Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel of Ateliers Jean Nouvel has been hired by Sterling Global Property Group to design a $700 million building at 383 La Trobe Street, Melbourne.

Nouvel beat more than a dozen internationally acclaimed architectural design firms in a competitive design process. Australian firm Architectus has been appointed to the critical Executive Architect role. 

Sterling Global lodged a town planning application to the Victorian State Government last week. They seek approval to build a 79 level mixed use tower with 196 luxury hotel suites and 488 high quality residences. A luxury hotel operator has not yet been selected for the site, which Sterling Global bought from the Investa Office Fund in July 2015.

"This is a neglected part of Melbourne. An urban renewal investment of this quality and magnitude, underpinned by Jean Nouvel’s unique design, will have a real and significant impact on business attraction, tourism, job creation and further investment in Melbourne," said Mark van Miltenburg, Sterling Global’s Head of Investment and Development.

Sterling Global has been collaborating with neighbours, Victoria University, who own three buildings that adjoin 383 La Trobe Street, to create a new laneway network.

The building's design includes four sky gardens (on level 6, levels 18 and 19, levels 49 and 50, and level 66) that will be accessible to residents of the tower and guests of the hotel and visible to surrounding building occupants. The general public will have access to the gardens on level 6 and the laneway will be extensively planted also. Oculus, a Melbourne firm, has been appointed as landscape architect.