<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/far-east-consortium">Far East Consortium</a> is preparing to commence construction on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/640-bourke-street-melbourne-640-bourke-street-melbourne-vic-3000">640 Bourke Street</a> this October, marking the next milestone for the Melbourne CBD development and its higher-end Eliza Collection.

Spanning levels 44 to 68 of the 68-storey <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>-designed tower, the Eliza Collection has been conceived as a lower-density offering within the broader development, with only five apartments on each floor, dedicated lift access and a collection of resident spaces reserved exclusively for Eliza Collection residents.

The Eliza Collection forms part of Far East Consortium's broader move toward larger-format residences at 640 Bourke Street, where the number of apartments was reduced from earlier plans as apartment sizes increased.

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"What it's meant for 640 Bourke is we've actually reduced the number of apartments. We've increased the overall size of the apartments. We don't have any studios in here, and what that does for a project is it elevates it," Far East Consortium Director of Sales and Marketing Lauren Sheldon said.

Rothelowman Associate Jun Chang said the design process provided an opportunity to create more generous floorplans.

"We were given the opportunity to be more generous. The apartments became bigger and squarer than any other apartments which had been designed in the CBD before that."

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That thinking carries through to the Eliza Collection, where the residences have been designed around the space and functionality associated with a larger home, but positioned high above the centre of Melbourne.

Kitchens are equipped with Gaggenau appliances, a butler's pantry, temperature-controlled wine cabinet and sculptural pendant lighting, while engineered timber flooring, stone and porcelain finishes and custom cabinetry feature throughout the broader interiors.

Privacy and security are another point of distinction. Eliza Collection residents have dedicated lift access, while 640 Bourke Street will provide concierge services and secure resident parking. Short-stay accommodation, including Airbnb, will not be permitted within the development.

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Eliza Collection residents will also have exclusive access to selected amenity spaces across levels one and three of the restored Eliza Tinsley building. These include the Salon with grand piano, an art therapy room, private dining rooms and treatment rooms.

They sit within more than 3,000 sqm of amenity planned across 640 Bourke Street, alongside facilities including a pool, gym, whisky lounge and further social and wellness spaces.

The Eliza Tinsley building itself is central to the wider project's identity. Rather than treating the existing Eliza Tinsley façade as a separate element, Rothelowman used it as a starting point for the architecture of the new tower, with the historic building to accommodate the project's gallery and lobby.

"It's a significant asset and wants to be celebrated and experienced by all residents every single time they go in and out of the building," Rothelowman Principal Stuart Marsland said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=509 project_image_fid=368872]

The tower will rise behind the retained heritage building at 640 Bourke Street, placing residents within walking distance of Southern Cross Station, Flagstaff Gardens, Queen Victoria Market and the Docklands waterfront.

With construction scheduled to begin in October, Far East Consortium has established an onsite display gallery at 640 Bourke Street, including fully built apartments that allow the project's layouts, materials and finishes to be inspected at full scale.

A fully built Eliza Collection apartment is also available to view at the display suite by appointment ahead of the planned October construction commencement.

Eligible purchasers who buy before construction commences can secure the full available off-the-plan stamp duty savings, subject to eligibility and applicable conditions.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=509]

Joel Robinson

Far East Consortium brings Eliza Collection to 640 Bourke Street ahead of October construction start

By the time S&amp;S Projects began planning <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia</a>, the developer already had three Rainbow Bay projects from which to draw.

Flow, Awaken and Esprit had given <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ss-projects">S&amp;S Projects</a> experience developing in the southern Gold Coast enclave, as well as buyer feedback that could be carried into its fourth project, a boutique collection of 38 residences at 271 Boundary Street.

“We have experienced a lot of success in this location and as this was our fourth building we had taken all of the learnings and buyer feedback from previous projects to arrive at a design and apartment mix that we believe had captured all of that experience and remained a true S&amp;S Project in its design and amenity,” the developer said.

That experience has translated into a collection of two, three, four and five-bedroom residences including two penthouses positioned on an elevated corner in Rainbow Bay, where the site opens to multiple coastal view corridors and the area's distinctive north-facing bay.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284542]

S&amp;S Projects says the Boundary Street site took years to assemble, having previously comprised six units, a house and a duplex. The developer worked individually with the existing owners to bring the properties together after an earlier attempt to sell the site had been complicated by the number of parties involved.

“We are constantly looking for properties that meet our brand standards of location, views, and sites that are rare with unique aspects that we can develop to maximise the lifestyle of residents who live in our buildings,” S&amp;S Projects said.

The Boundary Street site gave <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a> a different set of conditions to work with.&nbsp;

“Our design brief was to design a building that took advantage of its unique elevated corner siting offering a range of spectacular view corridor opportunities,” Cottee Parker said.

“The design had to reinforce the strong brand pillars of S&amp;S which are quality, luxury and superior resident amenity.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284543]

Cottee Parker responded with a sculptural floorplate and strong horizontal banding, with continuous balconies and landscaped planters wrapping the building. Operable screens along the balcony edges allow residents to manage light and shade while creating an additional layer of pattern across the facade.

The tower rises above a heavily landscaped podium incorporating the entry lobby and recreational level, while the broader architectural expression takes cues from Rainbow Bay's coastal environment through its organic forms and light material palette.

Cottee Parker says the design has also been developed to complement S&amp;S Projects’ three previous Rainbow Bay developments while retaining its own architectural identity.

Inside, the residences continue that coastal response through two interior schemes centred on warm timbers and neutral tones, alongside patterned natural stone and fluted detailing.

Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors connect open-plan living areas to wraparound balconies, while natural stone is used across benchtops, splashbacks and bathroom walls. Specifications also include light-washed timber flooring, gas fireplaces, integrated bar and wine fridges, freestanding stone baths and 100 per cent wool carpet.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284559]

Cottee Parker Director Sandra Brown said the intention was to create an architectural response closely connected to its surroundings.

“Imagine architecture that breathes with the rhythm of nature, where every curve and line flows seamlessly – creating spaces that dance with the elements, where sunlight kisses every surface and the gentle sea breeze fills every space,” Brown said.

The lessons S&amp;S Projects carried into Radia also extend to its resident amenity, with a substantial collection of shared facilities planned for just 38 residences.

A dedicated Residents Club will include a lap pool and spa, gymnasium, ice bath, sauna, steam room and hot rocks sauna. A residents' lounge, private dining room, outdoor dining and barbecue area and business centre are also planned, along with storage and dedicated surfboard and beach lockers.

S&amp;S Projects Founding Director Paul Gedoun said the facilities were also designed around the project's Rainbow Bay setting.

“Each amenity is designed to capitalise on the lifestyle of Rainbow Bay, ensuring residents can enjoy the relaxed coastal experience the enclave is famous for,” Gedoun said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=140491 project_image_fid=284555]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a> says purchasers to date have predominantly included local downsizers, interstate lifestyle investors and families, alongside a strong contingent of repeat S&amp;S purchasers.&nbsp;

According to the project sales team, feedback has centred on the natural stone and joinery, generous floorplans, natural light and the ability for residences to capture views in multiple directions. The completed Flow, Awaken and Esprit developments have also provided prospective purchasers with an existing reference point for S&amp;S Projects' delivery in Rainbow Bay.

There has also been interest from high-profile surfers and people connected to the surf community, with the elevated building providing outlooks towards several of the area's recognised surf breaks.

Radia continues S&amp;S Projects' concentration of development in a tightly held part of the southern Gold Coast, close to Rainbow Bay Beach, Snapper Rocks, Duranbah Beach, Greenmount Beach and the Tweed River. The neighbourhood also includes a growing collection of hospitality venues, while Coolangatta Airport provides connections beyond the southern Gold Coast.

Hutchinson Builders is now delivering Radia, continuing the project from early works privately funded by S&amp;S Projects. The $250 million development is expected to reach completion in the third quarter of 2027.

