Melbourne heritage inn set to be given fresh life as part of new development
A landmark heritage inn in Melbourne, forced to close down during the pandemic and then gutted by fire earlier this year, is set to be given fresh life as part of a new 21-level A-grade office building development.
The 1915 Kilkenny Inn, with its distinctive rounded balcony corner on Lonsdale and King streets in the city, will have its facade and interiors restored as part of the $350 million project.
The owner of the site, development company Hickory, said it was proud to be returning the inn to its former glory. “This will transform it into a lively and sophisticated social hub,” said Hickory CEO Michael Argyrou. “It will integrate Kilkenny’s heritage-listed facade and set a new standard of office design in Melbourne.
“[The development at] 580 Lonsdale will act as a true cornerstone project for the area, adding to several premium development and building projects we are currently undertaking. At Hickory, we strive to create better places for future communities, and 580 Lonsdale will be no exception.”
The 80-metre tower will also have 24,000 square metres of office space, 623 square metres of ground and first-floor retail space, and three levels of basement car parking.
The Kilkenny Inn was designed by prolific hotel architects of the Edwardian period, Sydney Smith & Ogg, and is considered one of their most inventive creations with that rounded facade.
It’s been classified as having state significance on architectural grounds for its fine ‘Edwardian free style’ characteristics, its unusual corner tower and arts and crafts-influenced detailing. It’s been a popular drinking venue since the First World War and, until recently, was also a venue for a number of bands and a variety of entertainment, including infamous strip club Goldfingers.
Heritage lobby group Melbourne Heritage Action (MHA) had protested earlier plans to build a tower on the site, saying the inn was one of the few old pubs still standing in the Melbourne CBD and should be safeguarded.
The new proposal, which has just received planning permission, includes a scheme to renovate and modernise the inn to open into the lobby of the building on the 1700-square-metre corner.
Cox Architecture senior associate Johannes Lupolo-Chan said that’s an exciting part of the overall development. “We really wanted to reconnect with the heritage corner, so it was a fantastic opportunity to bring the Kilkenny Inn back to life and integrate it into an exciting new precinct,” he said. “We’ve been very respectful of the context and materiality of the site and to make sure the new building fits very nicely with that.
“We’ve designed it with a lot of brick being taken up all the way up the tower on the Lonsdale side and bluestone and the articulation, as well as elements of the shape, particularly to give it breathing space. It’s very considered and will be a fantastic entry point for the building.”
Hickory has worked closely with the local council and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to ensure the heritage facade is maintained and says it will work with a hospitality partner to re-establish the vibrancy of the inn.
On completion in late 2024, it is intended to provide a local meeting place for informal meetings, flexible working and after-work catch-ups for both the public, and the tenants of the tower above.
Those tenants will also have access to end-of-trip facilities, landscaped outdoor terraces, social hubs and a dedicated health and wellness centre, while the building is targeting a 6-star NABERS and Green Star rating.
Hickory has also recently received funding to develop another office tower at 570 Little Bourke Street that will start construction in late 2022, and is currently building ICD Property’s Aspire tower at 299 King Street, as well as Melbourne’s first Meriton Suites Hotel at 140 King Street.
