<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;

Joel Robinson

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

Melbourne developer Lowe Living is seeking to add to its growing bayside apartment pipeline, filing plans for a boutique eight-residence development in tightly held Middle Park.

Lowe Living, which has built much of its development portfolio across Melbourne's affluent bayside and south-east suburbs, is behind the plans for the 730 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/123-125-erskine-street-middle-park-vic-3206">123-125 Erskine Street</a>, just off Armstrong Street and within the Armstrong Street Neighbourhood Activity Centre.

The developer is seeking approval for a five-storey residential building above two basement levels, with just eight large-format apartments and 18 car spaces.

“This is a deliberately very different proposition for us,"&nbsp;Tim Lowe, Co-Founder of Lowe Living, said.

"Eight residences is exceptionally boutique, but that's precisely what this site calls for.

“There is a strong community in Middle Park and the surrounding suburbs who have spent decades building a life here. They no longer want the maintenance of a large period home, but they aren't prepared to compromise on space, quality or location. We think there is a real opportunity to capture that hyper local market. A site like this rarely comes to market.”

<img alt="Lowe " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="875fe572-0f14-4d90-9e11-55b28dd07731" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.42.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GDNQRv9BfpR9r1zkZ5UDyUM4ZvpIksut" />

The low-density proposal has been designed by Cera Stribley and is being progressed through the Victorian Government's Great Design Fast Track pathway, having already secured eligibility from the Minister for Planning.

The Office of the Victorian Government Architect supported its eligibility after finding the proposal demonstrated consistency with the program's seven design principles, while the project's financial feasibility has also been independently confirmed by Invest Victoria.

The project is targeting the downsizer market, with the planning documents describing the homes as larger-format residences and noting the two penthouses could otherwise have been configured as four separate apartments.

<img alt="Lowe 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="60ab0987-2da6-4175-adac-315dcf6053c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.43.15%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=bOCPH0B2MFwlmaRW.TTCF9TzyifgVoQI" />

The site has dual frontage to Erskine Street and Canterbury Place and currently comprises a collection of commercial buildings used as offices, including a former heritage bakehouse, a former stable, a later gabled addition and a central courtyard.

It sits within the Commercial 1 Zone and the Armstrong Street Commercial Precinct heritage overlay, with the existing property classified as a contributory heritage place.

Heritage has subsequently played a significant role in Cera Stribley's design.

The front section of the former bakehouse facing Erskine Street will be retained, including its return walls, street-facing hipped roof and chimneys, while the Erskine Street façade and part of the western return wall of the former stable will also be incorporated into the new development.

Levels four and five will be set back five metres from the retained stable façade, while bricks removed through demolition are proposed to be salvaged and reused within the new building where possible.

<img alt="Lowe 3" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e97927a9-a2de-4a0f-83b6-65451238abfa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.43.06%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VR44AChLrX9q1XPB9GvVQV.ALXXbe4gC" />

Rather than presenting as a single five-storey building to Erskine Street, Cera Stribley has broken the development into a series of distinct forms.

A three-storey infill element will sit between the retained bakehouse and stable façades, with the upper levels recessed behind the heritage fabric. Canterbury Place will similarly feature two three-storey podium forms, separated by a central pedestrian accessway, before the upper two levels step back from the street.

A pedestrian through-link will run through the centre of the project between Erskine Street and Canterbury Place, creating entrances from both sides of the site and introducing landscaping and communal areas through the ground plane.

Landscape architect Acre has designed planting across the ground level, private terraces and upper levels, including a feature canopy tree at level three and integrated planting and arbours across the level four terraces. Five existing Erskine Street trees are proposed to be retained.

Sustainability is also a significant component of the Great Design Fast Track application. The apartments are targeting an average eight-star NatHERS rating, with no residence below 6.5 stars, while the project has achieved a 75 per cent BESS score. Seven of the eight apartments are designed for cross-ventilation, with the remaining residence using mechanically assisted natural ventilation.

The plans also incorporate an 8kWp rooftop solar system, a 5,000-litre rainwater tank and infrastructure allowing future electric vehicle charging for every residence.

Lowe has a strong portfolio across Melbourne's blue-chip suburbs. They recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House by Lowe Living</a> in Camberwell, their first development in the Stonnington LGA.

