Time & Place appoints Hacer to build newly launched Park Modern apartments in South Melbourne

Developer Time & Place has appointed Hacer to build Park Modern, its $500 million residential development overlooking Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, while also launching sales to the public. 

Located at 11-27 Dorcas Street in South Melbourne, the development encompasses four sites Time & Place strategically acquired and amalgamated over an 18-month period. 

The development site is bordered by Middleton Lane, Dorcas and Wells Street, culminating in a substantial 2,398 sqm precinct which occupies the block. 

Hacer has been awarded the build contract, with demolition works now complete and the project team targeting first residents by early 2028. 

Following the project receiving Development Approval in January 2025 via the Victorian Government's accelerated Development Facilitation Program (DFP) planning pathway, the much-anticipated project has now earnt its title as the largest island development site in Melbourne's CBD fringe. 

Designed by the renowned architect Bates Smart, Park Modern takes the form of two sculptural towers strategically placed with a unique orientation designed to maximise each apartment's views of the Botanic Gardens, Shrine of 
Remembrance and the Port Phillip Bay. 

The sculptural tower forms are grounded by a robust concrete podium; its gridded proportions a nod to the grand Victorian mansions that once lined St Kilda Rd. Generous balcony planter boxes create a soft, green edge, blending in with the lush greenery of the street and garden surrounds. 

Park Modern brings to market 230 one, two, three, and four-bedroom residences, sized from 50 sqm to 300sqm, with pricing starting from $670,00 and reaching north of $10 million.

The development also includes two sub-penthouses and one double-storey penthouse sitting across the uppermost floors of the 17-storey development, boasting 4m ceiling heights. 

The design of the project, which will embody modernised art deco with fluid forms, corner living spaces with multiple natural light sources and finely detailed metalwork in the façade, aims to prioritise light as one of the building materials, complementing the sweeping views across the Domain precinct, St Kilda Road and the Botanic Gardens. 

The interior design expands on the architecture's art deco references through custom designed door handles and feature lighting. The use of materials such as sustainably harvested timber and natural stone in the benchtops convey an enduring quality to the homes. Two choices of interior material palettes are available; a light palette inspired by bright summer days and a warm palette referencing the autumnal hues of the elm trees along St Kilda Rd. 

The building has an intrinsic focus on sustainability, with generous glazing, considered shading, rainwater harvesting and rooftop solar photovoltaics to enable renewable power. 

Park Modern's Display Suite, located Level 6, 332 St Kilda Road, opened on 13 September, inviting prospective buyers to explore the development's stunning interiors designed by Bates Smart. Viewings are available by appointment with Burtons. 

“We have assembled a world-class team befitting this much-cherished park side address," Time & Place Director and Founder, Tim Price, says.

"With some of our most trusted project partners in Bates Smart and Hacer, we are confident in delivering highly desirable residences that will optimise the views and interaction with the gardens, city and bay."

"Park Modern is our vision for a sophisticated, amenity-rich village in South Melbourne, where the 15-minute neighbourhood concept comes to life - placing the city's best food, arts, culture and entertainment within a short walk 
of home. 

"This development is a testament to Time & Place's mission to make for interesting living, which we continue to do by creating developments in connected, engaging, and exciting urban communities. This is the last opportunity to create a new residential address on the Botanical Gardens. We've spent seven years curating the land and a design that will feel as right in twenty years as it does today."