“With our history in Rainbow Bay, we have been fortunate to be heavily involved in how the development landscape has unfolded and this project slides into the property landscape comfortably and will feel like it was always there,” the developer said.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=140491]

How three Rainbow Bay projects shaped S&S Projects' fourth, Radia

Nearly 40 years after <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sheida-group">The Sheida Group</a> began working on the northern Gold Coast, the family-owned developer is continuing its involvement in Hope Island with Marina Point Apartments, where apartment scale has been a central part of the development.

Across the 235-apartment waterfront community, the developer has prioritised larger floorplans, substantial open space and marina access, responding to a purchaser base that has predominantly comprised local owner-occupiers and downsizers moving from larger homes.

"Having already delivered Anchorage nearby, we also understood this particular market and how people live here," developer Rick Sheida said.

"<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marina-point-apartments-hope-island-66-view-line-terrace-hope-island-qld-4212">Marina Point&nbsp;Apartments</a> gave us the opportunity to build on those lessons and create the next evolution of our work in Hope Island."

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The Sheida Group acquired the Marina Point land around 2018. Its appeal, Sheida says, went beyond having a waterfront address.

"What attracted us was not simply that the site was waterfront, but the way it meets the water," he said.

"It sits at the junction of broad waterways, creating long sightlines, changing views and a sense of movement throughout the day. Its shape also allowed us to orient the buildings outward, improve privacy between residences and make better use of natural light and breezes."

The buildings have subsequently been positioned around the perimeter of the site, allowing most apartments to take in water views while others look across the resort amenity or hinterland. Once all four buildings are complete, approximately one hectare of the site is expected to remain as open space.

The waterfront also provides the potential for up to 50 marina berths, with berths ranging from 15 to 24 metres and options designed to accommodate wider vessels including catamarans. Access from the marina to the Gold Coast Seaway is bridge-free.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136992 project_image_fid=293149]

The developer says purchasers to date have predominantly been owner-occupiers and downsizers from <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marina-point-apartments-hope-island-66-view-line-terrace-hope-island-qld-4212">Hope Island</a> and elsewhere on the Gold Coast, generally aged between 45 and 70. Many have sold larger family homes or properties requiring significant upkeep.

That purchaser profile informed a design brief centred on retaining the space and functionality of a larger home within an apartment format.

"Many of our buyers are coming from large, well-appointed homes in Sanctuary Cove and the surrounding area," the project team said.

"They are accustomed to generous spaces and thoughtful design, so it was important that the apartments delivered the same sense of comfort and functionality.

"Every room needed to feel well proportioned, every space needed a clear purpose and nothing could feel compromised."

Residences range from 139 sqm through to 319 sqm penthouses, with two car spaces provided to apartments and three to penthouses. Minimum 2.7-metre ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glazing, entertainer's kitchens with butler's pantries, substantial storage and balconies ranging from 18 sqm to 37 sqm further reflect the emphasis on space.

One purchaser from Sanctuary Cove has taken the concept further, combining two of Marina Point's largest apartments to create a 552 sqm residence with raked ceilings reaching up to 4.5 metres.

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With Building 1 now complete, the developer is also seeing its original design assumptions tested against purchaser feedback.

Three completed display residences allow prospective purchasers to compare apartment sizes, layouts, finishes and outlooks in person. The sales team says one of the most consistent responses has been to the scale of the apartments, with visitors describing them as feeling more like homes than conventional apartments.

The first stage of resident amenity is also operational, including a 25-metre heated lap pool, Technogym-equipped gym, infrared sauna, golf simulator and yoga room. Future facilities are set to include a resort-style pool and spa, waterfront barbecue area and a residents' lounge with a library, fireplace, pool table, kitchen and bar.

Rather than treating the four buildings independently, the design brief called for a complete waterfront neighbourhood, balancing private residences with landscaping, open space, marina access and shared amenity.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136992 project_image_fid=293152]

For Sheida, Marina Point Apartments is ultimately an extension of the developer's longer-term involvement in Hope Island and its view of how the suburb is evolving.

"We were equally interested in the long-term future of Hope Island," he said.

"Its position between Brisbane and the central Gold Coast gives residents access to both, while improving transport connections are making the northern Gold Coast increasingly attractive as a permanent place to live."

Hope Island Marketplace is 1.3 kilometres from Marina Point, while Sanctuary Cove and Paradise Point are within six kilometres. Links Hope Island, The Pines and The Palms golf courses are also nearby, and the new Hope Island train station is under construction around five kilometres from the development.

Building 2 is under construction, with completion scheduled for 2027.

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Marina Point Apartments continues The Sheida Group's 40-year Hope Island story

Sydney-based fund manager and developer EG is seeking to turn part of the former Roche pharmaceutical campus in Cromer into a 130-home residential community, introducing a mix of low-rise apartments, townhouses and duplexes to the tightly held Northern Beaches market.

The SJB-designed masterplan has been prepared for the 3.2-hectare site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/100-south-creek-road-cromer-nsw-2099">100 South Creek Road</a>, part of the former Roche landholding that EG acquired for $55 million in 2017 through its Yield Plus Infrastructure Fund No. 2.

EG is proposing what SJB describes as a new "urban village" set within the site's significant existing tree canopy.

<img alt="Cromer" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="482c9a58-49f1-4c53-a12e-aaa02336229f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-24%20at%2011.20.57%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=hZP8_XfPnfNq500dbcjlpVwYU1ebhF9_" />

Around three hectares of the site is considered developable, with the balance incorporating a riparian corridor that would be rehabilitated and revegetated as part of the proposal.

The indicative masterplan comprises approximately 72 apartments in low-rise residential buildings and another 58 townhouses and duplexes.

The apartment component would include around five one-bedroom, 37 two-bedroom and 30 three-bedroom residences, while the townhouse and duplex component would be spread across several different housing typologies. The overall scheme would deliver around 19,500 sqm of gross floor area at an FSR of 0.6:1.

Parking for the apartment component is currently estimated at around 112 resident spaces and 14 visitor spaces, while the townhouse and duplex component would have 116 resident and 12 visitor spaces.

A significant part of the masterplan revolves around retaining the established landscape character of the former Roche campus.

SJB's plans show heavily treed setbacks along both Campbell Avenue and South Creek Road, a centrally located collection of significant native and exotic trees retained as communal open space, and the regeneration of the northern bushland area.

The existing creek corridor along the site's western edge would also be rehabilitated and revegetated, creating additional separation between the new homes and the neighbouring Northern Beaches Business Park.

A heritage-listed cottage and its garden setting would be retained and restored, with SJB flagging its potential adaptive reuse as communal space.

The proposal also includes new communal recreation areas, pedestrian connections to Campbell Avenue and South Creek Road, and a contribution toward improvements to the adjoining Michele Reserve.

Vehicular access would be restricted to South Creek Road, with no vehicle entry proposed from Campbell Avenue. The main internal road would largely follow the site's existing driveway to minimise the impact on established trees.

SJB said residential redevelopment presented an opportunity to retain the majority of the site's heritage-listed mature trees while delivering a broader range of housing types than typically seen across the Northern Beaches.

"The site being 3.27 hectares in area represents one of the largest vacant sites in common ownership in the Cromer and Dee Why area capable of residential renewal," SJB noted in the masterplan.

The architect said the proposal would particularly target housing diversity through townhouses and other "missing middle" typologies suitable for singles, young families, downsizers and retirees.

<img alt="Cromer" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e3f5d841-8491-427e-8ada-c70d3d03d6bc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-24%20at%2011.21.02%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=xTV7r.q8lrTzC9vKzMS9zMbjm9wKwhgm" />

The site emerged following the subdivision of the former Roche campus into eastern and western parcels.

EG has already transformed the western portion into the Northern Beaches Business Park, which incorporates heritage-listed office space, modern warehouses and indoor recreation facilities.

The proposed residential community, referred to as Cromer East in SJB's plans, adjoins established housing to the north, east and south-east, while the business park sits beyond the creek corridor to the west.

It is also within 250 metres of Pittwater House School and Northern Beaches Secondary College, while bus stops within a three-to-five-minute walk provide connections to Dee Why, Brookvale and express services to the Sydney CBD. Cromer Park and the South Creek open space corridor are also nearby.

