Re-Thinking Heritage and Housing in Carlton and Fitzroy: The Walking Tour
- James Lesh
- May 23
- 4 min read
Updated: May 23
Historian Dr James Lesh (Heritage Workshop) and architects Sonia Sarangi and Michael Smith (Andever) led a walking tour for the Australian Heritage Festival on May 9, 2025 in Melbourne, specifically exploring Carlton and Fitzroy's architectural and residential heritage.
In discussion with participants, we rethought traditional heritage practices in the context of housing and environmental crises, revealing how progressive heritage approaches could revitalise the city's heritage, housing and community spaces.
Take a look at the tour below – or even re-walk the 3.2km route when you've a spare couple of hours!
Stop 1: Womin-djerring (Coming Together), the courtyard inside Carlton Connect, 700 Swanston Street, Carlton
Our exploration begins at Womin-djerring (Coming Together), the central courtyard of Carlton Connect, 700 Swanston Street. This open-air space fosters unity, surrounded by culturally significant laneways like Tongerambi Kalk Way (Birthing Tree). Here, we acknowledge the land's traditional owners and the precinct's vision for collaboration. We also reflect on the former Royal Women's Hospital, once Australia's busiest birth ward, and its demolition, partially acknowledged through repurposed brickwork. This first stop sets the tone, highlighting themes of connection, cultural recognition, and the complex interplay between past and present in urban development.
Stop 2: Brutalist Ace Carparking, 96 Grattan Street, Carlton
Next, we encounter the Brutalist Ace Carparking site at 96 Grattan Street. Designed in 1974, this "soft end" Brutalist structure features rounded edges, board-marked concrete, and native planting. Its recent heritage listing sparks debate about what we choose to preserve. While some see a simple car park, others recognise its unique architectural qualities. Discussions arise about its potential for public use, like an art gallery or public artwork. It challenges our notions of heritage, prompting us to reconsider what deserves preservation and why, and then how we can future-proof heritage places.
Stop 3: 12 Palmerston Place, Carlton
At 12 Palmerston Place, Carlton, we visit architect Sean Godsell's work. This heritage home renovation faced council challenges over exterior colour choice. Godsell responded with a scaled, abstract pattern, creatively meeting requirements while pushing design boundaries. This highlights the tension between strict heritage guidelines and creative expression. The solution demonstrates how limitations can foster innovation. It prompts us to consider a more playful approach to heritage, allowing for imaginative interpretations over rigid formulas.
Stop 4: Public Housing High Rises, 510 Lygon Street, Carlton
Moving to 510 Lygon Street, we observe 1960s public housing towers. Built over demolished nineteenth-century terraces, these towers were meant as transitional housing for their residents. They became permanent homes and later stigmatised. Current plans involve demolition and replacement. Discussions arise about modernising the existing structures for stronger heritage and environmental outcomes. Each tower across Melbourne has its own history and reuse potential, often overlooked. This stop provokes reflection on urban planning decisions, the social impact of housing, and the environmental, cultural and community value of existing buildings.
Stop 5: 77 Kay Street, Carlton
At 77 Kay Street, Carlton, we find in-fill housing by Peter Corrigan of Edmond and Corrigan, built in 1982. This townhouse pair reflects a shift towards creative and humane public housing. Its design and materials are significant, marking a departure from previous high-rise projects. This project demonstrates the Ministry of Housing's new approach, integrating housing into existing contexts. It showcases that public housing can be innovative and sensitive to its setting, both adventurous and reflective of suburbia.
Stop 6: 20 Pitt Street, Carlton
At 20 Pitt Street, Carlton, we view a warehouse conversion by Kennedy Nolan. This site, a former community center for Italian migrants, became a unique residence. The architects creatively carved out the front space and added a three-story structure behind. The facade retains a mural, preserving the building's migrant history as an Italian community centre in the 1970s. This conversion shows how heritage can be repurposed imaginatively, respecting the past while allowing for contemporary interventions. Residential streets can have diverse heritage characters and interpretations.
Stop 7: Rose Street Market Pedestrian Zone, Fitzroy
The Rose Street Market Pedestrian zone reveals an area once slated for demolition and renewal, now thriving with creative industries. Public art, including road pavement art by Indigenous artist Otis Hope Carey, marks the space. This stop prompts conversations about Indigenous heritage and art commissioning. There's a vision for more native planting, transforming the urban jungle and connecting to Country. We're encouraged to see Indigenous heritage holistically, beyond surface-level appreciation.
Stop 8: McLaren & Co, 341 George Street, Fitzroy
Our final stop is McLaren & Co at 341 George Street, Fitzroy, converted from an industrial factory to a mixed-use residential development by Jackson Clements Burrows. Once a printing press and sports centre, this 1936 factory now features a modern design that contrasts with the original structure. The architects used a "metal language" instead of mimicking brick, and cantilevered upper levels to the property boundary, creating a bold connection to the site's industrial history. This project showcases a strong contrast between new and old, adapting the building for modern use while respecting its past.
Conclusion
Reflecting on Carlton and Fitzroy's diverse heritage, from high-rise social housing to creative warehouse conversions, we can reimagine heritage practices. This tour demonstrated the vital interplay between past and present, urging us to consider innovative approaches to design, housing, and culture for a more vibrant urban future.
