Oh yes, there's been plenty of big changes for me lately over here at Shelbyville! And a few more changes still coming my way... indeed there are.
In early December, we packed up our old Sydney life, sadly said our farewells to all our Sydney friends and colleagues, and returned to our original hometown of Brisbane (although DD is still in denial about calling himself a Queenslander).
December was 'crazy month' - especially for trying to find a new home on the pre-Christmas rental market. But after a few manic weeks of trawling Domain.com, visiting real estate agents to pick up rental lists, and plenty of property inspections, we eventually found our new place - a nice ol' penthouse apartment in the very iconic 1950s building Torbreck. I say iconic because it was Brisbane's first highrise residential tower, built in 1959, and made history for being the catalyst for the hurried implementation of Council building regulations when previously none existed!
Architecturally designed to the last detail, Torbreck was well ahead of its time, and to this day it apparently remains a magnet for architects, designers and artists who occupy a good proportion of the building (therefore I'm in good company!). The building has such a devoted following, that it has its own website www.torbreck.com.au, documenting the history of Torbreck, its construction, a gallery of images, and stories from past & present residents. On the website there's even a 4-minute timelapse video of a day in the life of the Torbreck building!
The original architectural illustrations from the 1950s. The full PDF can be downloaded/viewed on the 'Articles' page here.
^ The above PDF pages sourced from the Torbreck website
^ The above photos sourced from the Torbreck website
Retaining its 50s heritage, we like that our apartment has a very Mad Men feel about it (especially as we are so partial to that particular TV series at the moment). Funny though how on their first visits, our parents cringed at what they can only see as old and dated, but to us the place has a unique retro character that we appreciate (and that definitely suits Shelbyville's accumulated collection of retro toys, games and graphics!).
Is it strange that us Y-Gens can be nostalgic for an era we never even lived through, yet our Baby Boomer parents hold so little reverence for a time that marks their own childhoods? It makes me wonder how DD and I will feel about the 80s and 90s eras when we're older, and will our children latch on to some kind of nostalgia for those times despite (or maybe even because) they did not live through them personally? I wonder, I wonder...
^ The view of Torbreck from the park
But anyway, to conclude, here's a couple of shots I've taken of, around and from the building...
^ The park next door
^ I could have picked a nicer day for the photos, but anyway, this is our view looking east
^ And south
^ And west
And a couple of nice atmospheric sunset shots from our bedroom:
Brisbane does do a nice sunset...
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To be continued in Part 2...
Michelle
x
My favourite building in Brisbane :)
Oh do have a soft spot for my own place at Beaumont down the road however :) http://bit.ly/hyu1b3
Here's a snap of Torbrek I took from the roof late last year... http://bit.ly/gJ76pW
Posted by: Jellway | March 01, 2011 at 08:45 AM
Great shots John! Love your work (and my, what good taste you have!) ;)
Posted by: Shelbyville | March 02, 2011 at 12:30 AM
Well, staying in a historic place like Torbeck is a privilege. You're very lucky. You got some nice shots of the surroundings. The pictures showcase some breathtaking views from the place on the hill. It's a great place for a home.
Posted by: Shaunda Devins | January 24, 2012 at 12:35 AM