Lowe Living completes $160 million Emerald Place in South Melbourne, with apartments priced up to $11.5 million

Melbourne developer Lowe Living and joint venture partner INT.RE Kajima have completed their $160 million Emerald Place development in South Melbourne, bringing 38 luxury apartments, commercial offices and ground-floor retail to the corner of Clarendon and York streets.

The mixed-use project at 182-200 Clarendon Street marks Lowe Living's first development combining residential, commercial and retail uses, with the developer also relocating its headquarters into the building.

Designed by Woods Bagot with landscaping by Acre, Emerald Place sits next to South Melbourne Market, within walking distance of Albert Park and Melbourne's CBD.

The 38 residences comprise two and three-bedroom apartments in the Signature Collection, alongside larger three and four-bedroom apartments and penthouses in the Skyhome Collection.

Occupying levels seven and eight, the Skyhome residences have been designed with larger floorplans and private outdoor spaces, with views towards the city and Port Phillip Bay.

The two half-floor penthouses on level eight are the largest residences in the development. The larger of the two spans 328 sqm internally and includes a private landscaped rooftop with a swimming pool and kitchenette.

A limited number of completed apartments remain available, ranging from 180 sqm to 328 sqm internally and priced between $4.395 million and $11.5 million.

Lowe Living co-founder and managing director Emma Lowe said the design sought to balance the activity of South Melbourne's retail and hospitality precinct with privacy for residents.

"When someone purchases an Emerald Place home, we want them to feel like they've found the version of South Melbourne they didn't know was possible, all the energy of the market and the laneways outside, and total stillness the moment they're behind their own door," Lowe said.

"That contrast is what we designed for."

Woods Bagot drew on South Melbourne's established architectural character, incorporating terracotta tones that reference the suburb's historic brick buildings.

At ground level, an artwork by Lisa Young, created in collaboration with Kerry Kounnapis, forms part of the building's street frontage, while a landscaped lightwell by Acre introduces natural light and greenery into the residential lobby.

The developer has also partnered with Melbourne Art Fair to stage an exhibition of artworks valued at more than $430,000 within one of the furnished Skyhome penthouses.

Beyond the apartments, Emerald Place includes approximately 4,100 sqm of internal commercial and retail space, with boutique offices spread across two levels.

The commercial component has its own Clarendon Street entrance and end-of-trip facilities, with businesses expected to begin occupying the space over the coming month.

Among the ground-floor tenants is SOAK Bathhouse, which has secured a 10-year lease over an approximately 459 sqm corner tenancy. The wellness operator will offer bathing and social wellness facilities to residents, office workers and the wider South Melbourne community.

Purchasers in the Skyhome Collection will receive complimentary SOAK memberships, while other residents will have access to discounted memberships.

Lowe Living co-founder and managing director Tim Lowe said completing the project represented an important milestone for the business, particularly as it established its own headquarters within the development.

"Relocating our headquarters into the building makes this milestone particularly meaningful," Lowe said.

"We are investing in South Melbourne as both a developer and a business that now calls the neighbourhood home."

INT.RE Kajima chief executive Matthew Bourke said the project reflected the changing nature of South Melbourne, where residential, commercial and hospitality uses have increasingly come together.

"South Melbourne has evolved into one of Melbourne's most dynamic live-work precincts, and Emerald Place reflects that reality," Bourke said.

The completion adds to Lowe Living's growing portfolio of residential developments across Melbourne, with Emerald Place representing an expansion beyond its traditional residential offering into larger mixed-use projects.

The remaining apartments are available for inspection by private appointment, while a limited number of commercial office and retail tenancies are also being marketed.