Argo Group and Hickory to enlarge original design of 570 Little Bourke Street Tower

The City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Committee earlier this week authorised amendments to the previously approved 570 Little Bourke project, currently being developed by Argo Group and Hickory. Responding to market demand, Argo Group had purchased the adjacent property at 232 King Street and enlarged the mixed-use development to deliver in excess of 21,000sqm of NLA with larger floor plates and improved amenity.

The primary focus of the amendment, designed by renowned Melbourne firm Fender Katsalidis Architects, was to achieve enlarged floorplates of around 1,000sqm. The amendment will bring additional NLA to 570 Little Bourke to deliver unequalled building amenity and an enhanced urban design outcome, rejuvenating the ground floor public realm around the site.
The proposed 23-level tower spans 30,000sqm, and will be located on the corner of King and Little Bourke Street, comprising a striking exterior design with various new retail tenancies to activate the adjoining Brown Alley and surrounding area.

The bold project will integrate existing heritage buildings into the new development by upgrading the historic Great Western Hotel and the newly acquired 232 King Street. This will create a dynamic streetscape and impressive and contemporary façade with a mix of historic and contemporary architecture.

The urban design of the building involved a highly collaborative approach with the City of Melbourne which focused on delivering a highly articulated façade, improved street activation through enlarged through-block links to the pocket park, and significant rejuvenation of Brown Alley through the re-use of existing laneway brickwork. The focus on ground floor activity, materiality and texture will deliver a highly activated three-dimensional pedestrian streetscape.

Construction is set to commence in late 2022, with the building scheduled for completion in 2024.

Nick Argyrou, Managing Director of Argo Group said, “It has always been our intention to create a world-class office destination for the 570 Little Bourke development, from our initial collaborations with UN Studio + XO Projects to the renowned expertise Fender Katsalidis bring to this significant amendment.”

“This development continues to elevate the quality and offering of our workplaces with unequalled amenity and design excellence, creating an enduring environment for city workers. This is more important than ever considering the impact of COVID-19, which has resulted in a ‘flight to quality’ as tenants seek the best places they can to attract and retain staff. Although our immediate attention was to contribute to the upgrade of the King Street precinct, exemplar developments like this will be critical in enticing workers back into the city and are essential to the revival of the CBD.”

George Abraham, Managing Director of Hickory said, “We are pleased to be developing this state-of-the-art tower in conjunction with Argo Group, which has been shaped by the inspired design direction of Fender Katsilidis.”

“The updated design plans will deliver larger floor plates and improved amenity to 570 Little Bourke, providing the best in office, retail and hospitality. We look forward to bringing this elegant development to life, which will bring together architectural excellence, environmentally sustainable design and high-tech building innovation.”

James Pearce, Director at Fender Katsalidis, said they were delighted that their design for 570 Little Bourke had received approval from the Future Melbourne Committee.

“We’re looking forward to seeing our design brought to life, which will further enhance and enliven the precinct. With complimentary amenity and uses suited to integrating work and life, we hope this will encourage people to re-engage the site, while enhancing the liveability of Melbourne’s CBD.”

“Our design aims to enrich Melbourne’s laneway culture through the provision of an activated arcade link, connecting the tree-lined boulevard of King Street and Brown Alley’s pocket park. It also encapsulates the various characteristics of the multiple site frontages, while retaining the local pub,” Mr Pearce said.