Docklands development Exo almost two-thirds sold

The Exo development in the burgeoning Melbourne suburb of Docklands is almost two-thirds sold after launching at the end of July.

Developer Lend Lease has sold 60 of the 96 apartments off the plan so far, with the development officially launching July 31. The building was half sold in the first three weeks of its marketing. 

The building will comprise 32 one-bedroom apartments of about 55 square metres, which start at $395,000. It will have 64 two-bedroom apartments, which range from 79 square metres to 93 square metres and start at $665,000.

Exo is part of Lend Lease's $4.5 billion Victoria Harbour, the epicentre of Docklands. Already completed in the precinct are Dock 5, a 30-storey tower comprising 148 apartments; The Mosaic, a mid-rise, nine-storey residential development; and The Montage, sister development to The Mosaic with a rooftop garden.

Construction has begun on Exo and is due to be completed in mid-2013.

Exo will be have a distinctive perforated white façade, with its irregular holes designed to bring to mind river rocks or forest paths. It was designed by Lend Lease Design’s architectural team.

“Exo is the latest in a line of commercial and residential projects adding panache to Melbourne’s Victoria Harbour precinct – a unique fusion of city and water,” says Lend Lease Victoria Harbour project director Claire Johnston.

The development will back onto Collins Street, and although its address is technically Merchant Street, Lend Lease aims for it to be “characteristically Collins Street”.

“The design demonstrates an innate understanding of the need for sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of urban life, with each apartment purposely designed to maximise space and minimise noise, allowing residents to reside in the heart of the city without having to compromise on their quality of living,” says Johnston.

The 10-year-old Docklands precinct has been something of an urban experiment, with the new suburb home to 15,000 residents and a growing number of businesses. Companies like Myer, NAB and ANZ are headquartered in Docklands on the eastern fringe of Melbourne CBD, and they bring thousands of young professionals to the area every day. The ANZ building alone is full of 6,000 office workers on a busy workday.

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