The prestigious ‘Paris End’ of Melbourne Collins Street is undergoing a transformation, and 60 Collins Street will be part of this evolution after Dexus gains development approval for a 25-storey tower.
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Why we love this project:
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Designed by Bates Smart, 60 Collins Street will deliver around 35,000 sqm of Premium Grade office space, as well as 757 sqm of lower level retail space, 36 car parks and 212 bicycle spaces.
According to Ross Du Vernet, chief investment officer at Dexus, “the development will deliver much needed modern office stock and quality amenity to a prominent section of Collins Street”.
Laid out by surveyor Robert Hoddle in 1837, Collins Street soon became the most desired address in the city. By the 1880s, the street was bursting with beautiful buildings and boutiques, and the financial and fashionable people attracted to them.
The eastern end of Collins Street was dubbed the ‘Paris End’ in the 1950s in response to its heritage buildings, mature street trees, exclusive shopping boutiques and sidewalk cafés.
“It’s an important precinct for the city and this project will build on the leasing success we have had across the road at 80 Collins Street, with the office space in the new tower now almost 100 per cent committed,” Du Vernet adds.
The three-storey heritage-listed terrace at 52 Collins Street, Melville House, will be preserved and integrated.
The development will enliven the precinct with pedestrian friendly streetscape. A new connection through the activated lobby to McGraths Lane will establish a link between Collins and Little Collins Street. Premium retail spaces provided along the laneway and Exhibition and Collins Streets will also encourage a more engaging precinct.
According to Bates Smart, the architectural expression of the podium at pedestrian level continues the “rhythm, materiality and scale” established by the heritage-listed neighbours.
The tower will also be an exemplar of sustainable design, with the high-performing façade both insulative and transparent, linking tenants to the outside world and maximising natural light.
Roof terraces, wintergardens and retail offerings will provide spaces for customers to connect, unwind and explore. Internally, a welcoming and healthy workplace prioritises occupant wellbeing and promises to inspire creativity.
Du Vernet says Dexus has a clear aspiration for 60 Collins Street to be a “world class and innovative commercial environment that promotes both creativity and interaction”.