600 Lonsdale brings a new genre of high rise to Melbourne. Programmatically diverse, solar-responsive, and a model of biophilic design, the building blurs boundaries between work, life, and leisure. Situated on a prominent corner in Melbourne’s legal precinct, the 42-story building contributes to the rapidly transforming “West End” of the central business district. 600 Lonsdale combines 24,400 square meters of A-grade office space, amenities, and retail space. Terraces and balconies express the building mass as a series of volumes, mediating between the scale of surrounding heritage buildings and the neighborhood’s emerging high-rise context.
Fins Module Density Mix
Aiming to reduce material usage, (and resultant embodied carbon), the proposed distribution of fins has been optimized to remove fins from areas with lesser visual or performance benefit. Priority has been given to retaining fins on the primary street frontages at podium levels, where contextual relationships are important.
Solar Incidence Analysis
Solar Incidence analysis indicated that the upper portions of the north and east facades have the higher solar exposure, where shading fins would be of greatest benefit. Conversely, the west facade is predominantly sheltered from both sun and view by neighbouring high-rise development, suggesting a reduced quantity of fins in these areas is appropriate.
Facade Documentation
To meet the demands of the new workplace, the building’s offset core and perimeter cantilevers enable office floorplates that are open, adaptable, and highly flexible. A welcoming and open ground level with operable storefront elements further blurs the boundaries of use, while office and retail functions interact and overlap. This further eases the boundaries between inside and outside, public and private, and will help foster a sense of community and openness at street level. The dynamic mix of uses will extend the building’s activity from the workweek into the weekend, firmly rooting 600 Lonsdale in the emerging life and energy of the neighbourhood.
The result is a cleverly designed tower that uses high-quality materials and a terracotta external fin system that could bring a new direction in style for Melbourne.
Typical Office Floor Plan - Low Rise