Fitzroy Fitzroy: Designed by locals, rooted in place

Once home to MacRobertson’s Garage and Workshop, a small corner of Fitzroy is soon to host a new sculptural landmark, with its design intent rooted in the textures and stories of the streets around it.

Developed by Chapter Group in partnership with CDL Australia and Crema, Fitzroy Fitzroy comprises 63 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments behind the heritage brick façade.

DKO Architecture led the design process with a clear vision.

“What really inspired our vision for Fitzroy Fitzroy was to create almost a sculpture that could sit on the actual heritage base itself,” says Koos de Keijzer, Founder and Principal at DKO. 

The design team shaped the western side of the nine-storey building into a chamfer, opening interiors to light and views while defining the building’s distinctive form.

The façade’s rhythm is broken by recessed loggias.

"We feel quite strongly about loggias, an outside area that sits inside and is quite protected from the wind and from the sun. We've also got these Juliet balconies where the wall starts to open up just to captivate the outdoors and bring it indoors.”

Inside, DKO crafted flexible layouts to encourage residents to live their own way.

“We really wanted to create something which people have an individual say on how they live,” says Michael Drescher, DKO's Interior Design Director.

Kitchens feature two contrasting stones, a durable surface at the cooktop and a natural stone island, with abundant storage and built-in banquet seating to encourage shared meals and socialising. 

Bathrooms carry the same stone for a cohesive aesthetic, informed by hotel design cues to create “a high level of glamorous” while remaining highly functional.

On levels seven and eight, apartments are tucked behind the building’s chamfer, creating outdoor terraces that range from expansive entertaining areas to sheltered, intimate spaces beneath the pitched rooflines. 

Residents also have access to a rooftop retreat with panoramic views, alongside the Smith Club, a private lounge for social gatherings, and a laneway arcade linking Smith and Leicester Streets, a deliberate nod to Melbourne’s arcade culture.

For de Keijzer, the outcome is a project that feels inherently local, that that is “truly authentic in a Fitzroy context”. 

Fitzroy Fitzroy is already 70 per cent sold, attracting predominantly local owner-occupiers. Cobild is expecting to complete construction in Q4 2025, with residents moving in shortly after.