Apartments approved for Fitzroy's 25 Smith Street
A new boutique apartment development has been approved for Fitzroy.
Melbourne developers Urban, headed by directors Bart Callaghan and Tony Suttle, submitted the plans for the 23 apartment project at 25 Smith Street, which has been designed by Clare Cousins Architects.
Render of the planned Smith Street development. Clare Cousins Architects
Clare Cousins Architects was recently awarded 'The Premier Award for Interior Design' by the Australian Interior Design Awards (AIDA) and has previously designed retail stores for Aesop around the globe. The 25 Smith Street site was actually previously the Aesop headquarters, which Cousins designed some 18 years ago.
18 of the apartments will be taken to market, with the generous-sized residences a unique offering due to the designers working collaboratively alongside purchasers, from inception to completion, to ensure the homes are purpose built.
Five two-bedroom apartments will be delivered across the project, along with 13 three-bedroom apartments, including one penthouse and two full-floor apartments.
There is also further opportunity for buyers to combine apartments, creating two more full-floor apartments.
The $44 million project’s prices begin from $890,000 through to $6,000,000, spanning from 91 sqm to 390 sqm.
The group is targeting the local down-sizer and owner-occupier market, having recently completed the nearby Collingwood project, C&Lich was welcomed by a similar demographic.
Render of the planned Smith Street development. Credit Clare Cousins Architects
The building features a sculptural precast concrete exposed aggregate form, with each residence focusing on providing ample natural light and cross ventilation, while solar panels have been added to the rooftop to further reduce the energy requirements of the property.
The eight-storey building also offers views that cannot be built out, to the Dandenong Ranges in the east as well as the Melbourne city skyline to the west.
Situated on Little Victoria Street’s northwest corner, the development enjoys an enviable position that also fronts Little Smith Street, with residents enjoying the amenities of Smith Street, along with the parks and green spaces of East Melbourne.
The Fitzroy area is also abundant with boutique galleries and health studios, with Gertrude Street boasting some of the city's finest dining options, with Marion Wine Bar, Cutler & Co, and Tamura Sake Bar, all within 800 metres of the CBD.
Urban plans to begin the first stages of construction on the project by the end of the year.
The group began as a collaboration between the Directors, evolving to include a hand-picked specialist team of property-focused staff in Melbourne.
Since its inception in 2009, the team has successfully developed and delivered more than $2 billion worth of residential, commercial, retail, industrial and master-planned projects.
