Sterling Global’s 623 Collins Street development centres on the restoration of the former State Savings Bank of Victoria, paired with a contemporary tower rising above, shaping one of the CBD’s most significant heritage-integrated projects.
Rather than positioning heritage and new construction as competing elements, the project has been conceived as a continuous design dialogue, resolving past and present through a shared architectural and material language.
For Plus Studio, this process began with a detailed analysis of the existing structures, including their proportions, materiality and architectural logic.
These elements were used to inform the design of the tower, ensuring consistency across old and new.
“The heritage buildings establish a language that the new work responds to,” said Mau Cheng, Associate at Plus Studio.
“The tower is expressed as a modern interpretation, allowing the project to sit comfortably within its context while contributing to the evolving scale of the city.”
This architectural thinking extends into the interiors, led by Fiona Lynch Office, which has developed a design approach focused on atmosphere, continuity and material richness.
“Our approach was to treat the project as a point of dialogue between past and present, rather than a contrast between the two,” said Fiona Lynch, Founder of Fiona Lynch Office.
“The interiors sit between these conditions, creating a continuity of experience that feels grounded in the building’s heritage while expressing a contemporary identity.”
Materiality plays a key role in bridging these elements.
A palette of tonal stone, walnut and reflective surfaces has been applied to create layered textures and subtle shifts in light, reinforcing a sense of permanence while allowing spaces to evolve throughout the day.
Across both architecture and interiors, the development transitions seamlessly from the restored heritage podium to the vertical residential tower, maintaining a consistent and unified design language at every scale.
Sterling Global Director Brandon Yeoh said the project demonstrates a long-term commitment to design integrity as a core driver of value and identity.
“623 Collins Street has been shaped by a clear and shared design vision from the outset,” said Brandon.
“Rather than approaching heritage and contemporary architecture as separate ideas, the project brings them together through a unified design framework, one that considers how people experience the building over time, not just how it presents on completion.
“This level of collaboration between architecture, interiors and client is essential to delivering places that feel considered, enduring and connected to their context.”
Beyond the site itself, 623 Collins contributes to the ongoing transformation of Melbourne’s western CBD, re-establishing the precinct as a key gateway to Collins Street while supporting a broader shift toward design-led, mixed-use development.
As part of Melbourne Design Week, the project will be presented through a public conversation with Fiona Lynch and Plus Studio, offering insight into the collaborative design process behind complex urban outcomes.
The development is also expected to feature in this year’s Open House Melbourne program, further embedding it within the city’s architectural and cultural discourse.
Completion of 623 Collins is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2029.