<html><body>
With much of the CBD's development in recent years concentrated within the western and northern bounds of the Hoddle Grid, one could be forgiven for believing the east end has been largely forgotten.

Currently under planning assessment, 85 Spring Street represents the latest in a cluster of high-rise towers set to redefine the vista from State Parliament. 85 Spring Street is a <a href="http://www.dentoncorkermarshall.com/">DCM</a>-designed residential tower for <a href="http://www.grocon.com/">Grocon</a>, joining <a href="http://www.cbusproperty.com.au/">CBUS</a>'s <a href="/news/85-spring-street-and-the-east-enders">35 Spring Street</a> in taking advantage of views over Treasury Gardens that will never be built out. Furthermore the Windsor Hotel and Nauru House redevelopments will soon enough join the recently completed 27 Little Collins Street in bringing a new dynamic to this historic end of Melbourne.

I have taken the liberty of photoshopping the nominated towers into dual DCM images provided within 85 Spring Street's design report submitted as part of the planning application; these were originally illustrated as grey massing models.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/85%2B35%20Spring%20Street%20%2B%20Windsor_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="35 &amp; 85 Spring Street in context along with the Windsor hotel. Original image © DCM"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="557" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/85%2B35%20Spring%20Street%20%2B%20Windsor_0.jpg?itok=ZrayyQnp" title="35 &amp; 85 Spring Street in context along with the Windsor hotel. Original image © DCM" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>35 &amp; 85 Spring Street in context along with the Windsor hotel. Original image © DCM</figcaption></figure>The 37-storey tower is proposed to reach a height of 128m (137.45m to the top of plant), occupying an irregular L-shape block with frontages to Little Collins Street and Spring Street. Due to Parliament Station's entrance at the Spring Street interface, the site boundary is setback approximately 15 metres from Spring Street.

A 14-storey office tower currently on site would make way to allow for the construction of 330 apartments (136 x 1 bedroom, 190 x 2 bedroom and 4 x 3 bedroom apartments) within the tower. 69 resident bike spaces are accommodated within the basement 2 level with 36 visitor cycling spaces provided within the passage between Ulster Lane and Little Collins Street. Ground floor features a lobby, services area, loading docks and two retail tenancies with a combined area of 93m2.

Car parking is isolated to the south west corner of the site, over the equivalent of 5 levels of the podium and is accessed via 3 car stacker lifts. The 247 spaces are concealed along Little Collins via a wrap of apartments, resulting in a podium of 25.7m in height. This is intended to address the smaller scale podiums which are prevalent in that area of Little Collins Street.

As previously noted the site is setback from Spring Street negating the inclusion of a typical podium. Rather DCM have employed a cantilevered glazed cube canopy which measures 17m to its top and completes the infill to Spring Street. While this may be well below the preferred 35-40m height encouraged by the Planning Scheme, the applicants however argue that despite falling short it is in keeping with the varied podium heights of other buildings on the Street.

The above street level interfaces and proposed conditions are illustrated in the following photomontages:

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Street%20Level.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed street level conditions. © DCM"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="245" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Street%20Level.jpg?itok=m7ZCYANQ" title="Proposed street level conditions. © DCM" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed street level conditions. © DCM</figcaption></figure>Both of these cubes are designed as counterpoints to one another: a solid grounded cube is introduced to Little Collins Street clad in dark metallic panels and punctured to allow for light, air and views while the white glazed cube appears light as if floating above Spring Street.

Unlike the low-scale Bourke Hill Precinct closer to Parliamant, the site has no mandatory or preferred height limits with the only sensitive considerations of heritage, context and overshadowing of the Treasury Gardens to be pondered. The site is surrounded by buildings of varying heights, ranging from roughly 30m to over 200m. The likes of 35 Spring Street (42-storeys, 166m), Hotel Windsor development (27-storeys, 91m) and 72-82 Collins Street (38-storeys, 187m &amp; 19-storeys, 84m) have either or are expected to begin construction within the next 12 months, further adding height to the area.

