The Nicholas Building rises above the corner of Swanston and Flinders Lane with a facade of ornate, cream-colored terracotta that mimics the grand styles of Chicago. Built in nineteen twenty-six, it served as a monument to Alfred Nicholas,…
Melbourne's Historic Arcades
This walk takes you through Melbourne's most stunning 19th-century and Art Deco shopping corridors, showcasing the grand architecture, mosaic floors, and historic charm of the city's golden age.
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1. Nicholas Building
2. Manchester Unity Building
The Manchester Unity Building features a stepped, gothic-inspired tower clad in terracotta tiles, rising distinctly above the corner of Swanston and Collins streets. Completed in nineteen thirty-two during the depths of the Great…
3. The Block Arcade
The Block Arcade is a six-story building defined by its immense glass roof and mosaic-tiled floors. Designed in the late eighteen nineties, it replicates the style of Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele Two. When the arcade opened in…
4. Block Place
Block Place is a narrow, pedestrian-only laneway squeezed between Collins Street and Little Collins Street. Its entrance is framed by the ornate, nineteenth-century stone facade of the Block Arcade, featuring a dense grid of shop windows…
5. Royal Arcade
The Royal Arcade features a high, glass-vaulted roof and a soft, cream-colored interior that stands out against the nearby brickwork. Opened in eighteen seventy, it remains the oldest surviving arcade in Australia. During its early years,…
6. Melbourne's GPO
The General Post Office in Melbourne occupies a prominent corner at Bourke and Elizabeth streets, defined by a tiered clock tower and a facade of weathered, honey-colored sandstone. It opened in stages starting in eighteen fifty-nine to…