The "Brightlea" Flats - Balaclava
The "Brightlea" flats are a two storey complex in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava. Their facade of white stuccoed brick is very Art Deco in style. The speed lines picked out in clinker brick around the walls, the stepped chimney with its geometric pattern also picked out in clinker bricks, the rounded portico bearing the name "Brighlea" in stylised Deco lettering and the streamlined windows all pay homage to the chic, uncluttered lines of Art Deco architecture. The low fence with its pyramid peaked pillars are also very Art Deco, and perhaps pay homage to the Egyptomania of the 1920s.
"Brightlea" probably takes it name from Brightlea in England which is located within the county of Tyne and Wear which is in the north east region of England.
After the Great War (1914 - 1918), higher costs of living and the "servant problem" made living in the grand mansions and villas built in the Victorian and Edwardian eras a far less practical and attractive option for both those looking for new housing, and those who lived in big houses. It was around this time, in answer to these problems, that flats and apartments began to replace some larger houses, and became fashionable to live in.
Flats like those found in the "Brightlea" complex would have suited those of comfortable means who could afford to live in Balacalva, and dispense with the difficulties of keeping a large retinue of staff. With clean lines and large windows, it mirrored the prevailing uncluttered lines of architecture that came out of England after the war.
The "Brightlea" Flats - Balaclava
The "Brightlea" flats are a two storey complex in the Melbourne suburb of Balaclava. Their facade of white stuccoed brick is very Art Deco in style. The speed lines picked out in clinker brick around the walls, the stepped chimney with its geometric pattern also picked out in clinker bricks, the rounded portico bearing the name "Brighlea" in stylised Deco lettering and the streamlined windows all pay homage to the chic, uncluttered lines of Art Deco architecture. The low fence with its pyramid peaked pillars are also very Art Deco, and perhaps pay homage to the Egyptomania of the 1920s.
"Brightlea" probably takes it name from Brightlea in England which is located within the county of Tyne and Wear which is in the north east region of England.
After the Great War (1914 - 1918), higher costs of living and the "servant problem" made living in the grand mansions and villas built in the Victorian and Edwardian eras a far less practical and attractive option for both those looking for new housing, and those who lived in big houses. It was around this time, in answer to these problems, that flats and apartments began to replace some larger houses, and became fashionable to live in.
Flats like those found in the "Brightlea" complex would have suited those of comfortable means who could afford to live in Balacalva, and dispense with the difficulties of keeping a large retinue of staff. With clean lines and large windows, it mirrored the prevailing uncluttered lines of architecture that came out of England after the war.