First look exclusive: Palm Beach apartment pipeline ramps up another notch

An exciting project is on the cards for builder-developers Crema Group as they embark on Melbourne’s first fully integrated live, work, play facility in the heart of the new Domain Precinct.

The Eighth will be situated on the doorstep of the future Anzac Station, and the island section is set to house an 18-storey building with 36 luxury residences.

Drawing on inspiration from private club lounges in metropolitan cities such as London and New York, The Eighth will follow suit, providing hyper-luxury experiences for residents and workers alike.

“Spending time in transient cities such as New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong has shown me how many people are looking for enhanced everyday lifestyle experiences and a strong sense of wanting to belong to something.”

- Nicolas Crema, Crema Group Director

A selection of boutique office spaces, boardrooms and meeting zones; will be complemented with relaxing day spas, top-of-the-line wellness centres and beauty clinics to provide the optimum work-life balance.

“The way people in Australia are living is changing, and ‘real life’ is not now confined to what happens outside of traditional office hours anymore. The Eighth reflects this shift and facilitates the interconnected life many people are seeking.”

- Nicolas Crema, Crema Group Director

The design by Elenberg Fraser, represents grandeur and opulence with high stud ceilings, luxurious stone and marble throughout and a slim grid-like exterior framing, supporting multi-storey window panes.

“The architecture takes into account the users outlook, privacy and connection to the natural environment. The outcome is a building that creates its identity through a sense of permeance, strength and presence.”

- Peter Kennon, Studio Kennon (formally of Elenberg Fraser)

The Eighth apartment interiors have been masterfully designed by Miriam Fanning of Mim Design to feature modern, minimalist spaces which allow potential buyers to curate their apartments to add personal touches. This idea also reflects Crema’s mission to produce a development which embraces the evolution of modern life, and the home owner’s desire to customise their own apartments to suit their needs, requirements and taste.

In keeping with the modern, futuristic approach to design, each of the 36 apartments boasts individual private lobbies and lifts, which can also take residents to the Los Angeles-inspired rooftop pool and sky bar on level 18. Residents will have unlimited access to Crema’s own executive lounge on level 5, and a sought-after membership will be offered to other residents of the Domain Precinct. The lifestyle club will include luxury spa facilities, a business lounge, meeting facilities and a wellness lounge. The multi-use facility will also offer 3,000 boutique office spaces (some of which will be occupied by Crema Group), as well as a 250 square metre café, and an intimate European themed restaurant/wine bar. The premises are likely to garner significant interest from local restauranteurs, given the building's unique central location, and tastefully curated planned fit-out. The landscape design has been led by Openwork who has also recently completed Doubleground – which was the award-winning design for the annual NGV Architecture Commission.

Crema has decided to maintain management rights to ensure The Eighth is run according to their expectations.

The building is due to commence construction by the end of 2019 and will follow Crema’s recent Fender Katsalidis-designed development Derby Place in Kew.

“Our recent experience with our Derby Place development in Kew has customers place great importance on Crema being both the developer and builder which provides them with [an] assurance that we are able to deliver on our promises.”