Peeking behind closed doors…

Upon hearing about the Melbourne Closed House competition I immediately craned my neck to take in the architectural marvels of … my plain white ceiling. Perhaps I shouldn’t enter, but if you have an eye for architecture, a camera and a bit of a rebellious streak then you should participate.

The whole incentive of Melbourne Closed House is preservation. While many historic buildings in the CBD have heritage protection, this protection doesn’t extend to interiors. According to Melbourne Heritage Action, this has already led to alterations or demolitions of classic interiors, a cited example being the remodelling of Myers’ Bourke Street location. MHA wants an archive of all the remarkable features secreted inside Melbourne’s buildings to ensure they have the same protection as the exteriors.

Melbourne Heritage Action are serious about this mission. They want you taking those photos and they don’t want you to pussy-foot around it. Along with the usual patter about trespassing and safety, the guidelines state that if someone asks you to exit the premises, you’re free to return as soon as they’ve gone to harass some other amateur archivist. They also point out that if someone asks you to delete your photos, they are officially treading on you and you are within your rights to rage against that particular machine.

If you need more incentive to find some beautiful interiors, MHA is offering a Diana F+ camera for the best photo. It’s a homage to old-school cameras that makes the daring decision to use honest-to-God film!

If you have an interior that you want to help protect, you’ve got till Christmas Eve to submit your photos. Make sure to check out melbourneheritage.org.au/closed-house for more info.

In the meantime, I’m going to check out some more ceilings. Let’s hope a Canon 7D can make my bathroom look more like a heritage site …