Lowe Living unveils Middle Park apartment development

Article summary

<ul data-end="888" data-start="289">
	<li data-end="442" data-section-id="8tsh6o" data-start="289">DVB Projects is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway at 137 Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach.</li>
	<li data-end="573" data-section-id="1nyxl3e" data-start="443">The 34-level tower will comprise just 49 ultra-luxury residences, including half-floor, full-floor and penthouse apartments.</li>
	<li data-end="717" data-section-id="oiyimj" data-start="574">The launch follows strong demand at DVB's nearby Sea Glass project, which is more than 50 per cent sold and currently under construction.</li>
	<li data-end="888" data-section-id="epk9o9" data-start="718">The development adds to the transformation of Old Burleigh Road, with premium beachfront apartment projects continuing to reshape the tightly held Broadbeach strip.</li>
</ul>

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dvb-projects">DVB Projects</a> is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway on the Broadbeach site as the Sydney developer moves closer to bringing the ultra-luxury project to market.

The 34-level tower at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/137-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">137 Old Burleigh Road</a> will comprise just 49 residences, ranging from half-floor apartments through to full-floor homes and a penthouse. The launch follows the strong sales performance of DVB's nearby Sea Glass development. More than half of the apartments at Sea Glass, on the other side of Broadbeach, have been snapped up, well ahead of its late 2027 completion

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2944b4be-c84e-4b54-8dc1-c712e76704c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E02_Exterior_Street%20Level%20Entrance.jpg?VersionId=YoNig7pRdrE3HCue7sUj78LzJteeQf3H" />

The start of demolition at 137 Old Burleigh Road signals DVB Projects’ underlying confidence in the Gold Coast’s luxury beachside apartment sector.

“We see the Gold Coast as one of the most compelling lifestyle markets in Australia, particularly at the premium end where demand continues to deepen,” said Dean Brown, Managing Director of DVB.&nbsp;

“This project has been carefully designed to respond to that demand - delivering large-format residences with a level of quality, privacy and amenity that is still relatively rare in the apartment market on the beachside."

Brown says the site itself is "exceptional."

"Old Burleigh Road is one of the most tightly held beachfront strips, and opportunities to deliver a project of this scale and calibre in this location are extremely limited.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="398f377a-c037-455e-9250-0c5e0d84c35b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/I12_FF%20Balcony.jpg?VersionId=NwOiRWGMubR1c8wthuEfggklcja7al9." />

The project will comprise 40 half-floor residences of approximately 260 sqm, alongside eight full-floor residences spanning around 524 sqm.

A single penthouse will crown the building, featuring a private pool, barbecue area, indoor gym and dedicated entertaining spaces.

Residents will have access to a resort-style suite of amenities, including a 20-metre pool with daybeds, a gymnasium, hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, and private residents’ lounge and dining facilities.

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1642bb0-9a66-4427-a022-dfc0988c6287" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/A02_Pool%20to%20View.jpg?VersionId=c0IXPyn_Gp_Kn3XCwzMrqIVkAdCEwVXP" />

Sales agent Todd Matheson, of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a>, which is marketing both 137 Old Burleigh Road and Sea Glass, said 137 Old Burleigh Road would address a clear gap in the market for genuine luxury products.

“There are very few opportunities on the Gold Coast where buyers can secure a residence of this size and quality in a new building,” Matheson said.

“What we’re seeing is a growing cohort of downsizers and interstate buyers who still want space - they’re not willing to compromise on living area, entertaining or finishes.

“This project has been designed with that buyer in mind. It offers the scale of a home, combined with the convenience and security of apartment living, in one of the coast’s most desirable positions.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59aae0ca-5639-4320-8aca-d0bf60f48e43" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E01_Exterior%20Hero.jpg?VersionId=DS8Zfy2WtgUEtdfe0TEUuf1W1GfcZq8S" />

Located on a 1,156 sqm site one block from the beachfront, the development will replace an ageing walk-up building and is expected to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Old Burleigh Road strip into one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious residential corridors.

With the development moving into the delivery phase, 137 Old Burleigh Road is slated to hit the market later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145141]

DVB Projects to launch second Broadbeach apartment tower as demolition commences

<a data-end="327" data-is-only-node="" data-start="250" href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/norus-projects" rel="noopener" target="_new">Norus Developments</a> has lodged plans for a new apartment development in Clayton that would add further momentum to the suburb's emerging Green Street corridor.

Plans have been lodged for the consolidated site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1359-1365-centre-road-clayton-vic-3168">1359-1365 Centre Road</a>, where Norus is seeking approval for 218 apartments across a 12-storey apartment building designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/life-architecture-and-urban-design">Life Architecture</a>.