The massing of the tower is the result of extruding the site vertically. It is envisaged as a simple and modest 6m deep glass block facade to Spring Street which extends beyond the site boundary and contains winter gardens enclosed by glazed louvres. Beyond the block lies two further volumes of floor to ceiling fritted/tinted glass, interrupted by horizontal zinc projections which define and express each floor plate.

The tower is topped by a series of projecting horizontal blades which continue the restrained theme and provide sheltered balcony spaces to the east and west. A similar treatment is applied to the setback plant room to tie it in with the overall language of the building. This design strategy is illustrated in a sequence of sketches below:

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/design%20diagrams_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Design strategy sketch diagrams. © DCM"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="108" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/design%20diagrams_0.jpg?itok=ZRycQjyV" title="Design strategy sketch diagrams. © DCM" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Design strategy sketch diagrams. © DCM</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

I must admit when I first saw the design I was a little underwhelmed. Having studied it in greater detail I consider it to be for the most part a promising design although I still hold certain reservations regarding the massing, which from certain angles can appear quite bulky.

I believe this can be overcome by expressing the form as a distinct number of volumes and making these quite pronounced. Additionally I find the transition and reading of the solid glazed block to Spring Street through to the horizontal crown to be the weakest element of the tower and in my view detracts somewhat from the purity and simplicity of the design. Perhaps another glazed block could be introduced in lieu of the horizontal blades with a well articulated shadow line separating the volumes.

Overall I expect this to be of a generally high standard and will be curious to see what the City of Melbourne has to say particularly with regard to cantilevering over the site boundary.

Should approval for the $300m tower be granted, Grocon intends to commence demolition works by the end of the year. A recently spotted aerial photography unit over the site suggests marketing material is currently being prepared for project launch.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/85%20spring%20street%20sketch%20%2B%20render.png" rel="gallery-all" title="85 Spring Street from sketch to render. © DCM"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="389" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/85%20spring%20street%20sketch%20%2B%20render.png?itok=MVzTp3yF" title="85 Spring Street from sketch to render. © DCM" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>85 Spring Street from sketch to render. © DCM</figcaption></figure><h2>Project team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Grocon</li>
	<li>Architect: Denton Corker Marshall</li>
	<li>Planning Consultant: Urbis</li>
	<li>Traffic Consultant: Cardno Victoria</li>
	<li>Waste Consultant: Wastech</li>
	<li>Wind Consultant: Mel Consultants</li>
	<li>ESD Consultant: Wood &amp; Grieve Engineers</li>
</ul>
</body></html>

Laurence Dragomir

85 Spring Street and the East Enders

<html><body>
Last Friday, 20th June the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects held their annual awards night at Peninsula, Shed 14 Central Pier, Docklands.

The theme for this year was "Learning from Las Vegas" which resulted in some interesting headwear featuring ducks (a reference to MIT Press' publication of the same name), but was a largely subdued affair from a fashion point of view with no sign of any Elvis impersonators.

The ABC's Virginia Trioli once again assumed MC duties after a successful stint a few years ago and was ably supported this year by Triple R's Leaping Larry L.

As always it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and a great opportunity to catch up with peers and former colleagues as some excellent architects and their projects gained deserved recognition. Personally the highlight of the night (apart from <a href="http://www.kerstinthompson.com/">KTA</a> winning 3 awards) was seeing Peter McIntyre win the Enduring Architecture Award for McIntyre House which featured a rousing, heartfelt speech from the man himself concluding with "I'm very proud of all of you," drawing thunderous applause from the 700+ strong crowd.

Overall I felt it was a marked improvement on last year's awards with the field of entrants of an exceptionally high standard, evidenced by some accomplished projects failing to collect an award - a fantastic advertisement of the standard of architecture in Victoria.

So without further ado here are the winners for 2014. Some categories featured multiple winners for architecture awards. Winners of the named awards will represent Victoria at the National Awards later in the year.

VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE MEDAL - McBride Charles Ryan 
Dallas Brooks Community Primary School

SIR OSBORN MCCUTCHEON AWARD FOR COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE - peckvonhartel &amp; ARM Architecture 
Victorian Desalination Plant

COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE AWARD - Techne Architects 
Prahran Hotel

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Prahran_Hotel_Melbourne.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Prahran Hotel redevelopment. Image courtesy Techne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="447" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Prahran_Hotel_Melbourne.jpg?itok=I7Szut7c" title="Prahran Hotel redevelopment. Image courtesy Techne" width="580"></a> ​

COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE AWARD - Woods Bagot 
National Australia Bank (NAB) Docklands

​JOHN GEORGE KNIGHT AWARD FOR HERITAGE ARCHITECTURE - Lovell Chen Architects &amp; Heritage Consultants 
Melbourne GPO Exterior Conservation Works

HERITAGE ARCHITECTURE AWARD - Kerstin Thompson Architects 
Wertheim Factory Conversion, Studio Nine

(Editor's note: On a personal level was super stoked to see this project recognised after years of hardwork by the office. You can read more about the project<a href="https://urbanmelbourne.info/design/2014/01/29/project-review-werth-the-wait-studio-nine-richmond"> here</a>)

MARION MAHONY AWARD FOR INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE - McBride Charles Ryan 
The Quays

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/-DSP0100-zoom.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Quays. Image courtesy MCR"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/-DSP0100-zoom.jpg?itok=zBb1l5aX" title="The Quays. Image courtesy MCR" width="580"></a> ​

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE AWARD - Woods Bagot 
National Australia Bank (NAB), Docklands

​WILLIAM WARDELL AWARD FOR PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE - McBride Charles Ryan 
Dallas Brooks Community Primary School

PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE | NEW | AWARD - Bates Smart/Whitefield McQueen/Irwin Alsop Joint Venture 
Dandenong Mental Health Facility

PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE | NEW | AWARD - JAWSARCHITECTS 
Port of Echuca Discovery Centre

PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE | ALTERATIONS &amp; ADDITIONS | AWARD - Kerstin Thompson Architects 
Birralee Primary School

HAROLD DESBROWE-ANNEAR AWARD FOR RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | NEW | - Kerstin Thompson Architects 
House at Hanging Rock

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | NEW | AWARD - Bower Architecture 
Hover House

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | NEW | AWARD - March Studio 
Somers Beach House

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | NEW | AWARD - Wood Marsh Architecture 
Portsea House

JOHN AND PHYLLIS MURPHY AWARD FOR RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | ALTERATIONS &amp; ADDITIONS | - NMBW Architecture Studio 
South Yarra Warehouse

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | ALTERATIONS &amp; ADDITIONS | AWARD - Clare Cousins Architects 
St Kilda East House

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | ALTERATIONS &amp; ADDITIONS | AWARD - Kennedy Nolan 
St Kilda West House

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/KNA_014-015.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="St Kilda West House. Image courtesy Kennedy Nolan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="351" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/KNA_014-015.jpg?itok=kV21USm5" title="St Kilda West House. Image courtesy Kennedy Nolan" width="580"></a> ​

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | ALTERATIONS &amp; ADDITIONS | AWARD - Kennedy Nolan 
Westgarth House

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | MULTIPLE HOUSING AWARD - McBride Charles Ryan 
The Quays

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE | MULTIPLE HOUSING AWARD - Williams Boag 
Richmond Redevelopment

KEVIN BORLAND AWARD FOR SMALL PROJECT ARCHITECTURE - Sean Godsell Architects 
Kew Studio

SMALL PROJECT ARCHITECTURE AWARD - BKK Architects 
Geelong Ring Road Rest Areas

SMALL PROJECT ARCHITECTURE AWARD - McBride Charles Ryan 
Community Hall (NGV Melbourne Now)

ALLAN AND BETH COLDICUTT AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE - Breathe Architecture 
The Commons

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AWARD - Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (fjmt) 
Melton Library and Learning Hub

JOSEPH REED AWARD FOR URBAN DESIGN - ARM Architecture 
Peninsula Link

URBAN DESIGN AWARD - NMBW Architecture Studio + ASPECT Studios 
Box Hill Gardens Multipurpose Area

URBAN DESIGN AWARD Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design 
M80 Ring Road &amp; M2 Tullamarine Freeway Interchange