EG acquired the broader 7.5-hectare former Roche campus in 2017 for $55 million through its Yield Plus Infrastructure Fund No. 2. The campus at the time comprised more than 25,000 sqm of industrial and office buildings set within landscaped grounds.

The current residential site represents the eastern portion of that original holding.

EG's investment strategy for the fund has centred on acquiring income-producing real estate with longer-term rezoning and repositioning potential, particularly assets benefiting from infrastructure and changing land-use patterns.

EG also has an established residential track record across Sydney, including Bosco in Five Dock, Tempo in Drummoyne, The Flour Mill in Summer Hill and Pindari in Randwick.

The developer says it has delivered more than 1,000 homes to date, with a further 3,000-plus residences across its development pipeline.

First look: EG plans 130 apartments on former Roche pharmaceutical campus in Cromer

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> has lodged plans for a $750 million, three-tower mixed-use precinct that would complete the long-running redevelopment of Carlton's former Carlton United Breweries site.

The proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/185-195-queensberry-street-carlton-vic-3053">46-78 Bouverie Street and 185-195 Queensberry Street</a> spans a 6,468 sqm site, the last remaining undeveloped parcels within the former brewery's 2007 masterplan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the development will comprise two purpose-built student accommodation towers and a third build-to-sell apartment tower above a shared commercial podium and basement.

Across the three towers, SP Setia is proposing 606 build-to-sell apartments and 1,499 student accommodation units containing 2,009 beds.

The apartments will sit in the tallest tower, which will rise nearly 200m and 55 storeys. It will become&nbsp;one of the more substantial new build-to-sell apartment projects at the northern edge of Melbourne's CBD.

The apartment mix is weighted toward smaller inner-city product, with 188 studios, 206 one-bedroom apartments, 192 two-bedroom apartments and 20 three-bedroom apartments

<img alt="First look: SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8271bc87-1b0a-41b7-ac73-a425ee375261" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/3_2.png?VersionId=G4lw23o90B1boX4k4dj7rdz2ZEajS9wy" />

Part of the precinct will be a large-scale&nbsp;3,684 sqm supermarket and a further 2,198 sqm of speciality retail, creating close to 5,900 sqm of new commercial space within the precinct.

But one of the biggest components of the proposal is what sits between the buildings.

Around 4,650 sqm, or roughly 72 per cent of the site, will be publicly accessible open space, incorporating plazas, pedestrian connections, landscaped laneways and retail spill-out areas.

The ground plane is intended to finally complete pedestrian connections envisaged when the CUB masterplan was first approved nearly two decades ago, stitching together Victoria Street, Queensberry Street, Bouverie Street and Swanston Street through the former brewery precinct.

Urbis said the development would "complete the CUB precinct", with the public realm providing important north-south and east-west connections through what is currently the final undeveloped portion of the masterplanned site.

SP Setia is also exploring a new linear park within the Bouverie Street road reserve, with the concept to be developed further with the City of Melbourne through the planning process.

The proposal is being pursued through the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program under Clause 53.23 for significant residential development with affordable housing.

The planning report acknowledges the proposed heights exceed those contemplated under the original Comprehensive Development Plan and masterplan, but argues the built-form context has changed considerably over the past two decades.

Urbis said the three towers would instead create a stepped transition between Carlton and the Hoddle Grid, rising progressively from the 94.1-metre Tower One along the Queensberry Street edge to the 199.44-metre Tower Three closer to the established CBD-scale buildings to the south.

<img alt="SP Setia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e885a07a-592c-40fc-bf82-e6dbaf32da54" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.52.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=7s_ErUkSKAdY1mAWp3GRZgMNCGtwhk5m" />

SP Setia plans to deliver the development across three stages.

Stage One would deliver the basement, podium and retail areas for the entire precinct alongside the first student tower. Tower Two would follow in Stage Two, before the 606-apartment Tower Three is delivered as the final stage.

If approved and delivered, the project would close out a redevelopment process that has been underway since the former brewery masterplan was approved in 2007, adding more than 2,600 student beds and apartments to a precinct already home to Swanston Central, the Barak Building, RMIT Design Hub and several large student accommodation developments.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct

Bates Smart

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With the dust settling on Pembroke's extensive upgrade of the T&amp;G Building at 161 Collins Street, Apartments.com.au thought it would be an opportune time to gain some insight from some of the brains behind the project.

Pembroke engaged architects Bates Smart to bring the property into the 21st Century, in response to the changing demands of the modern workforce, while maintaining the charm of one of Melbourne’s best-loved heritage buildings. Originally constructed in 1928, the 43,000 sqm building located on the corner of Collins and Russell Streets has been carefully restored and sensitively adapted to provide a more flexible, collaborative office experience.

Now fully leased, the T&amp;G Building provides office accommodation for the likes of Google and co-working group SPACES, who join longer term tenants VMIA, Accenture and IOOF across ten levels of A-Grade office space. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/google_melbourne.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Google's new office within 161 Collins Street. Image: Google"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/google_melbourne.jpg?itok=2YweAkOS" title="Google's new office within 161 Collins Street. Image: Google" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Google's new office within 161 Collins Street. Image: Google</figcaption></figure>Speaking to Apartments.com.au, <a href="/guides/weekly-podcast-episode-20-bates-smart-studio-director-tim-leslie-discusses-open-house-2018">Bates Smart Studio Director Tim Leslie</a> explained the design process, strategy and challenges associated with tackling such a high-profile, historically significant transformation.

He notes the building has had a long history of works to its fabric; built in 1928 it was extended in the 1930s and then doubled in depth during the '50s before Metier3 Architects doubled the footprint to 4,000 sqm and unified the floor plates in 1990.

According to Leslie, the brief presented to Bates Smart by Pembroke was for the design of a multipurpose office space to respond to the changing nature of workplace design with the atrium forming the 'heart' of the building. The adoption of a 'window wall' system in lieu of a curtain wall system to allow tenants the flexibility to create terraces that sit within the atrium but  are external to the workspaces. 

The other major challenge Bates Smart was tasked with was to untangle pedestrian and vehicular circulation through and around the site, says Leslie. The car park entry which previously dominated the Flinders Lane frontage - a remnant of a time before Melbourne's famed laneway culture took off - has been relocated to Russell Street, adjacent to the current exit ramp, exploiting the higher footfall on Flinders Lane. 

This has allowed for the creation of dual pedestrian entries - to Flinders Lane and Collins Street - each drawing on the character of their respective streets to provide a unique entry experience. The entry at Flinders Lane also provides improved north-south circulation through the site linking the site back to Hosier Lane and Flinders Street down to Fed Square.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/161_collins_may18_entries.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The building features two unique entry experiences to Collins Street and Flinders Lane. Image: Peter Clarke"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="192" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/161_collins_may18_entries.jpg?itok=PA5H7Lwl" title="The building features two unique entry experiences to Collins Street and Flinders Lane. Image: Peter Clarke" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The building features two unique entry experiences to Collins Street and Flinders Lane. Image: Peter Clarke</figcaption></figure>Apartments.com.au also spoke to Pembroke Vice President &amp; Head of Australia, Matthew Knight, about 161 Collins Street's revamp.

Apartments.com.au: The site could have quite easily accommodated a tower but Pembroke instead decided to work within the existing built fabric/envelope? What was the strategy there?

Matthew Knight: Circa 1928, the T&amp;G Building was the most prominent interwar office address in Melbourne – a place where Victorian business and commerce flourished, stamping its mark on the corporate landscape of the day. Once described as ‘Melbourne’s most beautiful building’ it was originally home to Temperance &amp; General, a Victorian-based life insurance company that amalgamated with National Mutual in 1983.

When Pembroke acquired the site in 2015, we wanted to carefully restore and adapt the original façade to provide a more flexible, collaborative office experience, whilst maintaining the charm of one of Melbourne’s best-loved heritage buildings. Together with the adjoining Richard Allen Building it remains one of Melbourne’s most significant business addresses.

