This Sunday, 17 May, members of the public will enjoy access to some of Melbourne’s best apartment buildings as part of a self-guided tour organised by the Robin Boyd Foundation.

The tour will visit nine architect-designed apartment buildings from the past 80 years, shortlisted by the Foundation because they “demonstrate how adequate daylight and ventilation, thermal comfort, control over privacy and connection to outdoor environments can be achieved by careful design”.

The event comes at a time when apartment design standards in Victoria are being hotly debated by the profession and community, and has been organised by the Foundation to add case study reference to that discussion.

The tour will visit the historic Cairo Apartments designed by Best Overend in 1936, as well as the Stanhill Flats by Frederick Romberg (1952). It will also visit more recent projects by Victorian architects such as the Melbourne Terrace Apartments by Katsalidis Architects (1994) and the 2014 Sustainability Awards winner The Commons by Breathe Architecture (2014).


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The tour is one of the fringe events for the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2015 National Conference that will run Friday 15 May to Saturday 16 May.  

The full list of buildings:

  • Cairo Apartments by Best Overend (1936) and later renovated by Architecture Architecture (2012)
  • Stanhill Apartments by Frederick Romberg (1950-52)
  • Domain Park Flats by Robin Boyd (1962)
  • The Domain by Demaine Partnership (1964) and later renovated by SJB (1993)
  • Melbourne Terrace Apartments by Katsalidis Architects (1994)
  • QVII by McBride Charles Ryan (2004)
  • Upper House by Jackson Clements Burrows (2012)
  • Walsh Street Apartments by Neometro in collaboration with MA Architects and Carr Design Group (2014)
  • The Commons by Breathe Architecture (2014)

Bookings are required for the tour and you can find out more information and book here: