On Thursday morning and again in the afternoon I visited the old Justice Precinct of RMIT. It was somewhat difficult to navigate some of it, and a couple of the buildings such as 15 and 21 had clearly been renovated over time. But I found a classic charm with Building 20, the old Magistrates’ Court. It still had many of its original features still in tact. I was surprised to find so many interesting angles and perspectives within the building. I had seen a couple of photos of the interior online, but it wasn’t until I was wandering around inside that I realised the importance of looking up in this building. Ornate door-frames, plaster formations, and intricate buttresses. Particularly in the large, circular room at the old entrance.

In my exploration of the other buildings, however, I found the interiors to be less historically in tact. From what I saw, they had been recently renovated with decor no older than the 80’s or 90’s. For this reason, unless something in a particular building’s history draws me in, I am gravitating toward building 20, on its aesthetic qualities alone. Through visiting the space, I found a more accurate representation of the unique qualities of the building that I hadn’t found in my initial online search.

I hope to return to the area on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, during the evening to gain another perspective of the space.