Queen & Collins

2022 National Architecture Awards: Urban Design – Shortlist

Queen & Collins | KTA + BVN

Traditional Land Owners: The Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation

In the aftermath of COVID-19, the design approach for Queen and Collins is especially prescient. Here commercial development is supremely placed to connect us with each other, with our city, its heritage and our environment/climate through an architecture of determined porosity. The design integrates the remarkable heritage with new retail opportunities and a vision for the future workplace with wellbeing and social connection at its heart.

This is underpinned by the urban design strategy which reconnects half a block back into the city with a network of new pathways and interstitial spaces for public access and enjoyment. Through a judicious edit of alterations, the various buildings were disaggregated and their individual character expressed. Added to the existing cluster of individually distinctive heritage buildings a further four new retail blocks each with their own identity.

The project is a collaboration between KTA – podium, ground plane, urban design and BVN – workplace.

Client perspective:
How does the design benefit the way you live/work/play/operate/educate/other?

Queen & Collins delivers possibly Melbourne’s most extraordinary office spaces with Venetian-inspired courtyards and flamboyant neo-gothic flourishes, all integrated with retail and hospitality that will serve the wider CBD. The architectural team embraced the challenge of uniting the varied spaces by delivering a transformative upgraded the precinct while preserving the character of its heritage neighbours. The strategy adopted the incongruous nature of buildings, bringing cohesion to the precinct, it is now a ‘city within a city’ that contests long-held workplace conventions. The flexible spaces with well-considered mix of amenities and connectivity will play a critical role in enticing workers back.

Practice team:

Renae Tapley, BVN, Interior Architecture Project Leader
Marc Hine, BVN, Associate
Sally Campbell, BVN, Senior Practice Director
Alan Monckton-Milnes, BVN, Architect
Sean Regan, BVN, Architect
Rob Vider, BVN, Senior Practice Director
Ninotschka Titchkosky, BVN, Co-CEO
Tamsin O’Reilly, Visualisation Specialist
Marwin Sim, Graduate of Architecture
Darcy Dunn, Graduate of Architecture
Caroline Chong, Graduate of Architecture
Henry Russell, Architect
Patrick Phelan, Architect
Grant Dixon, Senior Architect
Martin Allen, Associate, Senior Architect
Lloyd McCathie, Associate, Project Architect
Claire Humphreys, Associate, Design Lead
Michael Blancato, Associate, Project Lead
Kelley Mackay, Director of Projects
Kerstin Thompson, Design Architect

Builder:

Probuild Constructions

Construction team:

Morris Goding Access Consultants, Accessibility
Studio Semaphore, Wayfinding + Signage
McKenzie Group, Building Surveyor
DJ Coalition, Lighting Consultant
Lovell Chen, Heritage and Preservation Architects
Bryce Raworth, Heritage Advisors
Millar Merrigan, Landscape Architect
Slattery, Quantity Surveyor
Irwin Consult (WSP), Traffic Engineer
Acoustic Logic, AV Consultant
Arup, Fire Engineering
Arup, ESD Consultant
Arup, Hydraulics / Fire Services
Arup, Mechanical / Electrical Engineers
Aurecon, Facade Engineer
Aurecon, Structural / Civil Engineers
Tract, Town Planner
Armitage Jones, Project Manager