Designed by Fender Katsalidis, The Alba is a 15-storey building comprising 95 residential care suites and 60 easy living apartments and completes Australian Unity’s Albert Park seniors living precinct that includes The Grace—a 19-storey, 79 apartment retirement village completed in 2019.

Ryan Banting, Australian Unity’s Executive General Manager—Social Infrastructure, said the Albert Park precinct is an urban renewal project involving the repurposing of commercial buildings to support older Australians to downsize to more suitable accommodation in highly sought-after locations.

“The Alba caters for residents who want to downsize from the family home without compromising on quality or losing their independence,” Mr Banting said.

“We know that older Australians expect to have choice and control as they age—and The Alba has been designed to support residents to age in place and remain in their community as their care needs evolve.”

Mr Banting said The Alba’s easy living apartments provide people the independence to live life on their own terms with access to varying levels of support—including domestic assistance, personal care and dining options.

“For people requiring high levels of care, The Alba’s residential care suites provides accommodation and care that promotes dignity, independence and safety.”

Fender Katsalidis principal Jessica Lee said the design reflected the continuum of luxury and care delivered at its groundbreaking “sister building”, The Grace.

“The Grace was one of the leading high-rise retirement living residences in Australia, and with the repositioning of The Alba, we were given a great opportunity to create an inner-city neighbourhood with appropriate accommodations in a vertical setting,” Ms Lee said.

“Transforming a 1970s commercial building into a 21st-century residential home is not a simple feat. We were conscious of instilling the vertical form with as much warmth and brightness as possible. Adding windows in the northern facade and introducing balconies on all four sides of the building were key design initiatives to maximise light and ventilation. The approach also created a subtle external building identity shift from a commercial use to residential use.

“We have translated the same DNA of The Grace into The Alba so that the residents ageing in place with Australian Unity can feel comfortable and secure in the familiarity of their environment—one that instils an authentic sense of home.”

For more information about The Alba, visit thealba.com.au.

-ENDS-

Australian Unity media contact:
T: 1300 408 776
E: media@australianunity.com.au

Fender Katsalidis media contact:
Jesse McCarthy-Price
Communications Collective
T: 0429 160 550
E: jesse@communicationscollective.com.au

About The Alba
Located at 114 - 128 Albert Road in South Melbourne, The Alba offers residents premium assisted living and aged care accommodation including a wellness centre, café, cinema, multi-faith space, rooftop restaurant, lounge and recreational spaces.

About Australian Unity’s Senior Living Portfolio
Australian Unity owns and operates 11 integrated retirement villages and residential aged care precincts and 12 standalone retirement villages across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.  The portfolio comprises 2,724 independent living units (ILUs) and 1,215 aged care beds following the commissioning of The Alba assisted living and aged care residence in June 2023.

About Australian Unity
Established in 1840, Australian Unity is a member-owned wellbeing company with more than 385,000 members and more than 700,000 customers. Our range of health, wealth and care products and services provides member, customer and community value that is supportive of personal and community wellbeing. 

About Fender Katsalidis
Fender Katsalidis is a multi-disciplinary international design firm with offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The practice’s work influences built environment thinking across the globe with projects spanning multi-residential, cultural, commercial, aged care and hotel typologies. Delivering holistic solutions in architecture, masterplanning, urban design and interiors, all Fender Katsalidis projects imbue the practice’s core philosophy; innovation through collaboration.