Robur Tea House redevelopment in Melbourne gets the go-ahead from Heritage Victoria

The Robur Tea House at 28 Clarendon St in Melbourne’s Southbank.

Private developer MONNO’s reintroduced plans for a $280m redevelopment of the Robur Tea House have won approval from Heritage Victoria, and it will bring a top luxury hotel to Melbourne as part of the plan.

The latest plans aim to celebrate the 135-year-old complex at 28 Clarendon St, Southbank, with the design by acclaimed Norwegian architecture practice Snohetta consisting of seven integrated buildings ranging from three to 30 levels.

The new approval comes after the original scheme was rejected by Heritage Victoria in late 2023, after a planning permit was issued by the City of Melbourne in August that year.

MONNO has since worked with Heritage Victoria, The Office of the Victorian Government Architect and The Department of Transport and Planning on a new scheme that will result in buildings surrounding the five-storey red brick structure.

The fresh plans include an increased setback on the tower component of the corner of Clarendon St and Normanby Rd, with this offset by an additional three levels of height.

MONNO managing director Geno Hubay said that, since acquiring the site, it had become an obsession to deliver an “exceptional” project: “This will be a legacy project for MONNO and for Melbourne.”

MONNO, formerly known as CostaFox Developments, bought the property for $28m in 2020, and has been working up plans. A 2017 application for a 39-storey development on the site, reduced to 25, was rejected by Heritage Victoria.

The precinct will now be anchored by a 221-room uber-luxury hotel. MONNO has run an international expression-of-interest campaign, which received submissions from 15 of the world’s best hotel groups, before appointing a preferred operator.

The developer is now in advanced talks with a group that is yet to enter the Australian market, with plans for the historic pocket of Melbourne to win global visitors. A planned “day-to-night” precinct will sport a mix of world-class commercial, hospitality and dining spaces.

There will be 5000sq m of premium-grade office spaces and global and local food and beverage outlets, including a signature restaurant on the ground floor of the historic Tea House building and a rooftop experience.

This project is aiming to become a new landmark at the last undeveloped gateway site into the Melbourne CBD. A landscaped forecourt connecting the Tea House, MCEC and the Yarra River promenade is also planned to help reinvigorate the western end of the city.

“We scouted the globe to find the world’s best designers and hotel operator to curate a world-class lifestyle precinct for Melburnians and a true attraction for visitors,” Mr Hubay said.

“Our reimagination honours the Tea House heritage and creates an icon for the future.”

Built in the 1880s, the six-storey Tea House was the tallest building outside the CBD for many years. Originally occupied by a printer and manufacturing stationer, it later served as a storage facility for tea chests of the Robur Tea Company.