The proposal sits within the Clayton Major Activity Centre at the threshold of the planned Green Street corridor, a landscaped pedestrian connection intended to improve links through the precinct towards Clayton Railway Station.

The development would replace the site's existing collection of low-scale residential and commercial buildings with a single consolidated building, introducing significantly greater housing density to this part of Centre Road.

A retail tenancy is proposed at ground level to activate the Centre Road frontage, accompanied by transparent street interfaces and landscaping intended to create a more pedestrian-focused edge to the development.

<img alt="First look: Norus Developments plans landscape-led apartment project for Clayton’s emerging Green Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a5a763a-d9e9-4253-af2f-88008de27ebf" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Clayton%20a.png?VersionId=S2WJJbat1XVkZwB9SnYtygirXgWHiklX" />

The building has been designed with stepped massing and upper-level setbacks to manage its transition towards surrounding residential properties. The planning report describes the approach as one that integrates the building into the landscape rather than treating landscaping as a secondary element.

"A strong landscape and public realm strategy underpins the proposal," Urbis states in the planning report.

"Public benefits include an affordable housing contribution, a new pocket park, generous landscaped setbacks, deep soil planting and integrated Water Sensitive Urban Design."

The report adds that these elements are intended to create "a permeable, pedestrian-focused ground plane that enhances walkability, supports urban cooling and reinforces the emerging Green Street character."

Biophilic and passive design principles extend through the residential levels, with planting, daylight, natural ventilation and views towards landscaped areas forming part of the amenity strategy.

Parking would be concentrated away from the public realm, with 145 car spaces proposed from the rear laneway rather than dominating the Centre Road frontage.

The proposal follows an extensive pre-application process with the City of Monash. Three formal meetings were held between the project team and Council from December 2025 to March 2026, with the scheme evolving through several concept iterations before the current design was lodged.

The project arrives as Clayton prepares for substantial change around its established activity centre and the wider Suburban Rail Loop precinct. Its position on Centre Road places the development within an existing concentration of shops, services and public transport, while the Green Street connection is intended to strengthen pedestrian access towards Clayton Railway Station.

First look: Norus plans landscape-led apartment project for Clayton’s emerging Green Street

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> has officially commenced construction on Bronze on Chevron, celebrating the sod turning of its first-ever Gold Coast development and marking a significant milestone in the company's continued expansion across South East Queensland.&nbsp;

Following the successful delivery of premium residential developments throughout Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bronze-on-chevron-8-mawarra-street-chevron-island-qld-4217">Bronze on Chevron</a> represents Gardner Vaughan Group's entry into the Gold Coast market. Bronze will deliver 119 one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments above two ground-level retail tenancies.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367193]

The recent sod turning ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel, President of the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, Cassandra Sedgman, project consultants, purchasers, project partners and invited guests to celebrate the commencement of construction.&nbsp;

Gardner Vaughan Group Chief Executive Officer Simon Betteridge said Bronze on Chevron represented an exciting new chapter for the business.&nbsp;

"We've spent almost four decades building homes that respond to the way people want to live, and we're excited to bring that experience to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chevron-island-qld-4217">Chevron Island</a>," Betteridge said.

"Bronze on Chevron is particularly significant because it marks Gardner Vaughan Group's first development on the Gold Coast following many successful projects across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367183]

Betteridge said the ground breaking is a proud moment for the&nbsp;team and their purchasers, who can now see their future homes beginning to take shape.&nbsp;

"As both developer and builder, we're able to oversee every aspect of the project from design through to construction, ensuring the quality and attention to detail Gardner Vaughan Group has become renowned for."&nbsp;

Designed by acclaimed architectural practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, Bronze on Chevron has been thoughtfully designed to complement Chevron Island's evolving streetscape while embracing its relaxed coastal lifestyle.

The development will offer generous residences with refined interiors, premium finishes and resort-style amenities, with completion anticipated in early 2029.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=107520]

The development will offer generous residences with refined interiors, premium finishes and resort-style amenities, with completion anticipated in early 2029

Gardner Vaughan Group breaks ground on first Gold Coast development, Bronze on Chevron

Grimshaw Architects

<html><body>
Last week <a href="/developers/mirvac">Mirvac</a> submitted plans for its flagship Melbourne office development at <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">477 Collins Street</a> designed by <a href="/architects/grimshaw-architects">Grimshaw Architects</a>. It will be only the second Premium Grade commercial development built in Melbourne in the last 20 years and Mirvac's largest commercial undertaking in Australia.

