One Gertrude Street
Layered perspectives
2000–
Introduction
Set along Melbourne’s storied Gertrude Street, a tightly knit cultural spine in the heart of Fitzroy, this project is shaped by the rhythms of a vibrant street life and the enduring legacy of its architecture. The street, dense with galleries, social venues, and independent retail, sits within a historically rich urban grain — a landscape layered with time, creative culture, and identity.
Technical details
PASK
In this context, our intervention is not simply an insertion, but a quiet extension of the street’s narrative. The five-storey redevelopment — an integrated blend of retail, commercial and residential programs — embraces adaptive reuse as a method of sustainability, where retention becomes an act of care and transformation a gesture of continuity. Close proximity to the UNESCO-listed Royal Exhibition Building underpinned a rigorous heritage response. Views were preserved, but more critically, stories were respected.
Proximity to the Royal Exhibition Building, which is a UNESCO world heritage site directly
impacted the form of the building through iterative view studies undertaken throughout
the design of the building.
An iterative design process — anchored in detailed site studies and rigourous concept development workshops with the client — gave rise to an architectural language shaped by listening. The built form references the discipline and rhythm of neighbouring terraces, yet resists mimicry. Instead, it abstracts local patterns through exposed edges, layered thresholds and subtle vertical articulation, allowing the building to breathe within its surroundings.
From the façade to ithe interior (developed by our partners Kennon) the material palette speaks quietly of longevity and place. Every gesture — from the preservation of historic sightlines to the articulation of setbacks and volumes — acknowledges the role of memory in the built environment. The result is a project that not only integrates, but reciprocates: with its street, its history, and its people.
Final design renders coming soon.
↑ Rythmn of the streetfront informed facade design to instill FItzroy's urban grain within the facade.