Construction has officially begun on AURA, the $800 million, 67-storey tower that forms the third and latest stage of Melbourne Square, the $3.5 billion Southbank precinct being delivered by Malaysian developer OSK Property alongside construction partner Multiplex.
More than 140 apartments have sold since AURA launched in the second quarter of 2026, with the tower on track for completion in early 2030.
AURA follows BLVD, the second stage of Melbourne Square, which is currently under construction and set for completion in early 2028, with settlements beginning in October 2026.
OSK Property CEO Australia Chong Boon Woon said the progress across the precinct was building confidence among buyers as they see the quality on offer firsthand.
“AURA represents a unique lifestyle experience for residents, which brings together the calm, clarity and simplicity of Japanese design, and its construction start marks a major milestone for the ever-evolving Melbourne Square precinct,” said Chong.
The tower has been designed around a Japanese-inspired retreat concept, incorporating a teahouse pavilion, outdoor dining and a range of wellness facilities intended to appeal to buyers drawn to Japanese design philosophy.
Amenities are spread across the building as a vertical ecosystem.
The full-floor AURA Club and Gardens on level 7, open to all residents, will include a 25m indoor pool with an adjoining sun terrace, a gym with a yoga room and Reformer Pilates area, hot and cold plunge spas, sauna and steam rooms, plus dining, lounge and games spaces including a music room that doubles as a podcast studio.
The Gardens will also house a Japanese-inspired teahouse surrounded by landscaped lawns, along with outdoor barbecue, dining and lounge areas with a firepit.
A golf simulator and a dedicated co-working space, both popular features at other Melbourne Square buildings, will also be available to all AURA residents.
Levels 49 and 50 will house the Meridian Club, offering lounge areas, a bar and private dining rooms with east-facing views across Southbank, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct through to the Dandenong Ranges.
The most exclusive amenities, reserved for AURA’s premium residences, sit atop the building at the Cumulus Club on levels 66 and 67, featuring a private dining room, sunrise and sunset lounges, treatment rooms, a private soak bath, yoga, meditation and sound rooms, and a botanical retreat centred on a Wollemi pine.
Multiplex Regional Managing Director Ross Snowball said the builder’s experience across the precinct’s earlier stages was informing how AURA is being delivered.
“Today’s groundbreaking marks another important milestone for Melbourne Square and continues our long-standing partnership with OSK on one of Melbourne’s most significant residential precincts,” said Snowball.
Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell welcomed the start of construction, pointing to the scale of the investment and the project’s position within one of the city’s most active residential precincts.
“This $800 million investment in our city is not only good news for Southbank, but it’s also a huge vote of confidence in our city,” Campbell said.
The tower’s launch success follows a strong showing at the 2026 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards in September, where AURA won Best Luxury Apartment Development (Victoria), Best Wellness Residential Development, Best Apartment Interior Design and Best Apartment Development (Australia), while OSK Property was named Best Lifestyle Apartment Developer.
