Formerly known as The Walk, the 3,600sq m site was originally made up of eight separate buildings including Diamond House, the Public Benefit Bootery, Allan’s Building and York Building.
The redevelopment will include 6,000sq m of retail and a dual-brand hotel, with IHG opening a Hotel Indigo and a Holiday Inn. The hotels will offer 450 rooms over nine levels and will sit above a three-level retail podium.
Global design studio, Buchan, is delivering the architecture and interior design for the entire project, including the hotels, for client Steadfast Capital. Buchan Project Principal David Forbes says the development is ideally located on Melbourne’s established north-south pedestrian ‘ant trail’ in one of the city’s primary retail precincts. The heritage-rich site is bound by Bourke Street, Little Collins Street, The Causeway and Union Lane and is unique in character, scale and historical context.
Lead Architect Hayden Djakic says the design respects the site’s heritage and enhances Melbourne’s permeable urban fabric. “The notion of individual building forms will be retained behind four restored facades, with the spaces between allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the site and supporting an arcade and cross lanes at ground level,” said Djakic. “Union Lane will remain true to its service-lane origins, preserving the iconic graffiti street art in one of the city’s most Instagrammed locations.”
