888 Bourke Street

The difficult geometry of the site is resolved through simplified planning strategies that aim to create an elegant planning solution, providing well-articulated forms which express the internal layout.

The design seeks to draw cues from the surrounding industrial warehouse heritage and from the dense future site context. The new curved street has inspired the curvature of all key corners of the proposed brick-banded buildings. The resulting two sinuous L-shaped street wall buildings are visually connected via a proposed new east-west through site link, starting beneath a pair of double-height entry bridges facing one another across the future roadway. This new east-west pedestrian link connects two north-south pedestrian walkways beyond the subject site.

All entrance lobbies are double height and visually connect the interior courtyard gardens to the perimeter streets. The ground and first floors are all recessed beneath the building perimeters overhead, through the use of a two storey terrace house typology facing the public realm. All 181 apartments in the scheme have good amenity, and upper level lift lobbies are light-filled and cross-ventilated. The main street intersection is provided with a double height café space at ground level, and the easternmost pedestrian intersection is provided with a generous communal space at ground level.

Sunny rooftop open spaces with pergolas for shade are provided for residents.