Developer Lowe Living and joint venture partner INT.RE Kajima have announced the completion of Emerald Place, a $160 million mixed-use development in the heart of South Melbourne.
Located at 182-200 Clarendon Street, on the corner of York Street, the project comprises 38 luxury residences, two floors of commercial office space and lifestyle-focused ground-floor retail.
Woods Bagot collaborated on the architecture and interior design, while Acre delivered the landscaping.
Emerald Place is Lowe Living’s first integrated mixed-use development and the second for INT.RE Kajima.
Lowe Living has also relocated its headquarters to one of the building’s commercial tenancies, giving the developer a presence in the neighbourhood alongside residents and business occupiers.
The site sits beside South Melbourne Market and carries a Walk Score of 99, placing Albert Park, Clarendon Street’s cafés and retail, and the CBD within easy reach.
Lowe Living Co-Founder and Managing Director Emma Lowe said the project is an important milestone for the company and its approach to considered residential design.
“When someone purchases an Emerald Place home, we want them to feel like they’ve found the version of South Melbourne they didn’t know was possible, all the energy of the market and the laneways outside, and total stillness the moment they’re behind their own door,” said Lowe.
“That contrast is what we designed for.”
The residential offering includes 2- and 3-bedroom apartments in the Signature Collection, as well as 3- and 4-bedroom penthouses and sub-penthouses in the Skyhome Collection.
Located on Levels 7 and 8, the Skyhome Collection combines house-sized proportions with private outdoor spaces and offers city or bay views, with select apartments enjoying triple-aspect outlooks.
Two half-floor penthouses sit on Level 8, and the larger provides 328 square metres of internal living space, a landscaped rooftop, a private pool and a kitchenette.
Art features prominently through a new partnership between Lowe Living and Melbourne Art Fair.
A curated exhibition of works with a combined value of more than $430,000 is on show in one of the Skyhome Collection’s largest penthouses, which has been furnished as a display residence.
Woods Bagot’s design draws on South Melbourne’s architectural heritage, with terracotta tones referencing the area’s characteristic brickwork.
At street level, an artwork by Lisa Young, in collaboration with Kerry Kounnapis, marks the corner.
Inside the residential lobby, a landscaped lightwell by Acre draws natural light through the centre of the building and introduces greenery to the arrival experience.
The commercial component delivers approximately 4,100 square metres of internal workplace and retail space, including boutique offices across two floors and ground-floor retail.
A dedicated Clarendon Street commercial entrance and end-of-trip facilities support the office offering, and new businesses are preparing to move in over the coming month.
SOAK Bathhouse will join the building as a ground-floor tenant under a 10-year lease, occupying a corner tenancy of approximately 459 square metres.
The venue will bring contemporary bathing and social wellness to residents, office occupiers and the wider community.
Skyhome purchasers will receive complimentary memberships, while all other residents will have access to exclusive discounted rates.
INT.RE Kajima Chief Executive Officer Matthew Bourke said the development reflects South Melbourne’s evolution into one of the city’s most dynamic live-work precincts, and that the partnership has contributed to that continued change.
