Looking at Buildings.
By Eric (Discover English Teacher)
As Spring embraces us more fully in her temperamental embrace – one minute warm, the next icy, then raining – and as Lockdown happily loosens (YAY!), we are free to get out more and explore the city (but take an umbrella and sunscreen).
Walking around the city has always been one of my favourite ways to spend an afternoon, strolling along the footpath with no particular need to race anywhere – pausing perhaps for a little window shopping, maybe stopping for a coffee somewhere, watching all the busy people and imagining their lives. The city is a perfect place for people-watching – not during the lockdown of course, when it was an empty, heartbreaking desert. But life is returning to the city.
And overlooking all the life are the buildings. I love looking at buildings, they can say so much about a place; as we humans rush past on our mortal trajectories the buildings remain to hint at the lives and dreams of those who came before us. They are a gift to us from the past; they are our collective heritage.
Of course, with space being limited and everyone with a stack of investment capital wanting to stamp their dreams and profit margins upon the skyline, the permanence of architecture is never assured. Which is why many cities establish heritage laws – to protect the architectural assets of bygone ages for future generations.
Melbourne, despite being young and located close to the bottom of the world, has quite a collection of beautiful buildings from our 200-odd years of Anglo-European history. The gold rush of the 1850s led to many extravagant Victorian-era wedding cakes of construction; our place as the first capital of the Federation has left many other impressive buildings; visionary architects of the mid-20th century sought to restart and left many of their own squared-off dreams upon the grid; and now a forest of glass spires rises into the sky and the future.
Because of all these (and more) different layers of the past, Melbourne is reviewing its heritage lists at the moment. It happens fairly regularly.
It sounds pretty dry, and it may well be, but the City Council is offering some really interesting self-guided walking tours – you can listen to some Melbourne history as you walk around the city. It’s great listening practice and a different way to see the city.
They’re also offering a free class on how to draw these intricate buildings (you have to register). If you don’t think you’re up for drawing, you can download pictures of famous Melbourne buildings to colour-in – fun times (and a free souvenir)!
You can find the activities above on this link:https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/amendmentc387/engagement-activities