Glass office tower planned for Collins St to reference site’s former Federal Coffee Palace
The Federal Coffee Palace that stood on Collins St is one of Melbourne’s most famous lost buildings. Now a new building proposal promises to honour the icon.
VIC News
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A stunning glass office tower has been proposed on the site of one of Melbourne’s most famous lost buildings.
The 19th century Federal Coffee Palace stood on the corner of Collins and King streets, but was controversially demolished in 1972 despite a public campaign to save it.
It was once Australia’s largest hotel, and originally didn’t serve alcohol because the owners were in the temperance movement.
Developer Charter Hall plans to pull down buildings erected since the Coffee Palace’s demise, and put up a 34-level office tower with a podium lobby and retail area, a plaza, and laneways for a total project value of $1.5 billion.
Simon Hausegger, from Cox Architecture, said the design, in conjunction with Gensler Architecture, would feature a contemporary reflection of the site’s history.
“The mass, the scale, the texture of the Coffee Palace itself, and those experiences that people may have had in the old spaces,” he said.
“We’re trying to create experiences at the lower levels where we’re inviting the people of the city into the space.”
“We’ve got a fantastic market hall and retail experience that can be rigged for events - that type of macro experience within the city is quite novel.”
City of Melbourne councillors are likely to support the project at a meeting next Tuesday after management recommended it with certain conditions.
Planning portfolio chairman Cr Nicholas Reece said there was probably no building more sorely missed from the Marvellous Melbourne era than the Coffee Palace.
“Any references to the heritage and glory of the former Coffee Palace will be welcomed by council,” he said.
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“For too many decades Collins St was known as having the ‘Paris end’ and the ‘other end’.
But recent developments have really lifted the tone at the west end making it Australia’s premier business address from one end to the other.”
The permit application will be decided by state Planning Minister Richard Wynne.