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Architects: Architectus
- Area: 25000 ft²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Trevor Mein
Text description provided by the architects. Set in a gritty, character-filled pocket of Richmond, Industry Lanes, is a new mixed-use precinct comprising 25,000 sqm of interconnected buildings that occupies an entire city block at 459 Church Street. Architectus collaborated with Salta Properties and Abacus to transform the 5,200 sqm site into a commercial and lifestyle hub for a new wave of workers seeking mixed experiences from their physical workplace.
Industry Lanes feature a range of agile work settings along with 1,300sqm of retail, drinking, and dining space for over 2,000 employees. The design creates an internal ‘village’ that links to existing street activity, welcoming not just workers but also the surrounding community. A through-block link connects Church Street to Brighton Street and has a mix of commercial and retail spaces, shared end-of-trip facilities, and an open-air courtyard framing Shamrock Street—creating a vibrant, communal precinct drawing people into and through the site.
Inside, the office campus-style design features flexible and agile workspaces with green terraces that enhance the building’s usability and appeal to tenants. Purpose-built with a focus on work-life balance and mindfulness, the development’s retail spaces include an Italian furniture and design showroom, Molteni&C, and a gallery design store, The Front Room. “Our aim for Industry Lanes was to create a new block that would engage people beyond their working day. It’s the convenience and attributes of a neighborhood that draw people to a workplace, as well as some of those ‘hidden’ things you can discover when you visit a place. You start to find more and more as you experience these spaces,” said Architectus Principal Shaun Schroter.
Salta Properties, Managing Director Sam Tarascio added: “With its mix of flexible, future-proofed workplaces and in-between spaces featuring retail, communal amenities, open-air courtyards, and shared work zones, Industry Lanes embraces the new world workplace for the new world employee.” The design echoes the industrial heritage of Richmond, with materials such as brick, steel, and bluestone used throughout the development. The scale and palette of the buildings change to ensure Industry Lanes is in tune with its neighbours with homes on one side and businesses on another.
“Industry Lanes is new and large in scale, but it still draws on all the things people know and love about Richmond, including the utilitarian nature of its industrial buildings. The design looked to the past to inform the future,” said Shaun. The valuable addition of a childcare center, the only facility to be delivered in a new commercial precinct in Richmond, is a major drawcard for both tenants and the many young professionals and families drawn to this dynamic part of Melbourne. Built by construction partner Hansen Yuncken, Industry Lanes are fully leased and have been awarded a 5-Star Green Star Design and As Built v1.2 certified rating. They are also targeting a 5 Star NABERS Energy rating.
