Victoria
550 Spencer Street is the first building in Australia to produce energy from its own façade.
Remediating a contaminated former petrol station the new formal composition references the post war modernist commercial architecture in Melbourne wrapped in an Australian first highly technical façade system, 550 Spencer Street is a striking contemporary architecture founded on performative principals controlled with a restrained elegance.
Product innovation is a significant contributor to 550 Spencer and contribution to our building industry. An idea that was developed and processed through an arduous assessment criterion to be deemed fit for purpose to the Australian Code of Construction is now available to the industry wide.
Sensitively addressing the residential interfaces and the existing high street context of Spencer Street, 550 Spencer Street contributes to an exciting emerging mixed use precinct on the city fringe through a dynamic façade considered pedestrian experience.
I inherited this prominent site. I thought it would be a good idea to have a landmark building in as many ways as I could count.
I settled on Pete Kennon as my architect. I asked him to transform the site into an office block without being boring. The suggestion of a solar skin was seized upon by me with alacrity. What a wonderful idea.
Truly an innovative idea. The actual creation is far better than any perspectives proposed. It brings a smile to my face and those who visit the solar panels, and the internal timber paneling.
Pete Kennon, Design Architect
Joshua Cross, Associate
Camille Guss, Senior Interior Designer
Floreancig Smith, Building Surveyor
Freevich Group, Developer
JBA, ESD Consultant
JBA, Services Consultant
Matter Consulting, Structural Engineer
Neoscape, Project Manager
Planning & Property Partners, Town Planner
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