COLORBOND® AWARD FOR STEEL ARCHITECTURE - Sean Godsell Architects 
Kew Studio

MELBOURNE PRIZE - McBride Charles Ryan 
Dallas Brooks Community Primary School

REGIONAL PRIZE - MGS Architects 
Bendigo Library Redevelopment

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/53687e92c07a80b5c5000079_bendigo-library-mgs-architects_lap0025_6039.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bendigo Library. Image © Andrew Latreille"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="773" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/53687e92c07a80b5c5000079_bendigo-library-mgs-architects_lap0025_6039.jpg?itok=LvWy8SSe" title="Bendigo Library. Image © Andrew Latreille" width="580"></a> ​

ENDURING ARCHITECTURE AWARD - Peter McIntyre 
McIntyre House

BATES SMART AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE IN THE MEDIA | NATIONAL - Nigel Bertram, NMBW Architecture Studio 
Furniture, Structure, Infrastructure: Making and Using the Urban Environment

BATES SMART AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE IN THE MEDIA | NATIONAL - Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill 
Public Sydney: Drawing the City

BATES SMART AWARD FOR ARCHITECTURE IN THE MEDIA | STATE - Nervegna Reed Architecture 
Dr Caligari moves to the Suburbs – The Architecture of Edmond + Corrigan

The complete list of winners including commendations and accompanying images can be found at http://www.architecture.com.au/docs/default-source/vic-awards/2014_victorian-architecture-awards-winners_final.pdf?sfvrsn=0

The full 2014 Field of Entries can be viewed here: http://vicawards.architecture.com.au/2014-field-of-entrants/
</body></html>

2014 Victorian Architecture Awards 

<html><body>
With Montague Precinct receiving the lion's share media attention in recent weeks (despite many being clueless as to its exact whereabouts), now might be an opportune time to shift the focus onto another of the four precincts which make up the <a href="http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/projects-and-programs/fishermans-bend-urban-renewal-project">Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area</a>: Lorimer.

As illustrated in the diagram below Lorimer Precinct provides a crucial interface with Yarra's Edge: a natural extension of sorts bounded by the M1, Lorimer acts as a mediator between Yarra's Edge and the Sandridge Precinct to the south.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/FBURA.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area. Image © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/FBURA.jpg?itok=l-E7UUr0" title="Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area. Image © Hayball"></a>

Located directly behind the forthcoming <a href="http://assets0.mirvacdevelopment.com/assets/yarras-edge-site/1UkplJX4gkm4aIm/ART-Mirvac-Fact-Sheet-150dpi.pdf">Bolte Precinct</a> within Yarra's Edge, Southbank-based <a href="http://www.hayball.com.au/">Hayball</a> have developed a masterplan for a staged four tower apartment complex at 850-858 Lorimer Street on behalf of clients <a href="http://au.goodman.com/">Goodman</a>.

Like a handful of other land holders within Fishermans Bend, Goodman are better known for commercial and industrial development rather than apartments. With 850-858 Lorimer Street the first of four land parcels controlled by Goodman within the area to seek planning consent, it would come as little surprise if they sold the site should planning approval be achieved.

<h2>Subject site and surrounds</h2>

Triangular in shape, 850-858 Lorimer Streetand has an area of approximately 1.01 hectares. It currently accommodates a mix of commercial, warehouse and office space in a series of low-rise structures.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/850-858%20site.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="850-858 Lorimer Street with surrounding future developments highlighted. Image © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/850-858%20site.jpg?itok=k6lqTHvx" title="850-858 Lorimer Street with surrounding future developments highlighted. Image © Hayball"></a>

To the south at 351 Ingles Street (seen in green above) sits an at grade, open air car park that has a current planning application before Government. Conceived by <a href="http://artisanarchitects.com.au/">Artisan Architects</a>, the <a href="/new-apartments/port-melbourne-vic-3207">five tower residential complex</a> would carry 1,915 Apartments and 1,509 carspaces. ​

