140 King – Meriton’s first building in Melbourne – is a dynamic 57-storey tower woven into the city fabric.
The weave of the precast-concrete structural façade pays homage to the neighbouring Wool Exchange building, and a vibrant through-block link stitches King Street to Melbourne’s laneway network.
King Street was historically the centre of Australia’s wool trade. Creating a meaningful backdrop to the Wool Exchange, we designed the tower with a woven pattern that expands from a tight weave at the base to a medium and loose weave as the building rises. A chunky weave of precast concrete on the podium knits the building to its neighbours.
Exploring prefabricated construction
The woven pattern is not simply a gesture. The precast concrete podium components are also the principal structure, directly reflective of the internal program, as each element relates to the studios within. Above the street wall, we explored innovative methods of prefabricated construction, which led to using the Hickory Building System, capitalising on its benefits for quality, efficiency and sustainability.
We activated the ground plane with a through-block link alongside the soaring glass lobby. It provides an engaging entry and exit for the tower and connects King Street to Melbourne’s network of laneways. Both safe and inviting, we believe it will help revolutionise this part of King Street for pedestrians and has the potential to transform the laneway behind into a new, popular destination.
