The Tea House recieves Heritage planning approval

After an intricate 3-year process, Heritage approval for the Naarm (Melbourne) based Tea House project has been granted for Snøhetta and developer MONNO to progress to the next stage of this significant project. The project will see the adaptive re-use and redevelopment of the 135-year-old historic former Fergus and Mitchell Robur Tea House on the 3000sq m site at 28 Clarendon Street.

Once the tallest building outside Melbourne’s CBD (Central Business District), the six-storey Tea House was originally the premises for a printing firm and a manufacturing stationer before becoming a storage facility for tea chests for the Robur Tea Company.

The Clarendon Street Teahouse has garnered much public interest, with eyes keenly watching what the future holds for this much-loved monumental brick building in Melbourne’s Southbank, almost abandoned in its current state.

Snøhetta’s Australasian Managing Director Kaare Krokene says:

“When MONNO first approached us for the design of this project, we were immediately interested in the opportunities and challenges it presented. Firstly, the physical nature of the building presents some impressive feats of engineering (a tall building originally built upon soft soil in 1887). Secondly, in retaining the unique nature of this presiding example of 19th century architecture, a rare remnant of the industrial architecture that once dominated Southbank. A demonstration of just one layer of Australia’s rich history, The Teahouse project will retain the existing and unique beauty amongst the sea of modernist steel, concrete and glass buildings in the area.”

Snøhetta have approached this design with a theory of layers. Not only looking towards the past, but considering the current cultural landscape, and everyday usage now, but imagining into the future too. The design seeks to retain as much as possible of the original building the Melbourne community knows and loves, while providing striking new insertions. The facade of the original building is preserved, honouring history, and new materials are set to be designed to complement the existing architecture.

“Our Snøhetta Australasia team were fortunate to develop a deep intimacy with this project by knowing the building from the inside out. Our first Snøhetta Melbourne studio was located working out of the second floor of 28 Clarendon, and this extra level of connection has made the project extremely special to us.

We felt it extremely important to pay respect to the existing Tea House structure and build on this. The two new forms will join the existing, ranging from three to 30 storeys. We have often described it as creating “a city within the city” - with the Tea House at its heart,” says Krokene.

The final development will become a world-class lifestyle precinct for Melbournians and a true attraction for visitors. A new garden forecourt will connect the Tea House precinct to the Yarra River promenade and Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre next door and publicly accessible spaces weave through the site in a series of ascending terraces connecting the ground plane to the garden rooftops of the stepped building forms. This accompanies the facilities of hotel, office space, food and beverage, and retail space.