place for you.

Spread across four locations, Melbournalia is a fun new shopping experience that has magically popped up for the Christmas season.

What makes it all so very Melbourne, you ask?

The idea. A chain of pop-up shops filled with pressies perfectly designed for posting (postal service included) in time for Christmas.

The products. All achingly awesome and sourced from over 30 of Melbourne’s most talented product designers.

The locations. Housed in warehouses, coffee shops and studios, these unconventional venues couldn’t be more Melbourne if they tried.

Expect thoughtful gift ideas, intriguingly presented and beautifully packaged. You’ll find Melbournalia at the following quintessentially Melbourne locales:

Shop #1: Home
Tractor Home
First Floor, Rear 126 Franklin Street, Melbourne
Tuesday to Friday: 11am – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 4pm

Shop #2: Captains
Captains of Industry
Level 1, 2 Somerset Place, Melbourne
Tuesday to Friday: 11am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 4pm

Shop #3: Parlour
The Nicholas Building
Level 3, Room 3, 37 Swanston Street, Melbourne
Tuesday to Friday: 11am – 6pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Shop #4: League
League of Honest Coffee
8 Exploration Lane, Melbourne
Tuesday to Friday: 7am – 4pm

Melbournalia’s pop-up shops are open until Christmas Eve, 24 December 2011, vanishing after the big day – much like the man in red himself.