Hobart Modernism - "The Sad Little Bookshop" Demolished

There was a little bookshop in Hobart, in fact it was named "the sad little bookshop". What I found interesting about this site was that it stood alone, with a car park around it. The angled glass facade was a fascinating feature, and was common practice in mid 20th Century design.

This photograph is a personal favourite of my 20th Century Architecture Tasmanian collection for several reasons. When I photograph buildings I attempt to convey a story and show buildings in a light that highlights their attributes.

The day I took this photograph all the elements came together - a brooding sky (I love brooding skies in my photos!), and a lone pedestrian walked into the frame, helping to depict the sense of the shop being in the middle of a big empty car park.

Sadly this shop has been demolished, and in it's place....well nothing - it now forms part of the car park! These buildings may not have striking attributes of their bigger Modernist cousins, but they have their place in telling a story of our past. \

History repeats with Modernist buildings such as "the sad little book shop" being demolished and lost forever. It's times like these that I am happy to have documented buildings such as this one, because whilst a photograph cannot bring back a building, what such photographs do is provide a record of our built environment.

Columba Falls 1950s Toilet Block Demolished

Readers of my blog may remember my post "Modernism down the toilet - Columba Falls Toilet Block". Sadly this interesting little modernist toilet block has been demolished, it looks as if a new block is being built in its place. It's times like these that documenting such buildings through the photograph allows such places to be captured and in our memories forever.

Myer Department Store - Launceston

The Myer Department store is one of the tallest buildings in Launceston, and stands as a tribute to mid 20th Century design. The towering building highlights Launceston's commercial confidence in the mid 20th Century, with what was and still is a massive department store for a city of around 100,000. Since the tragic fire of the Hobart Myer Store, Launceston is the only store in Tasmania at present.

The smaller size photo doesn't do the scene any justice, to see a larger image of the above photo click here

Remember the Drive-In Cinema?.........

I recently did a photo project to document an abandoned Drive In Cinema....check out the story and photos on my Art Deco & Modernism Australia blog here

C.H Smith Art Deco site in Launceston up for redevelopment

One Art Deco building that has stood abandoned for literally decades now is the C.H Smith site on the edge of the Launceston CBD, and which was recently given heritage listing. The complex has had a number of development applications but none yet have come to fruition.

The latest development application will see the facade of the Art Deco building retained and for the site to be developed with a mix of shopping and housing. To view architectural plans of what's proposed see here.

To view more photos of the C.H Smith and other abandoned buildings of Tasmania view my project here