Collins Arch is a unique island site located within Melbourne’s CBD. The site provides an urban connection for the eastern and western precincts of Collins Street and a gateway to Queensbridge Park and the Yarra River to the south. Collins Arch provides a mix of premium commercial office space (Platinum WELL-Shell & Core, 5-star Greenstar), residential apartment living and a 5-star hotel, in conjunction with ground plane retail. The project demonstrates how an under-utilised part of the city can be transformed into an internationally significant, 24/7 live/work/play destination.

The dual towers’ combined footprint presents approximately 45 per cent of the site area to the public realm. A new public park adjacent to the site is the first in Melbourne’s CBD in forty years and extends the Collins Arch precinct providing increased amenity to the greater community. The form is designed to optimise views and amenity for all occupants with the east tower progressively stepping back to create expansive terraces to the apartments, simultaneously opening up views over the Yarra River to the commercial tenants in the west tower.

The facade articulation breaks down the building massing and differentiates the programs of hotel, residential, and office with the varied orientation of the glazing panels and projected stainless-steel spandrels.

Activated street frontages and a series of urban ground plane elements, including a sculptural colonnade with an integrated water wall, amphitheatre, landscaped centre court, and cross-site pedestrian links, all contribute to the creation of a vibrant public space and greater connection to the city context. Commercial and residential lobbies celebrate natural materials and bespoke stonework and light fittings. Occupants enjoy access to the sky-garden, shared lounge amenity, entertainment deck, indoor pool, and commercial Wellness and End of Trip facility.

Furniture: Great Dane, Design Nation, Own World, Cult, Criteria, Space Furniture, Living Edge, Zuster, Stylecraft. Lighting: Volker Haug, Euroluce, Criteria, Hub Furniture. Finishes: Artoz, Halcyon Lake, Academy Tiles, LL Installations, Elton Group, GKD, Shaw Carpets, Whitecliff Imports, RC&D, Interface. Fittings & Fixtures: Caroma, Astra Walker, Reece, Rogerseller.

Photography: Trevor Mein