A centre of excellence for the provision of cancer care, providing a cutting edge, holistic approach to treatment.

Our design seeks to create a unique character informed by the surroundings of East Melbourne, the heritage context and the experience of patients, visitors and clinicians. It considers the entry as a sequence of spaces from Grey Street that allows for a gradual transition from immediate arrival to the clinical and consultation services within.

A pathway through a garden along Grey Street leads to a protected portico space set back from the street which is activated by the adjacent cafe space. The cafe is an important informal and social element of the building’s function that is both visible from the street and central to the ground floor. A second courtyard borrows light and space from the setback of the adjacent terrace.

This combination of materiality, detail, scale and landscape will create a unique character for the new building. To create a finely tuned architectural composition that is highly responsive to this significant heritage setting, and a sequence of intimately scaled entry and interior spaces will offer patients a full range of treatment options through a single point of access.