Sitting on a gold mine? Here’s some of the coolest places you could buy in Melbourne.
19-21 Niagara Lane, Melbourne 3000
One of the more unbelievable properties you’ll see in Melbourne, this place is basically a 4-storey house in the heart of the CBD. It’s a converted heritage warehouse, but it presents like a house with its own laneway frontage. With garaging for 3, it’s a complete rarity for any 3000 post-coded address. It’s got all the rustic charm going on throughout, including exposed brick walls, high ceilings, exposed ducts and timber ceilings. The piece de resistance is the incredible rooftop terrace that floats among the low-rise historic city buildings and gets dwarfed by nearby modern towers. This unique 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home also has 2 living zones and a large ground floor studio. Unlike anything else on the market, the property is currently listed with $4.3M – $4.6M expectations. It’s located between Bourke Street Mall and the Supreme Court of Victoria.
101/29-31 Market Street, Melbourne 3000
Highlighted by its most eye catching ‘board room’, this historic west end apartment is a special part of Melbourne’s soul. It’s in the resplendent ‘Port Authority Building’, a structure designed in the elusive Beaux Arts style of architecture by Sydney Smith Ogg & Serpell back in 1929. The converted heritage warehouse features colonnades and symmetrical form, a trademark of the style. It stands out in Melbourne and can be compared to numerous historical buildings in the US where the Beaux Arts style gained huge prominence. The centrepiece of the apartment is the compelling board room with its highly ornate ceilings, curved windows, decorative timber panelling, herringbone parquetry floors, marble fireplace and edgy modern marble kitchen. Renovated by SJB Interiors, the 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment includes 3 extra living/library rooms, 3 entry points, and a 2nd kitchen, plus there’s parking for 2. Being a conversion, the floorplan has its obscurities, with no bathrooms other than ensuites and access from the board room to other living areas requiring passing through the main bedroom. This one has an asking price of $8M.
1/124 Napier Street, Fitzroy 3065
One of the city’s grandest conversions, this jaw dropping pad is inside Fitzroy’s iconic Presbyterian Church of 1871. The awe inspiring 3 bedroom 3 bathroom church conversion rises beyond two relatively humble lower levels to a spectacular top floor that takes in the full magnificence of the church’s towering height, bluestone walls and stainless glass windows. It has the most amazing entertaining domain that opens out to a decked rooftop terrace. The sheer volume of the main floor leaves doubt over how it would cope in the cooler months, even if a large portion of the northern wall is glass. The home has been the discussion of many on social media due to its breathtaking uniqueness, although no buyers are yet to have secured the sale, with a $4.8M – $5.1M guide the current demand.
208-212 Clarendon St,
East Melbourne 3002
Revered for its towering Corinthian portico, ‘Clarendon Terrace’ is three titled residences in one historic building. Designed by architect Osgood Pritchard during the gold rush era in 1857, this iconic terrace is one of the earliest residential opportunities available in Melbourne. Built of solid bluestone with 400mm external walls, this East Melbourne historic residence still retains an extraordinary façade, marble fireplaces and elements of the early Victorian era. Although it showcases incredible grandeur highlighting by the facade, the interiors feel dated having been updated in previous decades, meaning significant renovations would be required to bring the property to the level it deserves. No 212 is its own residence, while no 210 and no 208 were combined as one with a grand staircase, timber lined ceilings and clerestory windows. It’s currently listed with Kay & Burton’s Jamie Mi at an indicative price of $11M – $12M. To make it one unparalleled residence spanning all three titles, it seems the renovation cost would be at least that of the current asking price. Clarendon Terrace is metres from Fitzroy Gardens and a short stroll to Collins Street and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
8 Penny Lane, South Yarra 3141
Making the most of its minimal 112sqm approx. landholding, this Daryl Jackson designed town home has a glass atrium through all five of its floors. Another warehouse conversion, it packs in 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 2 living zones and a double garage. There’s the choice of a lift or a lot of walking to get between floors. The top floor even has a spa and barbeque deck, albeit small. It’s tucked away down a laneway that’s just around the corner from the junction of Chapel Street and Toorak Road. Made cooler by its tie to the legendary Beatles track, 8 Penny Lane is in a cul de sac style setting. The current quote range is $4.25M – $4.35M.
Level 1, 30 Oliver Lane, Melbourne 3000
Opposite the iconic laneway entrance into Lucy Liu is this newly reinvented 4 bedroom 4 bathroom apartment asking a tidy $9.5M. In the 1907 built building known as ‘The Bond
Store’, this approximately 550 square metre home spans the entirety of the first floor and presents a space of new luxury within century old bones. Advertising for the property mentions that this first offering took two decades of planning and involved three titles being amalgamated. Curated b a team of designers and architects, it works with the original concrete beams and exposed brick walls while attempting to infuse light with loads of glass and Scandinavian tones. The use of glass appears to be very prominent, including between bedrooms and living spaces. Being originally built for business purposes, the light sources may present as an issue. Other features include Italian limestone, underfloor heating and a 3 car garage. It’s in a location that’s about as cool as it gets, genuinely immersed within Melbourne’s restaurant scene, being tucked around from Flinders Lane. Nearby establishments include Chin Chin, Grill Americano and Gimlet. Being in the ‘Paris End’ of the city, it’s also within easy reach of Fitzroy Gardens and the MCG.
At Real Copy Right, we look for the points of interest that are unique, historic and iconic. We have a flair for digging deeper into the architectural qualities of notable architects, both contemporary and heritage. If you want a copywriter who shows that you’re nvested in preserving historic Melbourne architecture, we would happy to help you create your legacy.
