Penny Lane aims to rejuvenate and reconnect Moonee Ponds’ Puckle Street precinct via an arthouse cinema and arcade, vertical communities with communal spaces, and a laneway network that boosts walkability.
Form and materiality speak to both the suburb’s gridded street network and the organic shapes of Queens Park and Moonee Ponds Racecourse.
The prevailing materials of glass, steel and concrete are softened at street level by vertical planting, bluestone and recycled bricks salvaged from the existing building. Moveable screens to the western façade in warm timber tones provide shade and shelter for residents on demand.
Social, financial and environmental sustainability are central to the brief. Penny Lane’s 114 apartments across two communities, use robust, long-lasting materials and prioritise ESD to achieve a 7.2-star NatHERS rating.
The development features renewable energy, sustainably sourced timber, water-efficient landscaping, rainwater harvesting for irrigation and toilet flushing, and high-performance glazing to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss. Most west, north and east-facing sliding doors are externally shaded by balconies. Many apartments (with interiors developed by Arkee Creative) are oriented south to overlook the courtyard. In the retail building, the heritage façade will be retained and bricks from other buildings on the site will be reused.
