Far East Consortium launches new Melbourne CBD apartment tower, 640 Bourke Street
640 Bourke Street represents a culmination of six years of vision and development by Far East Consortium.
The journey began in 2019 when the consortium acquired the historic Eliza Tinsley building, situated on a prime 2,765 sqm site at the Spencer Street end of Bourke Street. While the landmark building, dating back to the early 1900s, will be preserved, it will be complemented by a striking glass tower designed by Rothelowman, which will seamlessly extend from the heritage structure.
640 Bourke Street offers prices befitting of its address, with the one-bedroom apartments starting from $640,000. There are also two and three-bedroom apartments on offer throughout the 68-level skyscraper, designed with the owner-occupier in mind.
Far East Consortium sought to create larger apartments than the previous approval that came with the site purchase had proposed. That had 813 apartments, which have now been cut down to just over 600 to accomodate larger floorplans.
"The people who do want to be in the city want bigger apartments, and we're catering for that need," Far East Consortium Executive Director Craig Williams said.
On the new design, Williams said history shows if you can put a modern sculpture piece of architecture behind a heritage building, the two complement each other.
"It's a very elegantly designed building. It's going to be a Melbourne statement for many, many years to come."
640 Bourke Street will also be filled with resident amenity, over 3,000 sqm of it, to elevate its residents lifestyle.
There will be everything from a pool inspired by Turkish hammams to a gym, an art therapy room, co-working spaces, a whisky lounge, a library, and movie theatres.
Residents will enjoy seamless access to Melbourne's renowned retail, arts, and green spaces, from Bourke Street Mall to Flagstaff Gardens.
"Bourke Street is a very proud address," Williams added.
"Whilst we may be towards the western end of the old city, we are at the centre of the new city of Melbourne."
640 Bourke will be Far East Consortium's 14th building in Melbourne. Their most recent completion was the four-tower, $2.4 billion development West Side Place, just 400 metres away on Spencer Street.
Buyers only have until October 2025 to take advantage of the VIC Government's generous stamp duty concessions announced late last year.
*Renders shown are Artist's Impressions correct as at March 2025.
Joel Robinson
Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at Apartments.com.au, where he leads the editorial team and oversees the country’s most comprehensive news coverage dedicated to the off the plan property market. With more than a decade of experience in residential real estate journalism, Joel brings deep insight into Australia’s evolving development landscape.
He holds a degree in Business Management with a major in Journalism from Leeds Beckett University in the UK, and has developed a particular expertise in off the plan apartment space. Joel’s editorial lens spans the full lifecycle of a project—from site acquisition and planning approvals through to new launches, construction completions, and final sell-out—delivering trusted, buyer-focused content that supports informed decision-making across the property journey
