Golden Age Group has been given approval to develop a 21 storey mixed-use tower located within Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market precinct.

Sitting at 432-450 Queen Street, the new building has been designed by Bates Smart. Comprising a number of sustainable and thoughtfully crafted residences, the tower also features two levels of retail, a roof terrace on Level 5, and residential amenity. Bates Smart have looked to restore the Queen Victoria building and integrate it into the new development, which will acknowledge and respect the history of the site.

The 450 Queen Street project was endorsed by the City of Melbourne in June last year, with Planning Minister Richard Wynne and his department recently giving the go ahead. Bates Smart Director, Julian Anderson, says the project has been designed to prioritise residents, visitors and the market community through providing engaging spaces to live, work and play.

“We have taken great care in designing an enduring and well-crafted addition to this neighbourhood, respecting the site’s historical context while being mindful that this development will have a role in shaping the future character of an evolving and diverse urban fabric,” he says.

Carefully selected masonry will be applied to podium forms to complement the existing Queen Victoria building, while the retail ground plane will incorporate vitrine windows as a contemporary translation of the classic shopfronts seen amongst the market precinct.

A triple-height atrium facing to the north will complement Munro Square, providing natural light and activity to the lower and upper ground retail tenancies.

Golden Age Founder and Managing Director Jeff Xu says the approval news is a fantastic start to 2022 for the developer.

“Receiving approval is a reflection of the level of confidence the State Government has in us as co-developers of this city. The project is located in a significant area of the Queen Victoria Market precinct and we’re excited to develop a project that will further contribute to this ever-evolving pocket of the city.”

Around 10 percent of the residences will also be offered as affordable housing as a means of ensuring an equitable provision of housing is made available. For more information regarding the project, click here.

Image: Supplied