U: What was your brief to Bates Smart? Particularly when the building accommodates such a variety of different tenants with specific requirements, but also with a view towards the future and flexibility for tenants?

MK: Our brief to Bates Smart was to transform the ground plane by creating a building with two addresses through the upgrade of the Flinders Lane entrance, create an amenity rich atrium, upgrade the office floors and build brand new end-of-trip facilities for the high-calibre tenants.

As part of this brief, our goal was to deliver a modern state-of-the-art office environment that actively promotes a sense of community, supports high performance and enriches the city of Melbourne.

U: How important was creating two distinct addresses/entry experiences into the building from Collins Street and from Flinders Lane?

MK: The T&amp;G Building has a unique location situated on an entire city block between Collins Street and Flinders Lane. Our vision for the T&amp;G Building was to celebrate this unique aspect by enhancing the dual entrances to the building.

The Collins Street outlook delivers the classic corporate experience characterised by premium office buildings and high end-luxury fashion boutiques. In contrast, the Flinders Lane outlook captures everything that is quintessentially Melbourne – laneways, artisan eateries and the all-important Melburnian coffee. Tenants now have the flexibility to represent their brand by using either the creative or corporate entrance to the building.

U: Can you discuss the role of the atrium within the building as well as the different retail experiences that the building provides not just to tenants but also to visitors/passer-by?

MK: For the T&amp;G Building, Pembroke has created more than just a workspace – the building combines intelligent design that incorporates imaginative shared spaces and carefully managed amenities. A key feature is the atrium, which acts as a communal meeting area for tenants to work in a more casual setting. Positioned as a tenant lounge, the atrium has an on-site management team to support tenant’s needs, creating a premium experience for tenants and their guests.

A refreshed retail mix is planned for the atrium with new food, beverage and luxury retailer options set to open soon. This will be open to the wider Melbourne community and will complement the high-quality location at the ‘Paris-end of Collins Street’.

The T&amp;G Building is also home to some of the most well regarded names in luxury fashion – Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Versace and Max Mara. Situated on the outer ground floor, these flagship stores are open to the public, allowing us to showcase and open up the beauty of the T&amp;G Building to locals and tourists alike.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/peter_clarke_m11859_n25.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The building's central atrium space. Image: Peter Clarke"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/peter_clarke_m11859_n25.jpg?itok=9w1oyiFu" title="The building's central atrium space. Image: Peter Clarke" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The building's central atrium space. Image: Peter Clarke</figcaption></figure>U: What do you believe has led to the building's success in retaining and attracting new tenants?

MK: The T&amp;G Building has retained and attracted some of Australia’s highest-calibre brands by showcasing iconic design, adaptable workplaces and heritage integration, in one of the most prestigious business districts in Melbourne.

Following an extensive refurbishment, new tenants were welcomed to the building including Google, Treasury Wine Estates and Bottega Veneta, who joined long-standing tenants Accenture, IOOF, Gucci and Versace. Office tenants were also attracted to the 4,000 square metre floorplates, among the largest in the CBD, which provide a versatile space for companies to embrace new levels of flexibility, productivity and connectivity.

The building’s location is also a draw card, situated at the ‘Paris-end of Collins Street.’ It is also seamlessly connected to Melbourne’s commuter network including tram, bus, rail and bicycle lanes.

U: Would you say the building's heritage elements were a point of distinction between other commercial projects around town but also a major attractor for tenants (both workplace and retail, food &amp; beverage etc.)?

MK: The revitalisation of the Collins Street precinct has seen more and more commercial developments pop up in the area. By offering A-grade facilities in a world-class heritage building we have been able to provide a point of distinction from these other developments. The heritage façade coupled with a modern office environment is unique to the T&amp;G Building and we believe these features were a major selling point for tenants.
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Laurence Dragomir

Behind the facade: 161 Collins Street

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The wraps are off Cbus Property's latest high-end residential addition for Melbourne's Spring Street.

Across 13-23 Spring Street, the project is being referred to as 17 Spring Street. Designed by Bates Smart, the tower has similar design overtones to the East Melbourne-based design office's <a href="http://www.cbusproperty.com.au/properties/35-spring-street-melbourne">35 Spring Street</a>, whilst also referencing the neighbouring 1 Spring Street.

Cbus Property's development application went to planning during April with an eye toward creating another elite apartment building overlooking Fiztroy Gardens.

The 33-storey tower reportedly includes 6 one, 24 two and 48 three bedroom apartments. In choosing a sparse apartment spread, Cbus Property is set to chase high-end buyers with apartment sizes ranging between 133 square metres and 207 square metres.

The balance of dwellings constitute the tower's premium offerings.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/17_spring_01.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Spring Street's latest addition. Image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="869" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/17_spring_01.png?itok=b1PwOlY5" title="Spring Street's latest addition. Image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Spring Street's latest addition. Image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>Now home to a modest Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens, Cbus Property nabbed the site last year for approximately $70 million. With the pedigree residential tower in the works, AccorHotels will need to find a new location for its Mercure brand.

Incidentally, the hotel group announced in recent days the addition of <a href="/news/2018/07/30/mercure-hotels-adds-four-new-locations-across-australia">four new Mercure locations in Australia</a>, with the Doncaster Hill precinct set to gain a maiden hotel development.

The addition of 17 Spring Street has boosted Cbus Property's national presence in the Apartments.com.au Project Database to 13, headed by significant Melbourne-based projects such as <a href="/buildings/collins-arch-447-collins-street-melbourne">Collins Arch</a>, <a href="/buildings/holme-apartments-68-cambridge-st-collingwood">Holme Apartments</a> and <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">311 Spencer Street</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/image86_7.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Golden Age's 85 Spring Street is nearing a start"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="266" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image86_7.jpg?itok=KapeeCnQ" title="Golden Age's 85 Spring Street is nearing a start" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Golden Age's 85 Spring Street is nearing a start</figcaption></figure>Meanwhile, the drawn-out development push for 85 Spring Street has reached a significant marker with a fresh construction tender issued for the $500 million mixed-use development.

Developer Golden Age Group is backing the project after Grocon reportedly chose to onsell the site in the face of strong unsolicited developer interest. The tender carries a construction value in excess of $200 million for the mixed-use Bates Smart-designed tower.

Costing Golden Age Group $75 million to secure, the 39 storey tower includes 138 apartments and a hotel component. Under a deal struck late last year the developer and Starwood Capital Group will jointly manage the hotel component which includes 250 hotel suites plus amenities such as a bar, restaurants, conference rooms and a gym.

The hotel is tentatively slated to open in 2020, likely leading to a construction start this calendar year.
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silvermb

Spring Street's double dose of development news

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In a first for Apartments.com.au, the subject of this article is a new Westin branded hotel not for Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide or even Perth. Instead, the Bates Smart-designed Westin will be developed in the Northern Territory's capital city Darwin.

Located right on the waterfront, the hotel has been designed to form important and meaningful connections between the city and the water, with the dual aim of enhancing the precinct and providing a gateway to the natural wonders of the Northern Territory beyond.

According to architects Bates Smart, the vision for the Westin Darwin Hotel is "the creation of an iconic tropical hotel that embodies the rich natural and cultural heritage of the location."

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/m12069_n4_webview.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Westin Darwin Hotel. Image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/m12069_n4_webview.jpg?itok=8dgdrN8d" title="The Westin Darwin Hotel. Image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Westin Darwin Hotel. Image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>The design team studied the geographic story of the site, the historic context and the requirements of the climate, with the design response producing a curved form which references the layered histories of the waterfront. This embeds the hotel with a strong sense of place and a response to its context.

<blockquote>
The lower levels are inspired by the nearby rock formations and capture the spirit of the local landscape through the use of natural stone, complemented with lush landscaping and water features.

Areas for rest and reflection are aided by verandas and breeze ways which respond to the tropical environment, but also reference the heritage buildings within Darwin.

