Development approval has been granted for a $520 million mixed-use development proposal in southeast Melbourne, designed by local architecture practice Wardle, with Oculus as the landscape designer.
Branded “Kew Village” by developer Orchard Piper, the greenlit project is set to transform an existing car park and supermarket on Princess Street, at the prominent Kew Junction intersection.
The approved scheme comprises four buildings of varying heights, accommodating a mix of residential, retail and public amenities. According to the developer, the highest building proposed – reaching 18 storeys – has been “strategically positioned to minimise overshadowing and protect surrounding amenity,” while the other buildings remain below 16 storeys.
A series of proposed green open spaces within the village includes a new pedestrian laneway envisioned as an extension of Athenaeum Place, and a new public park to the south of the site.
According to a media communique, Wardle’s architectural design aims to integrate with the patterns of the site’s existing urban condition.
“The architecture has been shaped by a careful sampling of Kew’s existing buildings, drawing from the double-column proportions of the suburb’s Victorian and Edwardian homes, as well as the more solid masonry expression and measured proportions found in its mid-century houses,” said Wardle principal John Wardle.
“Rich, highly crafted materials, including brick and terracotta, will ground the precinct and reveal the hand, mind and skills of many makers.”
The residential component of the project consists of 194 dwellings, including one-, two- and three-bed apartments, as well as townhouses, 10 per cent of which have been designated as affordable housing for essential workers.
The greenlit precinct also includes a 1,300-square-metre fresh food grocer and a collection of retail and food and beverage outlets.
“Our ambition with this project is twofold: to deliver a precinct that meaningfully enhances Kew Junction while responding to the need for new housing and retail; and to set a precedent for future development in the area,” said Orchard Piper founder and director Luke McKie.
“This approval allows us to realise a project that becomes a new focal point for Kew, a lively residential precinct set above a welcoming, walkable place for the community defined by green space, a new fine-produce offering and re-envisioned retail.”
The approval follows a design review process involving the Office of the Victorian Government Architect, the Department of Transport and Planning and the City of Boroondara.
Kew Village is expected to commence construction in late 2027.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
