Pran Central

Pran Central Shopping Centre

Pran Central, as viewed from Chapel Street
Former names Read's Stores
General information
Status Complete
Type
  • Retail shopping centre;
  • Residential accommodation
Architectural style Edwardian baroque
Address 325 Chapel Street, Prahran, Victoria
Country Australia
Coordinates 37°50′51″S 144°59′37″E / 37.84750°S 144.99361°E / -37.84750; 144.99361Coordinates: 37°50′51″S 144°59′37″E / 37.84750°S 144.99361°E / -37.84750; 144.99361
Current tenants

Anchor tenants:

Opened 1886
Renovated 1902; 1978; 1999
Renovation cost A$60 million
Owner Precision Group
Technical details
Floor count 7
Floor area 5,350 square metres (57,600 sq ft)
Design and construction
Developer Charles Moore and Co.
Designations National Trust of Australia: Chapel Street Precinct
Renovating team
Architect SJB Architects
Website
www.prancentral.com.au

Pran Central, situated within an heritage-listed Australian seven storey building of the Edwardian baroque architectural style, is a shopping centre with two apartment towers built above it. The building is located on the corner of Chapel Street and Commercial Road in the well-known retail precinct of Prahran, a suburb in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The building has a history dating to 1886 and as of 2001 comprised a shopping centre over three levels of retail space on the lower ground, ground floor and first floor mezzanine, and approximately 45 specialty stores along with a food court with residential apartments above.[1][2]

History

The building is housed in a seven storey building, notable for its Edwardian baroque architecture, parapets and dual domes.[1][3] The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) has listed the building as being of regional architectural, historical and social importance.[1][4]

The site was initially developed in 1886 by Jacob Read as a drapery business; the Charles Moore and Company took over the business in 1903.[5][6] Read had established a successful men’s clothing firm in the 1870s which had become one of Chapel Street’s largest businesses, lending its name to ‘Read’s corner’. Moore specialised in ladies fashions, some of which were made in the shop’s workroom. Moore retained the old name but expanded the business and the space in 1915 (although it was never fully completed).[4] The building grew to house the largest department store in Australia at that time.[7][8] The lower storeys were converted into a retail facility and renamed Prahran Central in 1978, then Pran Central after redevelopment in 1999.[1][3]

Lang Walker acquired the property from Maurie Alter in 1999 for $22 million, and carried out a $60 million upgrade to the building. Construction was completed on both the shopping centre and the upper six floors to convert them from office space into luxury apartments.[1][7] SJB Architects won the 2004 City of Stonnington Urban Design Award for Best Heritage Design, Alterations and Additions/Restoration for the upgrade to the Pran Central Apartments.[9] In 2006 the shopping centre was purchased by Precision Group, from Lang Walker for $34.5 million.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Gurvich, Victoria (22 April 2001). "Livin' La Vida Chapel". The Age. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 Lindsay, Nicole (9 November 2006). "Prahran's Pran Goes to Sydney Developer". Herald Sun. p. 83.
  3. 1 2 Siew-Ching, Goh (1 November 2003). "Property Reviews: Pran Central Apartments, 325 Chapel Street". The Age. p. 24.
  4. 1 2 "Chapel Street Precinct: Heritage Precinct Citation" (PDF). Victoria: National Trust of Australia. May 2012. p. 11. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Prahran". Victorian paces. Monash University; University of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Obituary". Prahran Chronicle. Vic.: National Library of Australia. 7 October 1916. p. 5. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Landlords `on a different planet'". The Australian. 23 March 2001. p. 36.
  8. ↑ "Suburbia's Top Store". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 19 January 1956. p. 11. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
  9. ↑ "Victoria". Architecture Australia. July 2004. p. 30.
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