Retail, hospitality, residential townhouses and apartments will form the reinvention of Victoria House at LandCorp’s Montario Quarter in Shenton Park.
After the recent announcement of Fini Group’s success in securing the 8,487sqm site, Development Director Kyle Jeavons elaborates on the importance of the site’s history and how the project will redefine the way its occupants will live.
Congratulations on securing one of the first sites at Montario Quarter. What does it mean to Fini Group to be selected to preserve and reimagine Victoria House?
It’s a great thrill and another exciting challenge to breathe new life into a small piece of Perth’s history. Heritage buildings by their very nature provide an opportunity to tell stories of the past, which we can reimagine to deliver a modern and relevant narrative. We are fortunate that the diversity of our projects, and in particular the operations that often occur within these projects once complete, allows us to consider them with a long-term view.
The history of the site as a hospital will form the basis of inspiration for the project. Tell us about the different elements of health, wellness and art that will be incorporated.
What was critical about the nature of Victoria House was what occurred both within and outside of the buildings. The radial footprint of the hospital and its six wings provided significant landscape and considerable natural light, which drove the ethos of speeding up patient recovery. Very forward thinking in the 1930’s. This radial footprint has been the cornerstone of our design concept, providing a mix of residential, retail and studio spaces that spill into these public realms, which can be shared with the wider community. The culture of being hospitable towards one another will form the basis of the food and beverage operations, studio spaces and providing significant public landscape areas for the community. In fact, almost the entirety of the ground floor will be available for public use with a range of offerings.
Will inspiration be drawn from any other similar projects around the country/globe?
We study leading projects, both nationally and internationally, very closely. Whilst they provide inspiration through their ideas and concepts, what stands out most evidently and critically is the ability of these projects to understand the local context, and their place within it. Design and architecture, as well as the demands of the new community, and its integration, is critical. With this in mind, we believe our design team will drive these values, and have chosen DKO, Philip Stejskal Architecture and Finespun to deliver this project. Their collection of work is testament to their understanding of this philosophy.
What plans are in place for the proposed Urban Farm aspect?
The growth of urban farming has been significant in recent years globally, but it is very early days in its evolution. We would like to continue to assist people and the community in becoming increasingly self-sustainable. Not only does urban farming achieve this objective, it promotes the connection and desire of people to interact with one another more often in their everyday lives. What better way to achieve this than through a shared agricultural activity that is proven to be therapeutic and hopefully, in the long-term, reduces the cost of living.
How will Montario Quarter redefine the way people live?
The project vision commenced with a wish list of objectives to be achieved. We decided that all of these objectives can, and will, be met within this project. Whilst the list is extensive, the below are the major considerations we are confident we will draw on to provide a blueprint for the appropriate growth of Perth into the next decade and beyond.
- Apartment living as an incredible way to live, greatly increasing quality of life and convenience.
- The ability to live in a building of architectural distinction affordably. This will come in the form of spatial efficiency, design excellence and sustainability.
- Great communities have significant depth and levels of interest. The diversity in the uses within and around the building and precinct will relate to cultural, residential and retail pursuits.
- Train lines and communities close to them should be hubs of activity. For Perth to grow it is vital that our transport hubs are filled with a critical mass of people and activity. Once projects like this are complete, we believe the wider community will come along for this exciting maturation of our city.
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