A new sustainable precinct is on its way to the heart of Melbourne's up and coming economic centre in the Southern Cross area

A new sustainable precinct is on its way to the heart of Melbourne's up and coming economic centre in the Southern Cross area.

Much like New York City's High Line, the Melbourne Quarter will be able to be enjoyed by the general public and provide a space for CBD (Central Business District) workers to re-charge, work outside the office and enhance health and wellbeing.

The Melbourne Quarter will include: 'Melbourne Skypark', a 2,000sq m garden elevated above Collins Street; 'Melbourne Square', the most significant public space created since Federation Square and of similar size to City Square; a new laneway connecting Flinders and Collins streets; and a new neighbouring park off Flinders Street.

The 25,000sq m space will be opposite Southern Cross train station, bordered by Flinders and Collins Streets and is set to host city living, dining, innovative workplaces, dining, shopping and green public spaces.

Melbourne Quarter tower from Collins Street

International property and infrastructure group, Lendlease, is one of the firms taking part in the precinct's regeneration in collaboration with state and local government. The company can be recognised for some of its previous iconic projects including: the athlete's village, London, Stratford's international quarter, London; the Darling quarter, Sydney; and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

According to Lendlease, an increasing number of CBD workers are looking to live close to the workplace and to benefit from the city's culture, transport, dining, shopping and education.

The project is set to begin in 2016 and stages of the project will be completed over the next six years. Lendlease has already signed up engineering practice Arup as the first tenant in the first tower. Leader of Arup's Melbourne office, Joseph Correnza, said the company had joined forces with Lendlease and architecture practice Denton Corker Marshall in designing the new space.

Melbourne Square: the most significant public space created since Federation Square and of similar size to City Square

Melbourne Quarter is said to cost AUD$1.9bn and will generate approximately 15,000 construction jobs and upon completion the quarter is expected to be home to 10,000 workers and 3,000 residents, said Managing Director of Lendlease's Urban Regeneration business in Australia, Jonathan Emery.

The residential and commercial buildings are designated to attain a five and six star Green Star rating respectively, where over half the precinct will have greenery and open space. The plans are aiming to make Melbourne Quarter as sustainable as it can through every aspect, from the operations to the built form, to its effect on health and wellbeing. Once finished it will be a healthy and natural community space.

'The vision we have for Melbourne Quarter is to use the scale and topography of the site, to develop something unique, a showcase interpretation that propels this uniquely accessible location to its rightful place in the new economic heart of the world's most liveable city,' Emery continued.

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