A new 25-storey residential tower is proposed for 38 Clarke Street in the heart of Melbourne’s Southbank, designed by award-winning multi-disciplinary design practice FK in collaboration with Melbourne-based developer LAS Group.
A sculptural addition to the Southbank skyline, plans for 38 Clarke Street include 188 one-and two-bedroom apartments. Located on the corner of City Road and Clarke Street, the 25-storey tower features an angled facade that plays with light and shadow. FK is excited to bring this dynamic build-to-sell residential offering to this highly desirable city centre location.
In contrast to the neighbouring buildings with predominantly glass facade buildings, 38 Clarke Street embraces the industrial heritage of the area, with the building’s lower level finishes drawing on the 19th century local vernacular found on City Road with rich red brick detailing and arched windows.
FK associate principal Kianson Tay says the design of the tower needed to respect the context of the site and the surrounding area, while offering a fresh, timeless expression for residents to connect with, both within the development and beyond.
“City road has a heritage of 19th century masonry warehouse buildings which we believe offers opportunities for contemporary reinterpretation. There is an architectural language here of tactile materiality and brickwork detailing which we are excited to interpret into 38 Clarke Street. The material palette of our scheme has a sense of solidity and tactility, with materials that will patina and age gracefully over time,” said FK associate principal Kianson Tay.
Comprising two interlocking tower forms, the solidity of the masonry base transitions to a lighter and more delicate tower materiality of expressed warm-coloured concrete blades with an oxide finish.
Much of Southbank lies within the City of Melbourne’s flood zone which has significant design implications to ensure flood resilience. To address the challenging flood level requirements of the low-lying site, the building’s ground floor was designed 2.5 meters above street level, with the lower ground level at street level featuring resident amenities including a dedicated bike lobby and parking area, pool and gym.
“To enhance the pedestrian experience and engagement along the street frontages, we have carefully considered the podium ground level experience through human-scaled elements with a sense of craft and detailed design. An off-form concrete canopy establishes a datum line at the base, with a composition of arched brick bay windows that evoke the industrial past of the neighbourhood.
We were conscious that City Road can be a busy and hard-edged environment, and so we wanted to introduce architectural detailing and fine-scaled elements to enrich the experience at street level,” added Kianson Tay.
The top of the podium features a densely planted native garden bed designed by renowned Tract Landscape Architects. The garden bed provides residents and neighbouring towers with a visual connection to nature and strengthens the site’s ecological value.
Sustainability measures targeting a 5-star Green Star rating include a bike-friendly lobby with extensive bicycle parking accommodating more than 200 spaces, far beyond typical allowances, to encourage the use of the city’s cycle lanes and reduce vehicle reliance. From an energy perspective, the all-electric building features distinctive angled fins that will passively reduce solar heat gain.
LAS Group spokesperson Les Smith said: “One and two-bedroom apartments are highly sought after in Melbourne’s Southbank, particularly at a mid-tier price point. We’re excited to partner with FK, experts in tall buildings, to actualise these designs that both respect the heritage of the area and create a sense of place for people to call home in one of Melbourne’s most desirable locations, just 1km from the CBD.”