The building as a whole has been designed to be multi-tenanted, with floor plates ranging between 1500 sqm (NLA) to 1900 sqm (NLA). Among the design features will be five client floors located every 8 levels, featuring expansive lounges alongside outdoor spaces, with open façade systems incorporating doors that open on to spacious terraces and gardens.

The 38-storey development lies within a pocket of the CBD that is in the midst of rapid transformation. Replacing the current office accommodation to the rear, designed by DCM and PVH in the 80's, 477 Collins Street joins a swathe of eight other large scale developments at the west end of the CBD boasting Collins Street addresses.

The projects in question are: <a href="/developers/cbus-property">CBUS's</a> mixed-use development at 447 Collins, Fragrance Group's <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">555 Collins</a>, the for sale <a href="/buildings/collins-house-melbourne-460-466-collins-street-melbourne">464 Collins</a> residential tower, Equiset's major Rialto revamp, the proposed 710 Collins office tower and <a href="/developers/lendlease-development">Lend Lease's</a> Batmans Hill. These join the already under construction 567 Collins and <a href="/buildings/568-collins-street-melbourne" target="_blank">568 Collins</a> projects.

<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/collins_conga_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The cast of Collins Street, playing soon at the West End. © Urban.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="324" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_conga_0.jpg?itok=6nJZVrX1" title="The cast of Collins Street, playing soon at the West End. © Urban.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The cast of Collins Street, playing soon at the West End. © Apartments.com.au</figcaption></figure><h2>The proposal</h2>

The 3,899sqm site as it exists today comprises of three parts:

<ol>
<li>Three heritage listed buildings along the northern Collins Street frontage, built during various periods of the 19th Century; Olderfleet House, Record Chambers, and SA Insurance Building. These are historically and culturally significant examples of Romanesque and Gothic Victorian architecture they are protected via a Heritage Overlay which extends 12m deep into the site covers which have been adhered by the development team.</li>
	<li>An intervention to the centre of the site by way of a 9-storey, office building of a 40x40m footprint designed by Denton Corker Marshall and Peck von Hartel in the 1980's. This is largely characterised by its tapestry-like facade, consisting up of a number of tinted-mirror glazed panels laid out in various sequences and patterns and its lack of setbacks to the eastern and western boundaries.</li>
	<li>A five-storey carpark with access from Flinders Lane accommodating 598 parking spaces, above which exists a tennis court and garden area. The presence of the car parking structure and associated access requirements has resulted in a largely unactivated frontage along Flinders Lane.</li>
</ol>
Employing a side core configuration for maximum floor plate efficiency, the proposal is in keeping with the campus-style typology that is prevalent amongst commercial buildings of the 21st Century. The tower is expressed as a series of stacked volumes which visually and physically break up the overall massing and responds to the desire for a multi-tenanted building.

The design allows for the potential of further reduction in scale via the provision of tenant driven atria which puncture the floor plate but sit within the glazed envelope. The architects have coined the term Vertical Neighbourhoods to describe the arrangement of commercial programme and tenant driven adaptability and flexibility.

<blockquote>
It is an idea that seeks to address the emerging trends in workplace buildings to connect floors vertically, enabling smaller floor-plate buildings to behave with the efficiencies of larger campus style office buildings.
<cite>Grimshaw Architects</cite>
</blockquote>

The introduction and articulation of a shadow line running vertically over the full height of the tower responds to the common wall of the heritage buildings. This allows for a different visual language to the eastern core - very rigid and ordered. In addition to services and plant infrastructure the core has provision for 'client spaces' to Collins Street. The evolution of the building's form is best illustrated in the series of diagrams below.

<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/form_evolution.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Form Evolution diagrams. © Grimshaw"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="389" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/form_evolution.jpg?itok=WiOX-Qas" title="Form Evolution diagrams. © Grimshaw" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Form Evolution diagrams. © Grimshaw</figcaption></figure>The 158m tower is setback 3.8m from the rear of the heritage buildings for a total setback of 16.8m from Collins Street. The remaining east, west and south setbacks measure 4.5m from the site boundary.

In addition to heritage and setback considerations the proposal has been designed to comply with the planning scheme's requirement for preventing overshadowing of the south bank of the Yarra during the winter solstice between 11am &amp; 2pm.

