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Architects: Fender Katsalidis Architects
- Area: 2900 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Willem Dirk Du Toit
Text description provided by the architects. Paragon is a residential building on a prized corner of Melbourne’s CBD that tells a multi-layered narrative of the city’s past, present, and future. Designed for metropolitan living, Paragon creates a sense of identity for its residents by transforming a piece of the Melbourne cityscape into an urban sanctuary.
Previously the home to Melbourne’s Celtic Club, the facade of the original heritage building was respectfully protected, restored, and celebrated. The glass tower rising above it features an elegant Celtic-inspired diagonal grid pattern across the reflective surface. Adjacent to the heritage façade at ground level, a regular grid reflects the datums of the traditional architecture, but in a minimal more orthogonal manner.
Unfurling across three stories, a living green element serves as the backbone of all the common linked areas. This conservatory-like space provides relief between the main tower and the heritage facade. The lush sanctuary, complete with refined terrazzo and outdoor seating, offers a tranquil escape from the bustling streetscape below.
A wellness oasis offers an array of luxury amenities for rest and relaxation, and a series of formal and informal zones blur the line between the public and private domain to present an exclusive club for residents. High-quality amenities are a core benefit for users of the building, providing a place to gather, meet, and form the community. Groups can occupy the space and enjoy a variety of uses, including a fully equipped gym, swimming pool, and entertaining areas. Extending the amenity further, a library, private theatre, and screening lounge add a high level of detail and function.
Though the tower rises to 48 levels, it has a deliberately small-scale residential density. The original scheme of 280 apartments was reduced to 227 to allow for a maximum of 6 apartments per floor. Site constraints meant that floor plates are shallower than typical apartments, allowing for greater levels of natural light and excellent corner vistas. The implementation of a vertical solar panel system boasting 128 panels spanning 158sqm installed on the core walls proved not only innovative but to be an attractive value-add
