Gurner, backed by billionaire Liberman family, plans space age wellness hub in Docklands

Backed by the billionaire Liberman family, developer Tim Gurner plans to build a space age wellness hub in the Docklands precinct.

Is Melbourne ready to embrace a cluster of high rise apartments in the windswept Docklands precinct as a futuristic wellness and anti-ageing utopia?

Luxury entrepreneur Tim Gurner is betting that the city, better known for its cafe culture and unpredictable weather, is at least open to the idea as it deals with the blight of high office vacancy rates.

With his unique blend of new age philosophy, a smattering of the latest neuroscience, and boundless optimism, the property developer has submitted plans for a mega-project dubbed Elysium Fields to revitalise the city’s once dour waterfront precinct.

Mr Gurner, who has ambitions to launch projects around the nation that capitalise on the shift to apartment living, is hopeful that Melburnians will embrace the concept of Elysium Fields delivering them a form of a utopian afterlife.

“I am increasingly driven to create an ultimate wellness experience for the communities in which our buildings sit, that brings together cutting edge wellness and health amenities with a connection to nature, which we now know unequivocally improves sleep, our mental state of being and unlocks myriad health benefits,” Mr Gurner said.

Developer Tim Gurner, backed by the billionaire Liberman family, plans to build a space age wellness hub in the Docklands precinct.

Mr Gurner wants Elysium Fields to take its residents into “another world” despite it being situated on the doorstep of one of Melbourne’s quietest business districts. With his characteristic flourish, he believes it can set new standards, including boosting the health of residents.

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

While other developers have built forests, either inside, atop, or hanging from the side of their buildings, to boost their green credentials, Mr Gurner believes that the scale of his project will make it more akin to a domed community in a sci-fi movie, albeit without actually being encased.

The $1.7bn precinct, to eventually have about 1700 apartments, will offer the kind of health technologies normally associated with futuristic lab settings. The concept is based on a regenerative anti-ageing and wellness work by American neuroscientist Andrew Huberman who emphasises the five pillars of health as sleep, sunlight, movement, nutrition, and social connection.

It is also grounded on Mr Gurner’s own, near obsessive personal wellness journey, which includes pre-dawn starts, breathing exercises, using an Oura ring to keep track of sleep and readiness, and even early morning journaling.

For those moving in, Elysium Fields would offer services ranging from cryotherapy, IV infusions, dry and infra-red sauna, red light therapy, grounding and PEMF beds, and a reverse ageing medical clinic that would bring technology like MRIs, DEXA scans, brain scans, blood testing and personalised health plans into play.

The overall precinct is designed to give residents the feeling of living in a self-contained biosphere-like design – and would see new parks in an area better known for modern office blocks and unit towers. The outdoor experience is to be centred around the ancient Japanese principle of forest bathing, giving residents a chance to unwind.

Designed by Fraser & Partners, the new precinct will have more than 3,700sq m of immersive public landscapes and gardens, partly inspired by Singapore’s verdant buildings. Spaces will be made for running track, Yoga, meditation and training, alongside a rooftop sports court, a private wellness club and a pool club.

“We are re-greening Docklands and revitalising it as a place to visit, live, and focus on unlocking your best self via health and anti-ageing treatments,” Mr Gurner said. “Our aim for this project is to completely transform and revitalise the Docklands, re-energising it with public gardens, greenery and an unprecedented connection to health and wellness.”

The project is a joint venture between Mr Gurner, who came into the project in 2022, and the City Harbour consortium, including the billionaire Liberman family, that holds the development rights. The fresh plans build upon those initially put up by the Digital Harbour partnership.

The site will have a primary focus on build-to-rent units and also have luxury traditional apartments for sale, as well as a four-star hotel for short stays and a five-star hotel in a proposed main tower.

Mr Gurner is looking to get a jump on his rivals by getting started even ahead of interest rates easing, and the first stage includes three towers with 640 units. The entrepreneur is planning to launch a build-to-sell offer of 231 units in the third quarter of this year.

He will also bring his popular Saint Haven club to the area – after its successful launch in Collingwood – as well as an ancient bath concept, offering 15 types of enriched water. The bathhouse element, to be known as Haven Ancient Baths, is planned to be one of the world’s largest.

“We now have a huge amount of data and research about anti-ageing and optimal health via Saint Haven, Elysium Fields will see us execute this on a residential scale, meaning our community won’t just have access to the best treatments, they will be living and breathing it in their own homes, too,” Mr Gurner said.