The upper levels of the hotel are inspired by tree canopies. Dark metal and timber screens create dappled patterns of light, but also provide valuable shading for the humid temperature.

Importantly, the design incorporates a seawall which is designed to protect the hotel from significant weather events and cyclonic wave activity, but that at the same time provides a generous pedestrian path and access to the waterfront for the local community.

- Bates Smart
</blockquote>

A garden restaurant and bar provides patrons with an authentic Northern Territory dining experience, supported by a rooftop garden accommodating additional restaurant facilities, and infinity pool providing expansive views over the waterfront. The hotel's rooftop can be accessed via a skywalk from Goyder Park.

Additionally, the hotel includes a diverse range of function and conference facilities with new spaces for events for Darwin locals and visitors.

High-quality materials and detailing have been provided throughout the interiors complemented by a neutral palette of soft tonal textured finishes which add a tactile quality to the spaces.

<blockquote>
Our intention is for the hotel to embody the spirit of Darwin, the land and nature and to create an identity that is uniquely connected to the Northern Territory.

- Cian Davis, Bates Smart Studio Director
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/m12069_n10_webview.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Westin Darwin Hotel will be located right on the waterfront. Image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/m12069_n10_webview.jpg?itok=KPl-tPVL" title="Westin Darwin Hotel will be located right on the waterfront. Image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Westin Darwin Hotel will be located right on the waterfront. Image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>The design of the Westin Darwin Hotel will achieve the following:

<ul>
<li>Iconic tropical hotel that embodies the rich natural and cultural heritage of the location.</li>
	<li>Connects the city and the water, enhancing the waterfront precinct.</li>
	<li>A generous pedestrian path provides access to the waterfront for the local community.</li>
	<li>The design references the historic context and the requirements of the climate.</li>
	<li>The hotel offers tropical luxury with beautiful rooms and iconic dining offerings.</li>
	<li>A diverse range of function and conference facilities provides the people of Darwin with new spaces for events.</li>
</ul>
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Bates Smart designs new Westin for Australia's top end

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Following the introduction of new planning and density controls in Melbourne's Central City Zone last year, architeePlan Melbourne forecasts Melbourne's population to hit 10 million by 2051, carrying with it an additional 1.5 million jobs that need to be accommodated within an increasingly changing workforce. This has spurred the demand for both new commercial stock and the revitalisation of older commercial developments with Melbourne City Council’s data showing that 25 buildings are currently under construction within the Hoddle Grid.

Urban.com.au spoke to <a href="/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart</a> Director Julian Anderson, who shared his insights into the impacts of Victorian planning controls on the future of the city’s commercial opportunities.

Despite the best of intentions, says Anderson the planning controls that were introduced last year relating to the permissible size of developments in the <a href="/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">CBD</a> and <a href="/new-apartments/southbank-vic-3006">Southbank</a> are having a significant impact on Melbourne’s skyline. The controls were brought in to arrest construction of a wave of residential towers on the north and western edges of the city — towers that "display little regard for liveability for their inhabitants or the public." 

The Victorian Government’s intention is to “provide improved public amenity and deliver consistency and certainty that will ensure our city grows in a way that enhances all that make it the world’s most liveable city”.

The aspirations are laudable, says Anderson particularly in light of recent developments completed in the CBD which have been up to four times larger than the new controls would allow under a 18:1 plot ratio. In basic terms, the new provisions allow a maximum of 18 square metres of floor area to be developed for every square metre of site area. For example, a 2,000 sqm site can deliver a maximum of 36,000 sqm of floor area. More floor area will be permissable if additional public or strategic benefit is provided such as public open space, affordable housing or commercial office space.

One unintended outcome however, notes Anderson, has been the impact on the viability of commercial office towers, not with respect to height but rather when applying the setbacks required under the controls. This lead to Bates Smart undertaking the assessment of sites within the Hoddle Grid which are feasible for commercial development with a 1,500sqm NLA floorplate which based on their experience is the minimum required by both developers and tenants.

The office initially undertook an assessment of the impact of the new controls on residential development for their existing clients but realised it would be new commercial office developments which would be most impacted. As a comparison, the current crop of office developments which are under construction (save for one or two) were all permitted under the previous planning regime but wouldn't meet the setback requirements of the new controls.

Based on benchmarking their own office developments, Bates Smart determined that to achieve a 1,500sqm floorplate, a site of 3,000sqm would be required to achieve the necessary setbacks. Then a process of subtraction was undertaken, sites with development permits, landmark civic buildings, existing high-rise towers, strata titles were excluded and the potential for site consolidation was also considered. "The result?" says Anderson, fewer than six potential sites that could accommodate a viable commercial office tower.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/180507_city_development_study_small-10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bates Smart's development study highlights sites capable of accommodating office development. Image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="437" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/180507_city_development_study_small-10.jpg?itok=wgeGO_md" title="Bates Smart's development study highlights sites capable of accommodating office development. Image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Bates Smart's development study highlights sites capable of accommodating office development. Image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>One possible solution is to introduce two distinguishable sets of planning controls for residential and commercial development in the central city. The requirements for office developments with respect to privacy, natural light and adjacencies to other buildings are not as onerous as they are for residential buildings.

Anderson believes if nothing is done landowners will  eventually realise many sites can’t be developed, which will trigger the amalgamation of adjoining sites to maximise development potential. This however leads to protracted negotiation periods, slower development times and fewer opportunities.

Similarly, we may see more developments relying on the purchase of “air rights” — the underutilised space above a building. An adjacent owner can purchase those air rights to enable construction of part of their building into that space. Another potential corollary is the delivery of more slender residential towers because the controls also dictate that the taller a building, the further it must be set back from its boundaries.

Anderson cites New York, where amalgamated sites or those subject to development resulting from the purchase of air rights brought about a raft of super-slim towers. These are very costly because of additional structural requirements and the effects of wind on their slender forms.

As well, the proportion of structure to floor area cuts the net saleable area. This drives developers to build higher in an attempt to claw back profit forgone from lost floor space. Matching the high construction costs are the sky-high prices of $US4 million for a two-bedroom apartment on the 10th floor of a midtown apartment block or $US20 million for a two-bedroom apartment on the 50th floor of a midtown tower, for example.

Melbourne has its own example of this new tower form, with the Bates Smart'-designed Collins House site at <a href="/buildings/collins-house-melbourne-460-466-collins-street-melbourne">466 Collins Street</a>. Approved under the previous planning scheme, the 57-storey apartment building is under construction and when complete, will be the world’s fourth slimmest tower.

Anderson says Melbourne’s future and title as a liveable city lies in our ability to plan for the careful expansion of the city and to find opportunities to relax our planning controls. This would allow for major urban regeneration projects to flourish and accommodate our future needs.

<h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
Our research and recent experience has established that developers and tenants are looking for floorplates sized no less than 1,500sqm NLA in CBD zones. There are several factors driving this area requirement. 
Reasonably, developers require a level of pre-commitment from tenants prior to embarking on projects.

These tenants seeking floorplates that minimise distribution of staff across multiple floors. These floorplates can cater to over 100 people and offer open-plan floor space with good access to natural light and views to assure physical and mental wellbeing of the occupants.

The challenge with the planning controls is that rather than stimulating commercial development in the CBD, it stifles it. A floorplate of 1,500sqm under these controls requires a site area of around 3,000sqm. However, by the time you factor in the setbacks and other height controls, there are very few developable sites remaining.

In recent months, our team has conducted research establishing that there are fewer than six potential sites in the CBD that will support development over 80m in height, with floorplates not less than 1,500sqm in area. We concur with various industry sources on predictions that the commercial pipeline could be exhausted in the next decade.

- Julian Anderson, Director Bates Smart
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
It’s predicted that demand for commercial office space in the CBD will almost double over the next 30-35 years – this means Melbourne’s city will need an additional 4 million sqm of commercial space to match demand, largely driven by a booming population and forecast jobs growth.

This is a major challenge for Melbourne and we continue to work with the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne to ensure that our planning processes not only reflect the needs of the market but can support the needs of our growing city into the future.

