FINAL PLANS SUBMITTED FOR MELBOURNE'S JAM FACTORY
21 May 2025
With construction already underway on Stage One of the Jam Factory development, Gurner have officially submitted plans for the tfinal stage of its landmark $3 billion transformation, set to deliver a new mixed-use precinct to South Yarra.
First constructed in 1858, the Jam Factory was introduced as a brewery, then later became a preserve and jam manufacturer, before eventually evolving to become a retail precinct in the 1990s.
The precinct will now once again be redeveloped to accommodate 10,000 square metres of commercial office spaces, 20,000 square metres of retail and hospitality offerings, a new cinema complex, a 5-star hotel, a second boutique hotel as well as 800 residences across five towers. Additionally, a 2,500-square-metre north-facing public piazza called Village Square will be established.
The latest submission marks an evolution of the site’s masterplan, replacing the previously approved box-style commercial tower fronting Chapel Street with a striking new architectural vision of sculptural ‘fluted’ towers that rise from the heritage façade. The Jam Factory will seek to bring to life a vibrant, multi-sensory destination with the following:
- ‘Lovers Walk’, a curated retail and dining laneway pulsing through the precinct, lined with luxury brands and curated hospitality offerings of Melbourne’s best eateries, venues and bars
- A fully reimagined Village Cinemas experience that will help restore the Jam Factory’s legacy as the heartbeat of Chapel Street’s golden era - where movie premieres, fashion, and culture collided.
- Major upgrades to the public realm, with increased building setbacks and 10% more sunlight across the precinct’s open-air spaces, enhancing its role as a central gathering point for the community
- The revitalisation of Garden Street, transforming a forgotten laneway into a key arrival point through new architectural treatments and improved site flow to create an engaging new façade for the precinct
- The restoration of the heritage façade along Chapel Street and reconstruction of the heritage chimney acting as a centrepiece of the central piazza
Gurner’s general manager of design Alexander Fin explained that the design features a variety of built forms to create visual interest. “The intent has been to design buildings that combine functionality with aesthetic expression, creating a visually captivating and architecturally diverse urban environment,” he said, adding that the architecture “takes inspiration from both the timelessness of New York’s most iconic residential and hotel buildings, and the modern buildings that make up its skyline.
