The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Sydney apartment

Construction has commenced on Sekisui&rsquo;s latest development, Lumia, in Sydney&rsquo;s Norwest masterplanned community, The Orchards.

Teaming up with Growthbuilt, Lumia will form the third stage of the masterplanned community, designed by the award-winning architecture firm Turner Studio.

Over 65 per cent of the apartments on offer in phase one of Lumia have already sold. Phase one comprises 203 contemporary apartments, comprising a mix of 71 one-bedders, 118 two-bedders, 13 three-bedders and one four-bedroom penthouse.

A total of 330 units will be released following the completion of the development.

Hide Seguchi, CEO &amp; Managing Director at Sekisui House Australia, said the&nbsp;outlining Sekisui House&rsquo;s vision for The Orchards and the way Turner embraced the symbiotic relationship with nature.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=111509 project_image_fid=189525]

&ldquo;Sekisui House&rsquo;s vision for The Orchards is to create a sustainable and prosperous community, a place where people want to live, work and enjoy their lives.&rdquo; &nbsp;

The collaboration with Growthbuilt continues after the success of their partnership for Aire - a development released in stage two of The Orchards.

&ldquo;The team continues to work closely with us on our shared vision for The Orchards and is set to deliver an excellent outcome for Lumia. More than 800 direct and indirect jobs will be created during Lumia&rsquo;s construction phase, which will further invigorate the New South Wales economy,&rdquo; said George Gesouras, Project Director at Sekisui House Australia.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=111509 project_image_fid=189524]

A key feature of Lumia is the outdoor pool and pavilion, which is equipped with a collection of communal and intimate dining and lounge areas that overlook the pool and adjoining park.

An energy generation system has been outlined in the plans also, which includes solar paneling and a hot water plant.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=111509 project_image_fid=189524]

Due to the popularity and success of phase one, Sekisui House is bringing the launch of phase two forward to early 2022.

The Orchards features a mix&nbsp;apartments within its masterplanned community spread across 8.1 hectares.

Designed by Turner architects, the masterplan is spread across seven stages with the dwellings comprising a mix of six, seven, nine and 13-storey buildings.

When completed the community will comprise 1300 apartments. Set on a nature site with a creek and cycle/walkways, The Orchards will feature recreational amenities including a 1.4-hectare public park, playgrounds, break-out green spaces, outdoor lagoon pool, large indoor fitness centre and indoor heated swimming pool.

[smartcode_project_cta: project_id=111509]

Teaming up with Growthbuilt, Lumia will form the third stage of the masterplanned community, designed by the award-winning architecture firm Turner Studio.

alisonwarters@gmail.com

Sekisui House start construction on Lumia in The Orchards, the Norwest masterplanned community

Developer Aqualand has commissioned UK architect, Sir David Chipperfield, to design its Barangaroo Central project.

It is the British architect&#39;s first commission in Australia for the firm, David Chipperfield Architects, which was founded in 1984.&nbsp;

It is the final project site within Barangaroo.

Designed to act as a &quot;bridge&quot; between the headland park and the more intensively developed commercial district, Central Barangaroo is the lower density final stage of the NSW government&#39;s $8.7 billion Barangaroo urban renewal project.

<a href="/developments/sydney-nsw?source_news_article_id=107246&amp;ref=news_body_link"><img alt="" height="800" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/template_photoshop_sydneycbd_4.png" width="1200" /></a>

&quot;We want to make an architectural project which belongs there, enjoys its site and climate, and we&#39;ll endeavour to make a building that seems to be right for the site,&quot; Chipperfield told The Australian Financial Review Magazine.&nbsp;

The buildings will include an apartment tower, offices, and retail.

The apartment tower will be capped at 19 storeys.

Barangaroo Central, perched above a new metro station, will also have entertainment and civic venues, and high-end retail stores.&nbsp;

Local architectural practices Durbach Block Jaggers, Smart Studio Design and John Wardle Architects are also involved in the project within close proximity of the historic Millers Point and Observatory Hill.&nbsp;

Rod McCoy, Aqualand&#39;s Central Barangaroo development director, said he approached Chipperfield because of his buildings&#39; &quot;timeless elegance&quot; and &quot;understated sophistication&quot;.

Chipperfield undertook the refurbishment of the Neues Museum in Berlin.&nbsp;

It has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5770 project_image_fid=24110]

Developer Aqualand has appointed Sir David Chipperfield as the architect to design their Barangaroo Central project

jchancellor

Sir David Chipperfield to design Aqualand's Barangaroo central project

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For the last few years, property trends have reflected the importance of dining facilities and on-site retail spaces for investors and owner-occupiers alike.

These mixed-use developments have become a new sector mainstay in Australia, according to Cromwell Property Group, with developers increasingly combining commercial, retail, leisure and residential.

<a href="/buildings/beyond-hurstville-93-forest-road-hurstville"><img alt="" height="1390" src="https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/screen_shot_2021-02-24_at_12.02.50_pm.png" width="2280"></a>

Urban takes a look at five Sydney apartments with on-site retail and dining facilities.

1. Bloom Arncliffe 
Address: 213 Princes Highway, Arncliffe NSW 2205 
Two-bedroom apartments from $710,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6201]

Among Bloom Arncliffe’s on-site amenities include a ground-floor marketplace with restaurants and retailers, so that coffee, food and other simple luxuries are only ever a moment away.

Developed by Wingate, the development offers a collection of 318 one, two and three-bedroom ready-to-go apartments across seven buildings. 
 

2. Beyond, Hurstville 
Address: 93 Forest Road, Hurstville NSW 2220 
Two-bedroom apartments from $845,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6798]

Located in South Sydney, Beyond is Fridcorp’s latest Hurstville development, featuring a number of on-site amenities, including a 4,500sqm retail precinct, anchored by Woolworths.

Other facilities include an outdoor dining and teppanyaki grill, gardens, lobby bar and residents’ dining. 
 

3. 180 George, Parramatta 
Address: 180 George Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 
Two-bedroom apartments from $715,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8590]

Meriton’s world-class 180 George development brings together lifestyle, retail and five-star amenities across its 67 floors.

Designed by Woods Bagot, the project is set to deliver 767 one, two and three-bedroom apartments looking out over Parramatta River to the Sydney CBD skyline and beyond. 
 

4. Cornerstone, Belmore 
Address: 717-727 Canterbury Road, Belmore NSW 2192 
Two-bedroom apartments from $655,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=9188]

Located on Canterbury Road, Cornerstone delivers ground-floor retail spaces and parkland to benefit residents as well as the community.

Cornerstone encompasses a collection of 141 flawlessly designed one, two and three-bedroom apartments with secure parking and lift access, boasting exceptionally generous proportions with spacious alfresco areas. 
 

5. The Galleria, Parramatta 
Address: 23-29 Hassall Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 
Two-bedroom apartment from $699,000

[smartcode_project:default project_id=9190]

At Parramatta’s the Galleria, residents’ can enjoy a private podium garden while onsite commercial spaces at ground level provide a variety of retail offerings.

Developed by Nucorp and designed by Architex, the Galleria puts you front row and centre for the exceptional growth, gentrification and cultural change that Parramatta is currently experiencing.

Lead image credit: Wingate, Bloom Arncliffe
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For the last few years, property trends have reflected the importance of dining facilities and on-site retail spaces for investors and owner-occupiers alike

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