Open House unlocks north-west city stories

From build-to-rent housing to Victoria’s public records and Ukrainian history, this year’s Open House Melbourne Weekend will offer behind-the-scenes access to some of the city’s most interesting buildings, stories and ideas.

Held from Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26, the festival will feature more than 180 buildings and “experiences” under the theme “generous city”.

In Melbourne’s north-west, Open House will lean into its architectural roots by showcasing several build-to-rent developments that demonstrate new ways of thinking about housing, design and “people and planet-first architecture”.

Open House Melbourne executive director and former architect Tania Davidge told North West City News the build-to-rent model remained relatively uncommon in Australia.

“It's interesting, I think, for a country that is essentially in a housing crisis, to understand how it might work,” she said.

The issue will be explored through tours of Local: Kensington at 348 Macaulay Rd, a project designed by Hayball architects and comprising six buildings arranged around a landscaped courtyard.

The development includes shared co-working spaces, creative studios, lounges, bookable kitchens, a 24-hour gym, green space and a “bark park”.

Its 42 homes include social housing for women over 55, affordable homes for key workers and specialist disability housing.

Fully electric and with a “6 Star Green Star” rating, the initiative “shows what renting on another level can look like in practice”, according to Open House.

In North Melbourne, Breathe Architecture principal Camilla Carmichael will lead a tour through Two Sisters at 8 Curzon Place, a “sweet bespoke development” where 10 one-bedroom townhouses, four apartments and a music studio have been created for two sisters and their community out of a former warehouse.

The project has also transformed a once gated and neglected laneway, returning it to the public realm and landscaping it to provide a space for residents and neighbours to gather.

On a different note, visitors will also have the chance to go beyond the airlocked doors of the Victorian Archives Centre on Shiel St.

Inside the carefully maintained, dust-free and climate-controlled environment, more than 100 kilometres of colonial, state and Commonwealth government records dating back to 1836 are stored.

The tour promises “a peek inside the drawers, boxes and cabinets” and insight into how records are selected, stored and preserved.

The documents will be brought to life through the narratives hidden in maps, plans, images and files, including love letters used in a criminal trial and snapshots taken by government photographers.

For a different kind of historical experience, guided tours of the St Peter and Paul Ukrainian Cathedral in Canning St will offer visitors a chance to explore the building’s architecture and interior design, including its stained-glass windows and sacred art.

Led by clergy, the tours will also share the story of the Ukrainian church, from its ancient Byzantine roots to its mission in the modern world, as well as the history of Melbourne’s Ukrainian community, which grew after arrivals following the Second World War.

openhousemelbourne.org •