<h2>Ground plane and public realm</h2>

Another key consideration of the 477 Collins proposal is the sensitive interface between the new and the existing heritage buildings, and how this might inform the public spaces within and around the site. Retail spaces are located to Collins Street with a business lounge and end-of-trip facilities located within the basement levels.

The commercial foyer allows for the physical structural separation of existing from new while visually tying the components together through a single common point.

<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/foyer_view.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Commercial foyer. © Grimshaw"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/foyer_view.jpg?itok=NnHCiT8R" title="Commercial foyer. © Grimshaw" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Commercial foyer. © Grimshaw</figcaption></figure>It is intended that the heritage buildings be occupied by a single retail tenant specialising in the high end food industry that can connect the heritage buildings together at upper levels, whilst still observing and respecting their varying character, boundary walls and social qualities. This proposed strategy is illustrated in the indicative section below.

<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/heritage_section.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Indicative Heritage tenancy strategy. © Grimshaw"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="434" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/heritage_section.jpg?itok=wd3xhYaf" title="Indicative Heritage tenancy strategy. © Grimshaw" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Indicative Heritage tenancy strategy. © Grimshaw</figcaption></figure>In a concerted effort to improve the pedestrian experience along the site's Flinders Lane frontage the existing car parking structure is intended to be visually concealed via a screen. This will be achieved via the use of vertical perforated metal blades which also allow for an animation of an otherwise static facade.

At ground level glazed shop front-type facades have been introduced to provide improved permeability and rise to a two storey datum. These are bookended by two glazed staircases which are intended to frame the elevation and provide glimpses of visual activity through the internal vertical circulation of people.

<h2>International design charette</h2>

One of the most interesting aspects of this particular design is its inception. The proposal was fostered via global design collaboration - the outcome of a design charette undertaken amongst four international Grimshaw offices where various ideas were submitted and fused together. This process is described further in the passage below, extracted from Grimshaw's planning application document:

<blockquote>
As part of the appointment for 477 Collins Street, Grimshaw, as an internationally acclaimed architectural practice with a wider global network, offered to undertake for our client an international design charette at the beginning of the design process in January 2014. The intention of this charette utilised teams in New York, London, Melbourne and Sydney offices of Grimshaw and provided a broad based approach to design which gave diversity and multiplicity to the initial design explorations and ideas.

It was not run as a typical design competition between several architects, nor was it intended to choose an outright winner, however the process bought to the surface many excellent ideas for the development of the site that could be harnessed into a singular dynamic vision.
<cite>Grimshaw Architects</cite>
</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/international_design_charette.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The various 3d massings devised by each office. © Grimshaw"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="309" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/international_design_charette.jpg?itok=WfCVBteV" title="The various 3d massings devised by each office. © Grimshaw" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The various 3d massings devised by each office. © Grimshaw</figcaption></figure>Factoring in all the initiatives, considerations and design rigour undertaken by Grimshaw and its team to develop the proposal it could be argued that 477 Collins Street presents the first real next-gen commercial tower to be undertaken in Melbourne. If the high-rise residential towers popping up all over town can be loosely termed as "vertical villages" then 477 Collins and future commercial towers could possibly be best described as "vertical campuses".

Pending pre-commitments, construction is anticipated for 2016 with completion expected in 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/477_collins_street.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="477 Collins Street hero shot. © Scharp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/477_collins_street.jpg?itok=ZaVVWUIC" title="477 Collins Street hero shot. © Grimshaw" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>477 Collins Street hero shot. © Scharp</figcaption></figure><h2>Quick facts</h2>

<ul>
<li>Height: 158.56m (measured from Flinders Lane)</li>
	<li>Floors: 38-storeys</li>
	<li>NLA: 55,000sqm in the commercial tower + heritage office accommodation</li>
	<li>Parking: Reduction from 598 down to 405</li>
	<li>Bicycle Spaces: 541 + end-of-trip facilities</li>
	<li>Retail: 2,461sqm</li>
</ul>
<h2>Development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Mirvac</li>
	<li>Architect: Grimshaw</li>
	<li>Planning Consultant: Urbis</li>
	<li>Heritage Consultant: Lovell Chen</li>
	<li>Structural Consultant: Robert Bird Group</li>
	<li>Services, Traffic &amp; ESD Consultant: ARUP</li>
</ul>
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