- Roger Teale, Property Council of Australia, Victorian President
</blockquote>
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Bates Smart's Julian Anderson discusses commercial development feasibility in Melbourne's central city

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This week I chat with Tim Leslie, studio director at Bates Smart about the upcoming Open House Melbourne, ICI House and Bates Smart's work on the new Australian embassy in Washington.

Tim joined Bates Smart in 2006 working across a broad range of sectors, after gaining experience as an architect in Australia and abroad over 20 years. In 2013 he became the Melbourne office's first Studio Director.

He founded Open House Melbourne in 2008, a not for profit event promoting architecture and buildings of significance to the public.

For more details on the '165 Years of Enduring Architecture' exhibition at Orica House and the guided tour of Orica House as part of OHM2018, check out our previous article <a href="/news/bates-smart-to-celebrate-two-key-milestones-in-july">here</a>.

 

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/463447554&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=true&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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Weekly Podcast: Episode 20 - Bates Smart Studio Director Tim Leslie discusses Open House 2018

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The Docklands development machine continues to roll on with a significant number of projects having either commenced or are due to commence this year. Today's article will predominantly focus on the northern precincts including District Docklands (formerly Waterfront City/Harbour Town), New Quay, and Digital Harbour.

<h2>Quest / Elm &amp; Stone, NewQuay</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/p7040436.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Elm &amp; Stone has topped out. Image: Urban.com.au forum member redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p7040436.jpg?itok=aCP5QiyD" title="Elm &amp; Stone has topped out. Image: Urban.com.au forum member redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Elm &amp; Stone has topped out. Image: Apartments.com.au forum member redden</figcaption></figure>The cores of the dual tower development designed by DKO have now topped out, with the last remaining floor slabs still to be poured and work now underway on the installation of the facades and internal fitout.

The development features 221 Quest serviced apartments in addition to 142 dwellings and is due for completion in 2019.

<h2>Marriott / The Docklands Residences, NewQuay</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/dda736b7b456f421460665b0fb022015.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Docklands Residences. Image: FKD Studio"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/dda736b7b456f421460665b0fb022015.jpg?itok=qp8gyFZy" title="The Docklands Residences. Image: FKD Studio" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Docklands Residences. Image: FKD Studio</figcaption></figure>Capital Alliance and DKO Architecture's mixed-use development which will comprise 200 Marriott branded hotel suites is due to commence construction in the coming months following the appointment of a head contractor.

Read more in <a href="/news/capital-alliance-and-marriott-international-tie-the-knot-in-fishermand-bend">Monday's piece by Mark Baljak</a>.

<h2>District Docklands, Master Plan</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/the_distrcit_master_plan.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The District Docklands Master Plan. Original Image: AsheMorgan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="483" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_distrcit_master_plan.png?itok=bV6Hw6eq" title="The District Docklands Master Plan. Original Image: AsheMorgan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The District Docklands Master Plan. Original Image: AsheMorgan</figcaption></figure>Owner of The District Docklands, AsheMorgan has engaged NH Architecture to undertake Master Planning to facilitate the development of a 190,000sqm mixed-use precinct on the remaining undeveloped land within the former Waterfront City boundary offering employment, shopping and living space. 

This follows on from the first stage overhaul of the former Harbour Town centre which has now been completed and comprised the installation of new canopies, facades, paving and landscaping elements.

The next stage involves the provision of a 8,300sqm HOYTS cinema and entertainment complex, which also include Archie Brothers Electric Circus, 8Eight Street Asian hawker-style restaurant and Urban Alley Brewery along with other food and beverage offerings.

The $45m development is on track to be completed in September of this year.

Looking further ahead, future stages of the overall Master Plan which are being rolled out include a fresh food market within the re-purposed existing multi-storey car park and a Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) commercial building.

These are further outlined below;

<h2>Woodwork Building, The District Docklands</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/woodwork.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The Woodwork Building. Image: FKD Studio"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/woodwork.png?itok=W-EPJH00" title="The Woodwork Building. Image: FKD Studio" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Woodwork Building. Image: FKD Studio</figcaption></figure>A planning permit was recently issued for an 8,000sqm office building which will sit above the existing centre along Waterfront Way (soon-to-be Market Lane), valued at $56m.

Designed by NH Architecure, the building, to be known as Woodwork comprises a ground floor retail lobby with four large open plan office floors above, and 80% of the construction will consist of CLT, with the timber to be sourced from sustainable forests.

Woodwork will be the first CLT office building in Melbourne and is expected to be completed in 2020.

<h2>The Market, The District Docklands</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/the_market_district_docklands.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Market @ The District. Image: AsheMorgan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="370" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_market_district_docklands.jpg?itok=uxbKXTCC" title="The Market @ The District. Image: AsheMorgan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Market @ The District. Image: AsheMorgan</figcaption></figure>On Tuesday 15 May the District Docklands team "cracked the concrete" of the East Car Park to officially mark the beginning of construction on Docklands new food precinct, The Market. 

The internationally-inspired marketplace, will provide Docklands with a fresh food precinct that includes butchers, delis, bakers, coffee roasters and cafes in addition to major retail in the form of a Woolworths supermarket, Dan Murphy’s, a large-scale Asian Grocer and Priceline Pharmacy.

A Medical Centre, as well as health and beauty services, will round out the convenience offer, providing for surrounding residents and visitors with a one stop shop for their day to day needs.

The Market is officially slated to open in  July 2019.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/the_market_mapmap.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Map of The Market retailers. Image: AsheMorgan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="829" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_market_mapmap.jpg?itok=ix93mRKw" title="Map of The Market retailers. Image: AsheMorgan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Map of The Market retailers. Image: AsheMorgan</figcaption></figure><h2>218 Harbour Esplanade, Digital Harbour </h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/jcb_harbour_esplanade.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="218 Harbour Esplanade. Image: Jackson Clements Burrows"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="759" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/jcb_harbour_esplanade.jpg?itok=gr0XzFfP" title="218 Harbour Esplanade. Image: Jackson Clements Burrows" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>218 Harbour Esplanade. Image: Jackson Clements Burrows</figcaption></figure>The latest application to be submitted within the Docklands precinct is for 218 Harbour Esplanade. Designed by Jackson Clements Burrows the development will comprise 183 apartments across 21-storeys with 117 car spaces to be provided.

The apartment mix will include 6 x three bedroom apartments, 118 x two bedroom, and 55 one bedders in addition to SOHO style two-storey dwellings.

According to <a href="http://www.docklandsnews.com.au/editions/article/container-inspired-apartment-block_14314/">Docklands News</a>, the design was "inspired by a vision of containers stacked on a wharf. Wharf-type timbers will also be employed on the lower podium levels to complete the metaphor."

<h2>26-34 Digital Drive, Digital Harbour</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/digital_drive.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="26-34 Digital Drive. Images: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="242" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/digital_drive.jpg?itok=NUGOt8dk" title="26-34 Digital Drive. Images: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>26-34 Digital Drive. Images: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>Architects Bates Smart have recently published images in their <a href="https://www.batessmart.com/journal/2018/humanising-the-office/">online Journal</a> of a new 22 level commercial office building for Cbus Property located adjacent to 1010 LaTrobe Street.

The brick-clad building draws on the texture and character of nearby heritage buildings, and includes an outdoor terrace 40m above ground marking a streetwall datum, while three-storey voids internally allow for more expansive views outwards from the office levels.

<h2>160 Harbour Esplanade, Stadium Precinct</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/1529913824079.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Development Victoria has purchased the Seven Digital Broadcast Centre. Image: Australian Financial Review"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="382" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1529913824079.jpg?itok=kV7iXOm_" title="Development Victoria has purchased the Seven Digital Broadcast Centre. Image: Australian Financial Review" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Development Victoria has purchased the Seven Digital Broadcast Centre. Image: Australian Financial Review</figcaption></figure>The home of the Seven Network's digital broadcasting studio was recently purchased from owner the NRMA for $100m 

How this strategic acquisition ties into the redevelopment of the soon-to-be renamed Marvel Stadium and Harbour Esplanade remains to be seen, but the price tag suggests it forms a crucial piece of the puzzle.

