Monde upsizes Prahran apartment project One Charles after "more suitable" redesign

Nick Moylan’s Monde Property is advancing plans for its Prahran project, One Charles, seeking to expand the approved scheme.

Monde Property previously secured approval for 26 apartments on the 1,582 sqm site bordering High Street and Charles Street. It is now seeking to add a further 15 apartments, bringing the total to 41.

The developer has opted to proceed through the Victorian Government’s Development Facilitation Program (DFP), an initiative designed to accelerate planning approvals for priority projects, including significant residential developments, affordable housing and key economic projects.

The revised scheme will include an affordable housing component.

Monde engaged Tristan Wong to redesign the building, removing the podium and increasing the height from six to eight storeys. The changes allow for more generous ceiling heights across every level and reflect a scale that Moylan says is “more appropriate for the site.”

“Going through the DFP allowed us to create a more suitable building design for Prahran, removing the podium, which is more in line with a skyscraper than what we should see in this area,” Moylan says.

Moylan speaks highly of the DFP, which was introduced by the Minister for Planning in 2020 and expanded in 2023 following the Victorian Housing Statement to include more residential developments.

“Rather than being so prescriptive, as local councils and VCAT can be, the team at the DFP trust the designers and planners in how the building presents, instead of pushing for a more uniform, singular outcome. The pathway has allowed us to create a more elegant response that benefits both buyers and locals in Prahran.”

The new permit is expected to be issued in the coming months, after which Monde will relaunch the project. The revised plans comprise a mix of 17 two-bedroom apartments and 27 three-bedroom residences. The development will include more than 80 car parking spaces, along with extensive bicycle storage.

A communal garden on the ground floor will wrap around a wellness space featuring a spa, cold plunge and sauna.

Design documents prepared by Tristan Wong Architecture state that the project seeks to “deliver a high-quality residential development that makes a positive and lasting contribution to both its residents and the broader community of Prahran.”

The report adds that the building’s massing has been carefully modelled to transition to its surrounding context, with robust materials such as brick and precast concrete selected to reference the established character of the area while ensuring longevity.

Monde Property is also exploring further opportunities in both Melbourne and interstate markets, with additional residential and commercial developments under consideration.