Domain Park Flats

Domain Park Flats (also referred to as Domain Park Apartments and Domain Park Towers) is a 20-storey residential building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1962. The block was designed by influential architect Robin Boyd CBE, one of the foremost proponents for the International Modern Movement in Australian architecture and recipient of the RAIA Gold Medal in 1969.

The Domain Park Flats building was designed in 1959 and constructed between 1960-62. Located at 193 Domain Road in the suburb of South Yarra, it is Robin Boyd's most visible work in Melbourne. The location, overlooking the Royal Botanic Gardens, set a precedent for park-front, high-rise housing blocks. At the time it completed, it was the tallest residential building in Victoria surpassing then tallest, Edgewater Towers in St Kilda (13 storey) which was completed and opened 4 March 1961. For almost a decade after completion, it remained the only building of its kind in the city.

The project was conceived as 'own-your-own', luxury housing. The total site area is 2,500 square feet (230 m²), with overall building dimensions of 159×30×200 feet (48.5×9.1×61.0 m), plus balconies. Each floor contains a combination of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom units. The internal variety of flat sizes is expressed by the free distribution of windows and balconies on the exterior, particularly on the north-facing side. Each flat was positioned on the floor slab to ensure occupants enjoy a north-facing view. The towers to the south contain the lifts, fire stairs and air conditioning plants and are separate from the floor slab to minimise noise in living spaces.

The main building material is concrete, with external walls faced with Selkirk Bricks' manganese brickwork, steel deck on the roof and aluminium windows. Internal walls were originally finished in cast plaster, floors in carpet and tiles and ceilings in plaster and Pyrok, with all internal joinery finished in flat-polished walnut. The building services comprise separate electric quick-recovery units for water heating and fan coil air conditioning – notably, this was the first high-rise housing in Melbourne to incorporate air conditioning.

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