It could potentially provide the AFL with accommodation allowing its current headquarters to be redeveloped into a 7 star waterfront hotel, inline with concept plans released earlier this year.

According to the <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/victorian-government-homes-in-on-sevens-docklands-hq-20180625-h11tqr">AFR</a>, a Development Victoria spokesperson has stated that the purchase would allow it to "develop long-term strategies to revitalise the Docklands Stadium and waterfront."
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Docklands Development Update July 2018

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One of Australia's oldest architecture firms, Bates Smart is set to celebrate two key milestones in 2018 - the office's own 165th anniversary, and the 60th anniversary of the Bates Smart-designed former ICI House on Nicholson Street.

Coinciding with these milestones will be two key events unveiled by Open House Melbourne President and Bates Smart Studio Director, Tim Leslie. These include a guided tour of Orica House as part of the Open House 2018 and an exhibition entitled program and the ‘165 Years of Enduring Architecture’ exhibition within the building's ground floor gallery.

Tim Leslie founded Open House Melbourne in 2008, a not for profit event promoting architecture and buildings of significance to the public.

Tim joined Bates Smart in 2006 working across a broad range of sectors, after gaining experience as an architect in Australia and abroad over 20 years. In 2013 he became the Melbourne office's first Studio Director.

Notably, Tim was the director in charge for the competition-winning Australian Embassy in Washington DC which is currently in documentation. He has also been instrumental in many key projects, including 171 Collins Street and the neighbouring 161 Collins Street, residential towers at 13 and 35 Spring Street, and both Bendigo and Cabrini Hospitals.

Further details of both events are outlined below:

<h2>165 Years of Enduring Architecture Exhibition</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/_hero_image_bates_smart_model.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bates Smart's 3D printed model. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/_hero_image_bates_smart_model.jpg?itok=QMSLhNt4" title="Bates Smart's 3D printed model. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Bates Smart's 3D printed model. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>Dates: Wednesday 25 July 2018 Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm Address: Bates Smart Gallery, Ground Floor, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne (entry via Albert Street)

Since its inception in 1853, Bates Smart has delivered projects that have transformed the city’s fabric, shaping the way people use and inhabit urban spaces and built environments.

Bates Smart Studio Director and Open House Melbourne President Tim Leslie is offering his insights into the history of the practice responsible for some of Melbourne’s most iconic cultural buildings that have contributed to the heritage and progression of Melbourne.

The catalogue of high calibre designs on display includes the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Town Hall, Wilson Hall at the University of Melbourne, ICI House, Collins Place, Crown Metropol, Royal Children’s Hospital, 171 Collins Street, Victoria Racing Club’s Club Stand and the upcoming Australian Embassy in Washington.

The exhibition will detail the history of Bates Smart and its evolution across a century led by its pioneering practice leaders – Joseph Reed, Francis and Charles Smart, Edward Bates and Osborn McCutcheon – that defined an era through their prolific designs and how its current Directors will continue this legacy well into the future.

<h2>Orica House Guided Tour:</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/165a_n10_medium.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Orica House celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="396" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/165a_n10_medium.jpg?itok=dQjvYH_8" title="Orica House celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Orica House celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>Dates: Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July 2018 (during Open House Melbourne’s long weekend) Time: 10am to 4pm Address: 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne (entry via Albert Street)

The Bates Smart-designed Orica House (formerly ICI House) became upon completion,  Australia's first skyscraper. The glazed curtain wall tower set the precedent for modern vertical workplace design. Nearly 60 years later, this precedent still stands—ICI is a highly sought-after workplace due to its slim, flexible floor plates and classic design, outlasting many of its modernist counterparts and paving the way for the contemporary vertical campus.

The 19-storey tower, not formally part of the CBD’s Hoddle Grid, was allowed to break Melbourne’s 40m height restrictions. Instead of building a shorter tower over the entire area, the design team proposed a slimmer footprint that vertically stacked the additional allowable area, creating a taller tower and a ground level garden setting. The provision of the garden enabled the height rule to be broken while simultaneously creating a verdant public space at street level.

Internally, the Bates Smart team continued to revolutionise the tower workplace typology by pulling the services core to the side of the building, making the slender 18m floorplate effectively core-less and highly flexible. An open stair, located between the core and floorplate, created vertical connectivity. The continuous ribbon glazing of the curtain wall maximised views to the outside and enabled daylight to flood the interior.
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Bates Smart to celebrate two key milestones in July

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Billbergia alongside Melbourne-based developer Golden Age Group have thrown forward separate development applications that stand to add 500 plus rooms to Sydney's hotel development pipeline.

The respective applications were both lodged earlier this month with North Sydney Council and City of Sydney and have a cumulative estimated cost just shy of $200 million. Both towers also intend to absorb and repurpose existing heritage buildings into their facade

The sustained surge in hotel developments across Sydney is seeing a flourish of hotel project proposals, although in Billbergia's case the hotel rooms share the proposed tower with commercial office space.

<h2>86-88 Walker Street, North Sydney</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/image92_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Walker Street is in line for a new addition. Planning image: Fitzpatrick+Partners"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="671" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image92_4.jpg?itok=amUeEhiD" title="Walker Street is in line for a new addition. Planning image: Fitzpatrick+Partners" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Walker Street is in line for a new addition. Planning image: Fitzpatrick+Partners</figcaption></figure>Entertainment venue Firehouse Hotel is set to gain a hulking addition to its rear with Billbergia pushing to add the 123 metre tower above the historic building. This will be achieved bay way of a cantilevered support structure that enables the tower to maximise its footprint.

The tower's new podium addition will compliment the Firehouse Hotel in both scale and composition. Flexible work spaces an executive lounge and gym plus reception and a restaurant account for the podium space.

Thereafter the Fitzpatrick + Partners-designed tower is a mix of 224 hotel rooms across the lower portion of the tower, chased by approximately 4,500 square metres of office space at the peak of the building. The office space is situated across levels 24 to 31.

86-88 Walker Street sits next door to what will become one of North Sydney's commercial developments; in excess of 40,000 square metres of office space is being delivered by builder Laing O’Rourke for Dexus Property Group. The new 38 level tower has progressed to see its floorplate move beyond 20 levels.

<h2>47-53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney </h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/image93_6.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The time and the place for 47 Wentworth Avenue. Planning image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="871" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image93_6.jpg?itok=DGmLkwe0" title="The time and the place for 47 Wentworth Avenue. Planning image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The time and the place for 47 Wentworth Avenue. Planning image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>A further 287 hotel rooms are on the agenda within Sydney's CBD as Golden Age Group project partner Time &amp; Place heads a planning effort to push through with an adaptive heritage development of 47-53 Wentworth Avenue. All in all the new buildings is slated to span 19 levels with Bates Smart tasked with incorporating the dated facade into the development.

Bates Smart prevailed in an Competitive Design Competition held during 2016; the managed to surpass fellow design firms SJB, Tribe Studio and Koichi Takada Architecture by way of a design which is "capable of achieving Design Excellence as required by the City’s provisions."

In addition to the 287 guest rooms, a restaurant/cafe and bar are present at lower levels, with a rooftop bar and terrace crowning the building.

Lodged this month, the Bates Smart proposal includes revisions which sees residential apartments dropped in favour of increasing the size of the hotel. Consequently all parking within the development has been removed.

Fairfax has <a href="http://www.afr.com/real-estate/golden-age-buys-michael-teplitskys-surry-hills-site-for-a-350-million-hotel-20180611-h118ha">reported</a> that Golden Age Group intend to dub the project The Treehouse, with it being a joint effort between the developer and Starwood Capital.
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Two fresh hotel applications enter the Sydney spotlight

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Parramatta City Council has given the green light to Dexus to develop a 33-storey office tower at 140 George Street, Parramatta adding to the growing number of office developments within Sydney’s fastest growing city.

