Gurner submits plans for first stage of Docklands vision under a “futuristic glass dome”

Docklanders could soon be peering into a new botanical garden under a giant glass dome as part of a project its developer said would “need to be seen to be believed”. But don’t fear … the dome in the render is not quite to scale!

Developer Gurner has submitted plans for the first stage of its Docklands mega-project “Elysium Fields” on Harbour Esplanade, which it has described as a “futuristic wellness and anti-ageing utopia”.

A joint venture between Gurner and City Harbour – the consortium holding the development rights to the precinct formerly known as “Digital Harbour” – the project is estimated to be worth $1.7 billion.

The company’s founder and executive chairman Tim Gurner, a former resident of Docklands, said at the time the project was first announced in October 2022 that he’d always “wanted to put my own stamp on it [Docklands], but we needed a site that was large enough to be transformative.”

Speaking about the project in March, Mr Gurner said its aim was “to completely transform and revitalise the Docklands, re-energising it with public gardens, greenery and an unprecedented connection to health and wellness.”

“There will be absolutely nothing like this in Australia. This precinct will need to be seen to be believed and we can’t wait to launch it to the market later this year.”

The 27,000sqm island infill site located at 208-226 Harbour Esplanade and bordered by Dudley St and Wurundjeri Way is one of the few still undeveloped in Docklands, presenting the perfect opportunity for Mr Gurner’s “utopian community”.

“When you enter Elysium Fields you will be stepping into another world – one that is serene, clean, vibrant and grounding, and when you’re among the project’s forest and landscape you’ll feel like you could be anywhere in the world, while being right on the doorstep of the CBD,” he said.

Elysium Fields is going to be akin to a utopian community, where residents can access the world’s best reverse ageing and health treatments while breathing in filtered air and drinking filtered water.

The development will include more than 1350 build-to-rent and build-to-sell apartments, a retail and hospitality precinct, a 4-star short-stay hotel and another premier 5-star hotel with conference facilities, a business club and hospitality.

The first stage of the project submitted to the Victorian Government in March includes three towers comprising 640 dwellings. Gurner plans to launch the first tower, a build-to-sell project offering 231 apartments, during spring this year. Construction is also due to begin at the same time.

But it’s the “lifestyle developer’s” wellness vision underpinning this new precinct that Mr Gurner said would instil “a sense of true tranquillity” among its future residents in an “inspiring oasis in the heart of Docklands”.

“Given the significant scale of the 27,000sqm site, the team prioritised a private community look and feel to create a self-contained biosphere-like design – the likes of which has previously only been seen in sci-fi movies,” a Gurner press release reads.

“The concept brings together Tim Gurner’s personal wellness journey and the latest in science-backed health and wellness, to deliver a regenerative anti-ageing and wellness experience that has been based on American neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s five pillars of health being: sleep, sunlight, movement, nutrition, and social connection.”

“At Elysium Fields, residents will have access to advanced anti-ageing protocols and equipment like cryotherapy, IV infusions, dry and infrared sauna, red light therapy, grounding and PEMF [pulsing electromagnetic field] beds.”

The vision also boasts plans for an “ancient bathhouse” offering “15 different types of enriched water” and an Elysian Reverse Ageing Medical Clinic that “will provide medical-grade treatments including MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans, blood testing and personalised health plans.”

The plans include 3700sqm of new public landscapes and gardens, including its own botanical gardens “geared for a 24/7, interactive retail, dining and entertainment experience”, which Gurner said would include “a stunning, futuristic glass dome over the site, modelled on the concept of Elysium being the utopian afterlife.”

“This precinct will be not just a place, but an immersive experience that will rival other destinations not just within Australia but globally,” Mr Gurner said.

“We want to create a destination for flagship retail and transform the entire precinct into a premium and immersive extension of the CBD. A place where live performances, gallery exhibitions and public events can come together with a permanent focus on wellness, holistic health, greenery, and connectivity to nature.” •