Guy Rundle on the importance of Lonsdale House:
What falls through the cracks are those single buildings that lack significance – such as a standard art deco (a refacing of a Victorian building) like Lonsdale House. ¶ The prima donna approach was a way of drawing a line, to stop a wholesale urban wreck. In recent years, the B-list buildings it couldn’t save have become more important, not less. Why? Because the nature of urban capital has changed. … There is no distinction between heritage and capital; now, heritage is capital. ¶ Thus the bizarre revival of Melbourne on the world stage. After decades of losing ground to Sydney, the place has become a magnet not only for tourism but a focus for global fashion, IT, media and more. Why? It’s not for Melbourne Central or QV, those identikit mid-west maulings.
It’s certainly not for wider delivery lanes.