When James Pearce, Partner at award-winning design studio FK, first collaborated with 3L Alliance on Queens Place, it marked the beginning of a design partnership that has now spanned more than a decade.

Queens Place, an ambitious two-tower development in Melbourne’s CBD, redefined high-density living by combining elevated apartment living with a vibrant, street-level retail and commercial experience. Testament to the quality of the project and skill of the 3L Alliance and consultant team, Queens Place Tower 1 was sold and settled during the COVID-19 pandemic and now boasts a thriving residential community and vibrant retail and commercial precinct.

It’s success, recognised by multiple industry awards, has cemented 3L Alliance’s reputation for delivering projects of scale, quality and community value. These accolades have included acknowledgements  by the Australian Institute of Architects (VIC) as a Finalist – Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing, 2022, The Urban Developer Awards, Finalist – Development of the Year, 2022 and the Urban Development Institute of Australia (VIC)  Finalist – Residential Development, 2022.

Now, FK and 3L Alliance are turning their attention to the next chapter – the Kinnear’s Precinct in Footscray. Once home to the historic Ropeworks factory, this three-hectare site holds a special place in Melbourne’s industrial story.

“The Kinnear site is unique and rare, because of its CBD proximity, aspect and heritage structures, it’s one of those projects that has the opportunity to not just benefit the people that are going to live there, but also enrich the broader community by re-imagining a disused industrial site that is full of character,” says James Pearce.

For 3L Alliance, the cultural heritage of Kinnear’s is not seen as a limitation, but as an opportunity to create a place of authenticity – where red-brick buildings, laneways and the iconic Ropeworks chimney can anchor a new mixed-use community. Rather than erasing the past, the vision is to weave it into the precinct’s future – through retail, residential and community spaces that celebrate its unique character.

As planning progresses, the collaboration between FK and 3L Alliance once again reflects the hallmarks of their partnership: innovation, respect for place, and a commitment to delivering enduring value for residents, tenants and the wider community.