Carlow House
281-291 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
- 44 m tall · #379 in Melbourne
- 10 floors
- 24 businesses
What's available here Add a listing link
| Looking to | In this building | Area guide | Search the building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lease space | — | — | realcommercial.com.au ↗commercialrealestate.com.au ↗ |
Each link opens a Google search limited to that site.
87 years standing
- 1939Completed
- 2010Refurbished
- TodayStill standing
39 building permits · 2 news storiesFull timeline ↓
About Carlow House
Carlow House is a 10-storey commercial building on Flinders Lane in Melbourne, covered by a heritage overlay. Completed in 1939, it was designed by Harry Norris and built by E.A. Watts. Gemba moved into the building in 2022, and by 2023 Fivex had it fully leased.
At a glance
Key facts
- Building type
- 🏢 Commercial
- Completed
- 1939
- Height
- 44 m Unconfirmed ?We don't have data to 100% confirm this data point as yet.
#379 of 1596 in Melbourne - Floors
- 10
- Footprint
- 463 m²
- Architect
- Harry Norris
- Builder
- E A Watts Unconfirmed ?We don't have data to 100% confirm this data point as yet.
- Businesses
- 24
- Car spaces
- —
- Strata plan
- PS641356 · 17 lots
- Planning zone
- CCZ2
- Permits on record
- 39
Score cards
Flinders Street Station 2 min walk · 10 tram stops within 400 m
162 cafés, 15 grocers, 28 medical within 250 m
35 street trees within 150 m · park 211 m away
6,786 people pass daily nearby · 74 licensed venues within 200 m
Calculated from PTV timetable stops, the City of Melbourne business census, street trees, pedestrian sensors and liquor licences.
The building team
The people and companies behind the design, construction and management of Carlow House.
Location & neighbourhood
Getting around
Train station2 min · 152 m
Train station2 min · 188 m
Tram stop1 min · 61 m
Tram stop2 min · 124 m
Tram stop2 min · 147 m
Straight-line walking estimate. Source: PTV GTFS, CC BY 4.0.
Within a 3-minute walk
Who lives in Melbourne (CBD)
ABS Census 2016 via City of Melbourne (CC BY).
Businesses in Carlow House
24 businesses recorded in the City of Melbourne's latest business census.
Approval Systems Pty Ltd
Burgtec
Chatime
Crazy Horse Cinema
E2 Design Lab
Elevate Legal
EVERICK HERITAGE PTY LTD
Finder Seeker Photography
Flinders Lane Barbers
Looking for space in Carlow House?
Timeline
Everything that has happened at Carlow House: listings, news, works, planning and history.
Planning & heritage
Planning controls
DDO1Design and Development Overlay: limits on building height, setbacks and designDDO2Design and Development Overlay: limits on building height, setbacks and designDDO2-A1Design and Development Overlay: limits on building height, setbacks and designHO506Heritage Overlay: a permit is needed to demolish or change the outside of heritage placesPO2Parking Overlay: controls on how much car parking new development can provideVicmap Planning, © State of Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), CC BY 4.0. Plain-English summaries are ours. Check the planning scheme for exact controls.
Subdivision & permits
- Plan of subdivision
- PS641356
- Lots on the plan
- 17
- Owners corporation
- Yes (common property)
- Building permits on record
- 39
- Estimated cost of works
- About $9.7m
Costs are estimates declared on permits, not amounts spent. Stages of a project repeat its value, so we group them and count each project once. A value can cover a project spanning several buildings. Our calculation from City of Melbourne building permits, CC BY 4.0.
History of the site
How it's been recorded over time
City of Melbourne Census of Land Use and Employment, since 2002.
Community
What people say about Carlow House in public forums and groups, and reviews left here.
Tenant reviews
No reviews of Carlow House yet. Be the first to tell future tenants what it's like.
Reviews are checked before they're published. No one is named without permission.
Rate and review Carlow House
Frequently asked questions
Is Carlow House residential or commercial?
Carlow House is a commercial building. The City of Melbourne lists its main use as unoccupied - unused.
When was Carlow House built?
Carlow House was completed in 1939.
How many floors does Carlow House have?
Carlow House has 10 floors above ground.
What businesses are in Carlow House?
The latest council census counted 24 businesses in Carlow House, including Approval Systems Pty Ltd, Burgtec and Chatime.
Is there office or retail space for lease in Carlow House?
See the commercial listings on this page, or search this address on realcommercial.com.au and commercialrealestate.com.au.
Who designed and built Carlow House?
Harry Norris designed Carlow House and E.A. Watts built it. The building team section has the sources.
How tall is Carlow House?
About 44 metres, measured from the City of Melbourne's 3D building model. It's number 379 of 1596 buildings in Melbourne by height.
What public transport is near Carlow House?
Flinders Street Station is the nearest train station, about 2 minutes' walk. The nearest tram stop is Flinders Street Station/Elizabeth St #1, about 1 minute's walk.
What is the planning zone for Carlow House?
The site is in the Capital City Zone - Schedule 2 (CCZ2). It's also under a Heritage Overlay (HO506).
Does Carlow House have an owners corporation?
Plan of subdivision PS641356 has 17 lots and common property, which means it is managed by an owners corporation.
Has any work been done on Carlow House recently?
The City of Melbourne has issued 39 building permits for Carlow House since 1997. The most recent was in April 2026.
Compare with nearby buildings
| Building | Type | Distance | Floors | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow House | Commercial | — | 10 | 1939 |
| ANA Building | Commercial | 14 m | 9 | 1939 |
| River View House | Commercial | 51 m | 17 | 1972 |
| Double Tree by Hilton | Hotel | 65 m | 15 | 1977 |
That's Built compiles information from public records, research and contributions. Details are checked against multiple sources where possible but may contain errors and aren't professional advice. Sources: City of Melbourne building permits (CC BY 4.0), CLUE building information (CC BY 4.0), CLUE business establishments (CC BY 4.0), Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF) (Open G-NAF EULA (CC BY 4.0 based)). Street View and business details © Google Maps.