Social InfrastructureClare BurnettWed 19 Aug 26
Melbourne’s Chinese Museum Shares Plans for Seven-Storey Addition
A dramatic expansion is planned for Melbourne’s Museum of Chinese Australian History.
The plans for the museum, home to the Melbourne Dai Loong Association’s Millennium Dragon—the largest Chinese processional dragon in the world—are currently on exhibition with the City of Melbourne.
An seven-storey tower atop the four-level museum in the city’s Chinatown is at the centre of the $35-million proposal.
The planning report outlines the redevelopment of the Chinatown site at 20-24 Cohen Place and 104-106 Little Bourke Street, also known as Chinatown Plaza, in what the planning report said was the oldest Chinatown streetscape in the Western world.
The proposed development aims “to commemorate the history of Chinese immigrants and their journey, which is reflected through the cultural history present within the area”.
The museum—”a significant civic and cultural asset”—was established in 1985 as a not-for-profit organisation.
It is in a four-storey brick building originally constructed in 1890 and refurbished as the museum in the mid-1980s.
The museum has permanent and temporary exhibition spaces, a visitor centre, office and education spaces.
“The museum’s deep-rooted history and strong ties to the community are intrinsically linked to its ... location,” the planning report said.
The proposal seeks to develop a contemporary tower addition to the current building, with a subterranean connection under Cohen Place between the two spaces.
The seven-storey addition to the four-storey building has been supported by a $1.4 million contribution detailed in the 2025-26 Federal Budget.
The addition has been designed by K2LD architects, and would add 1475sq m of exhibition space across five areas of the building, as well as additional events spaces, lobby and retail uses, and a roof terrace.
“This expansion underscores the museum’s enduring connection to Chinatown and the broader Chinese community,” the planning report said.
“The role of Chinese Australians in becoming a vital part of Melbourne’s community has been crucial to shaping the city’s vibrant and contemporary multicultural landscape.
“The essence of what the museum represents is reflected throughout the four city blocks of the Chinatown Precinct, with its influence extending far beyond the walls of the current building.”
