Wesley Place

Client
Charter Hall
Lendlease
Year
2016–2021

Wesley Place balances new and old to create an integrated, high-quality public realm.

Image:

Ken Kuo

Image:

StraBe Group

Wesley Place is a new development on the site of the Wesley Church, a Uniting Church in the centre of Melbourne. Steeped in history, the many heritage buildings on the site are integral to its existing character and are respected and celebrated by the landscape design, which unifies the new and old built form to create an integrated high-quality public realm.

The project includes a substantial public realm offering at 48% of entire site (3245m2). The construction of a new Cox-designed 55,000m2 office tower on the north-east of the site will activate the precinct, bringing 5,500 office workers to the site daily. The provision of new retail space (both in the new building and through refurbished and re-purposed heritage buildings) will further activate the public realm.

The landscape design compliments and enhances existing built heritage aspects while carefully negotiating existing vegetation, heritage buildings and a new contemporary office tower.

The layout of seating, gardens and lawn respects the orthogonal layout of the buildings and we used textures to connect the new with the old. The open lawn at the Little Lonsdale end provides a generous space focused around existing trees, one of which is amongst the oldest olive trees in Australia, said to have arrived from Jerusalem in 1839.

The landscape at Wesley Place is an important addition to inner Melbourne’s public spaces. It offers refuge from the adjoining city streets and creates a new pedestrian connection through the site, which previously didn’t exist.

1 of 5
Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

Molly Coulter

Image:

OCULUS

Image:

OCULUS

Client

Charter Hall

Lendlease

Year
2016–2021
Location

Melbourne, VIC

Aboriginal Country

Wurundjeri

Size
1 ha
Team

Bob Earl

Tim Mitchell

Emily Mabin

Collaborators

Cox Architecture

Lovell Chen

Broached Commissions

Studio Ongarato

Greenwood Consulting

AECOM

Awards

2023 Good Design Award for Architectural Design – Place Design

2022 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) National Awards – Landscape Architecture Award for Civic Landscape

2022 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Victoria Award for Cultural Heritage

2022 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) VIC – The John George Knight Award for Heritage

2022 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) – VIC Commendation for Commercial Architecture

2022 Council on Tall Buildings Awards Urban Habitat – District/Master Plan Scale Winner

2021 Urban Development Institute of Australia Victorian Chapter – Great Place Award

Join our mailing list for occasional updates.