"We think that it's a pretty striking building," Geocon general manager of development Peter Micalos says.

Micalos says it is a true mixed-use development with 237 residential apartments, 160 hotel rooms and 2500 square metres of commercial space, incorporating Soho units, bars and restaurants.

The design seeks to foster a vibrant environment that's constantly in use, according to Fender Katsalidis Architects director of planning and design David Sutherland.

"What always intrigues us is the overlap between uses," he says.

The design works to enhance this interactivity.

"We like to think the way we're doing this will supercharge those characteristics and interactions," Sutherland says.

Midnight's fully glazed exterior shell leads into an internal layer built around a creatively designed mixed-use courtyard.

All residential units face the street, with floor-to-ceiling glazing creating a sense of "just standing in the sky", Micalos says.

Hotel rooms face into the courtyard, looking onto features including sculptural facades embellished with planting, ponds and a waterfall.

As a public space, the courtyard "provides just a little bit of separation from what's going on around you, while still being part of the life of the area," Sutherland says.

The space will be an oasis of calm within the city, with options for art installations being investigated.

Braddon has guts, with urban renewal contributing to a sense of grittiness that separates it from the tailored suburban streetscapes of much of Canberra.

"It has a raffishness that a lot of Canberra doesn't have," Sutherland says.

He believes that this comes with "a character that you don't get in the more controlled parts of Canberra".

The design has been informed by the plans for a light rail stop close by, which creates the opportunity for the building to be both a dwelling and a destination.

Midnight, 92 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon
???$335,900-$899,000-plus
Inspect at weekends, from 10am-4pm
Geocon and Independent Projects, Paul Corazza 0418 632 217