The legacy of Frank Cassar’s dwellings forms the basis of a model in which two counter-spaces co-exist on his estate in Fitzroy. Frank’s interpretations of the Residential Tenancies Act and the Building Code resulted in controversial living conditions earning him the title of Australia’s Worst Landlord. Yet, he is simultaneously regarded as being a successful landlord and states that he is doing a service by providing housing to those who need it desperately. There will always be two sides to the same coin.
Interpreting good from bad can put the observer in an ugly position. To highlight this tension, Fitzroy’s newest boutique hotel is co-located with a rooming house. Both are classified by the NCC as Class 3, “a common place of long term or transient living for a number of unrelated people” and as such are subject to the same performance requirements. The two buildings mirror each other; they have the same structure, the same floor plan and the same purpose.
Whilst the hotel may be perceived as a symbol of progress and renewal, it stands as a façade of its context contributing to gentrification and a sterilisation of the existing. Where the hotel privatises public space, the rooming house gives back, a place to truly dwell.