The 138m tower will be located on the corner of George and Charles Streets, with the design seeking to capitalise on the site’s unique riverside location along a key stretch of the Parramatta River that contains the ferry terminal and provides views to the north over the river as well as back to Sydney’s CBD.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/37446032635_24ebaa980c_b.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="140 George's street interface along Charles Street. Planning Image: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="488" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/37446032635_24ebaa980c_b.jpg?itok=ITXsquIT" title="140 George's street interface along Charles Street. Planning Image: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>140 George's street interface along Charles Street. Planning Image: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>140 George Street will deliver 45,700 sqm of A-Grade office space to the Parramatta office market, providing large, open, contiguous floorplates to maximise fit out flexibility, daylight access and views.

<blockquote>
This development will deliver a world-class office building and strongly supports Parramatta’s growth as a place to invest and to do business. Parramatta continues to attract quality tenants who are enticed by the city’s dynamic workforce, interconnected transport options and vibrant lifestyle offerings.

- Ross Du Vernet, Dexus Chief Investment Officer
</blockquote>

The Bates Smart design considers how the building could benefit the overall well-being of its occupants through the incorporation of high-quality services and exercise facilities such as a gymnasium and swimming pool. Retreat spaces are offered with outdoor terraces, a café and open spaces to capture the sun and fresh air.

<blockquote>
The architectural design proposal sets a framework for the building to establish high quality workplace environments through key design principles. This framework creates a comfortable and enjoyable workplace whilst ensuring long term commercial viability of the building.

The floors have excellent daylight penetration via a large facade to core wall ratio, long north facing orientation of floorplate; high levels of air quality through an advanced mechanical ventilation system; excellent outlook and views along Parramatta River to Sydney CBD; inter-floor connectivity through glazed firestair on the floorplate; multi-use spaces within the building with external terraces for relaxation and breakout areas which all contribute to creating a high level of occupant amenity.

- Bates Smart
</blockquote>

In addition, naturally-lit stairs are provided to enable easy movement between each floor. The slender floor plate with an end core will ensure all occupants have great access to natural light and the sweeping views across Parramatta.

At street level, the base of the tower will be activated with a range of facilities offering amenities accessible to all the occupants of the surrounding commercial precinct. 
With a focus on sustainability, the high-quality façade design balances access to natural daylight against thermal performance. The building will target a 5 Star Green Star Design and 5 star NABERS Energy performance.

Parramatta City Council aims to revitalise the river foreshore as part of a staged 20 year redevelopment. A river Quay with an upgraded ferry terminal, new outdoor entertainment area and terraces and a world class public square are part of a new vision to activate Parramatta River.

The draft ‘City River Strategy Master Plan’ encompasses 31 hectares on the Parramatta River foreshore and proposes major changes for the regeneration of Sydney’s second largest CBD. The River City Plan positions Parramatta River at the front and centre of Parramatta City Centre as redevelopment occurs.

The plan proposes a world-class public domain and a high-quality collection of new buildings that are seamlessly knitted together by a dense network of accessible and active spaces.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/parramatta_city_river_plan.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Vision for the Parramatta City River Strategy Design and Activation. Image: Parramatta City Council"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/parramatta_city_river_plan.jpg?itok=zaGAWpVW" title="Vision for the Parramatta City River Strategy Design and Activation. Image: Parramatta City Council" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Vision for the Parramatta City River Strategy Design and Activation. Image: Parramatta City Council</figcaption></figure><h2>PROJECT TEAM</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: DEXUS</li>
	<li>Architect: Bates Smart</li>
	<li>Project Management: Savills</li>
	<li>Structure: Enstruct</li>
	<li>Facade Engineer/ESD/Waste: Arup</li>
	<li>Traffic: Arup</li>
	<li>Building Services: NDY</li>
	<li>Fire Engineering: Defire</li>
	<li>Quantity Surveyors: Slattery</li>
	<li>Planning: Robinson Urban Planning</li>
	<li>Landscape Architect: Turf</li>
	<li>BCA Steve Watson &amp; Partners</li>
</ul>
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Dexus receives greenlight for 140 George Street Parramatta

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Despite being height limited to 125 metres, the raw development numbers for the intended Munro Site tower opposite Queen Victoria Market propel the proposal into the upper echelon based purely upon size.

Developer PDG with the backing of Melbourne City Council had initially mooted a tower just shy of 200 metres for the 6,233 square metre site, only to have the Planning Minister impose a height limit of 125 metres. This has not perturbed the development team, with gross floor area for the proposal before DELWP approaching 100,000 square metres.

Design firms Bates Smart and Six Degrees Architects are responsible for the respective east and west portions of the Munro Site.

Costed at $230 million, the development has been supported of Melbourne City Council from the outset as part of their wider redevelopment intentions for the entire Queen Victoria Market Precinct. Whilst plans to push on with the market's redevelopment were snagged last week due to a Heritage Victoria edict, the Munro Site's progression is a separate application.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image140_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="CBD skyline with Munro to the fore. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="368" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image140_0.jpg?itok=3gMhSCg7" title="CBD skyline with Munro to the fore. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>CBD skyline with Munro to the fore. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects</figcaption></figure>From the outset Melbourne City Council had sought a truly mixed-use development for the Munro Site who's major frontage absorbs 93-143 Therry Street, and this is very much reflected within the development application on behalf of PDG.

410 apartments are spread across the two buildings, with 48 dedicated to affordable housing. Three bedroom dwellings are well represented with 56 in total, whilst 86 and 220 single and double bedroom apartments are also intended.

Melbourne stands to gain another new hotel or serviced apartment location, with 81 hotel rooms/suites shrouding the podium of the taller Bates Smart-designed tower.

It is though at ground level and subsequent podium levels where the development drives home key initiatives sought by Melbourne City Council. 5,332 square metres of space is considered communal in nature; the bulk of that space is within the Six Degrees Architects-designed western building.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image143_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Ground level perspective. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="442" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image143_1.jpg?itok=_EqBFOue" title="Ground level perspective. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Ground level perspective. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects</figcaption></figure>Council's desire for a new retail precinct has also been fulfilled with a mass of tenancies at ground level, in addition to two taverns. One effectively replaces the Mercat Cross Hotel and includes capacity for 350 patrons, whilst a new restaurant/bar for 180 patrons fronts Therry Street.

Parking for 666 vehicles has been rolled into the project, as has the capacity for 412 bicycle bays, with associated end of trip bicycle facilities.

Parking will be located within four basement levels and above ground within the podium of the east tower. Access to parking is split between Queen Street and Therry Street.

Of the existing buildings, the only aspect expected to be incorporated into the new build is Munro's Corner.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image136_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A retail heavy ground floor. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image136_2.jpg?itok=uC6GmUVA" title="A retail heavy ground floor. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A retail heavy ground floor. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects</figcaption></figure>Site permeability and street activation are key to both enlivening the site and ensuring the maximum number of retail tenancies at ground level.

<blockquote>
The proposal provides for excellent street activation across all frontages along Therry Street, Queen Street and the new north-south laneway and north-south arcade that is consistent with the above requirements.

As the site along Queen Street is only 52 metres and there is no specific requirement within QVMPFP for an east-west pedestrian link there is no technical requirement for a link to be provided along this frontage. The proposed development incorporates a 6 metre wide north-south pedestrian laneway in the centre of the site along Therry Street that connects to a new eastwest laneway running along the southern boundary of the site which also connects to the existing laneway network to Franklin Street.

In addition a pedestrian arcade is also provided through the centre of the Munro East site.

Munro Site planning report
</blockquote>

The format of the north-south spur passage suggests that should any developer with to redevelop the adjoining Franklin Street property, they may be urged by Council to extend the pedestrian link further south in order to create a complete through block pedestrian thoroughfare.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image139_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Internal passage softened by greenery.Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="366" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image139_2.jpg?itok=xuNOcwch" title="Internal passage softened by greenery.Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Internal passage softened by greenery. Planning image: Bates Smart / 6 Degrees Architects</figcaption></figure>
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