What we know so far...

What we know so far...

Last week Dan Reilly & Scott Cam confirmed The Block is in Port Melbourne.  Scott confirmed this by announcing it to the paparazzi and announcing it to the Today Show. Dan confirmed this by announcing that the soil issues are in the process of being solved and that he cannot wait to for filming to start.

As the building is heritage listed, they now have a lot more design issues. All varnished surfaces are to be kept the same. All internal doors are to be reused in the building somewhere. All timber floors are to be reused. As far as the facade goes, the only changes that are allowed is to paint the building. it will be rendered with Concrete Render. Included in council permits is the history of the building over time. 

'Mr. J. Kitchen arrived in Australia in 1856 and together with his three sons established the firm of J. Kitchen and Sons, the largest soap making firm in Australia. By 1890 it had premises in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland with its principal works at Ingres Street, Port Melbourne and at Alexandria, near Sydney. Products manufactured included "Velvet", "Witch" and "Anchor" laundry soaps; "Persil", "the modern oxygen washer; "SoIvo!" and "Electrine" candles. An important by-product was glycerine used for explosives, medicinal purposes and in the tobacco industry. The site of the works at Ingles Street had been chosen as a suitably remote one for a noxious trade from as early as c.1858. By 1894 it was occupied by the Apollo Candle factory at the Kitchen Street intersection. The administrative offices were erected in 1925. They consisted of a brick and steel frame on piles with a mosaic floor to the vestibule, polished Maple and plate glass doors and a social hall for the use of staff. The premises have been recently vacated. Founded as John Kitchen and Sons Pty. Ltd., subsequent company names included Lever and Kitchen, Unilever and Unichema.'

 

The show will feature 6 couples. Due to the building having 7 apartments planned in total, they will need 6 couples to fill the building. The remaining apartment would be used as a challenge apartment and would be completed by all the couples as a team. Unit 5 is significantly smaller than the rest but is split-level.

Dave Franklin will be in charge of landscaping the building. The landscaping features include the rooftop pergola. Unlike the rest of the building, the rooftop terrace is going to a modern space with splashes of yellow and timber.

One of the main heritage features of the building is the void in the centre of the building. The architect had planned to scrap it and not use it but the council rejected. They said that the void in the building needs to be fully-respected therefor it needs to be kept somehow.


Production is due to start in the next 1-3 weeks. Filming should last for about 10-11 weeks.