You may have strolled past if for years without noticing it. It’s in some disrepair, but beneath the grime is one of the most stylish pieces of Art Deco design in the neighbourhood.
It is the work of architect L Garrard Cahn, on the front doors of “The Boncap”, his smart, flats-above-shops development at 47-49 Fitzroy St, completed in 1935. Cahn had recently returned to Melbourne after having practiced for two years in New York. The crisp geometry of his brickwork and handsome architectural metalwork suggests he may have picked up a thing or two in the Big Apple.
We’re told that there are several still intact flats upstairs (some of them tiny ‘bachelor pads’) with intact kitchens, bathrooms and steel frame windows. Interior photos taken some time ago can be found on Instagram and Facebook. (If you’re into local (and Melbourne) architecture history, @tallstorey is an absolute treasure trove of images, information and insight.)