To the north of the site is a vacant tract of land which into the future will carry the aforementioned Bolte Precinct within Yarra's Edge, spearheaded by Tower 10. The previously highlighted <a href="/news/the-edge-of-tomorrow-160-186-lorimer-street-docklands">Tower 10 at Yarra's Edge</a> reiterates the importance of activated and well articulated podium facades along Lorimer Street, particularly now that we are beginning to see more and more applications lodged within Lorimer abutting the area.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/BOLTE%20PRECINCT.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bolte Precinct massing. Image © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/BOLTE%20PRECINCT.jpg?itok=LcU0Tktb" title="Bolte Precinct massing. Image © Hayball"></a>

<h2>Proposed development</h2>

The masterplan for the site allows for four towers employing a podium setback tower typology accommodating 1,354 apartments across a combined 146 storeys. The development has been designed in such a way to allow each site to be developed individually, split stages or concurrently.

To facilitate this process and produce a quality outcome in keeping with the intent of the FBURA guidelines, Hayball have developed a series of guiding principles for various elements of the masterplan. These are categorized as Public Realm, Podium, Tower.

<h2>Public realm masterplan principles</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Public%20Realm%20Strategy.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Public Realm Strategy. © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Public%20Realm%20Strategy.jpg?itok=YuYAEMAZ" title="Public Realm Strategy. © Hayball"></a>

Public Open Space –– The public open space will be formed through the creation of a new plaza which is connected via a pedestrian walkway between Lorimer and Ingles Street.

<ul>
<li>Plaza Area: 602 sqm</li>
	<li>Pedestrian Link: 413.5 sqm</li>
</ul>
Through Block Links –– Pedestrian link to connect Lorimer Street and Ingles Street should be no greater than 100 metres from the intersection corner of Ingles and Lorimer Streets 
–– Pedestrian link should measure 12 metres wide from building to building and is open to daylight and ventilation 
–– Actual pedestrian walkway should measure 3 metres wide, excluding landscape and planting buffers

Continuous Public Accessibility –– Pedestrian link should be publicly accessible at all times. All streets and lanes should be in accordance with current DDA standards for public areas

Climatic Comfort of Pedestrians –– The pedestrian link should be designed as a crescent to avoid wind tunnel effects of a straight N-S link. 
–– Pedestrian link should receive a substantial amount of daylight and natural ventilation

Active Frontages –– The pedestrian link should provide active frontages by sleeving 4-6 storey townhouses on either side

Vehicular Entry –– All vehicular entries and service access to occur off Ingles Street. Lorimer Street to be kept as a primary frontage with active uses

<h2>Podium masterplan principles</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Podium%20Strategy.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Podium Strategy. © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Podium%20Strategy.jpg?itok=VXPimLD3" title="Podium Strategy. © Hayball"></a>

Low Rise Podium Scale –– Podium should measure 22 metres from street level to parapet to maintain a low pedestrian scale face to Lorimer and Ingles Street.

Active Frontages and Passive Surveillance –– Podium face will be occupied with active uses comprising of residential and commercial tenancies on ground 
floor to maintain passive surveillance onto street 
–– Services and vehicular entries to be located on Ingles Street instead of the main frontage of Lorimer Street 
–– Ground floor of podium to have designated spaces for retail and micro tenancies adjacent / near to residential lobbies and plaza

Concealed Carpark –– Car park to be completely concealed behind sleeved apartments on all street frontages. Where the carpark has a permeable face of screening, podium wall should be setback and screened with vertical landscape elements

Residential Mix and Diversity –– Podium mix to consist of townhouses, ranging from 3 bedrooms to micro studios as well as SOHO units on the ground floor to attract a wide variety of users and occupants.

Podium Grain –– Podium facade to reflects a fine grain character with articulated elements serving to provide high quality internal amenity

Defined Street Edge –– Podium to run continuous on Lorimer and Ingles Street frontages as well as along pedestrian link to define street edge 
–– Dominant corner on Lorimer and Ingles Streets is to be ‘anchored’ by podium + tower above

Podium Rooftop –– Level 6 podium rooftop to consist of residents’ storage, communal facilities, pool and gymnasium and a large private outdoor space. These spaces should be well located within passive surveillance of the towers above

Acoustic Amenity to Podium Units Fronting Lorimer St –– Facade treatments consist of solid and openable panels + directed glazing to acoustically protect the amenity of residential facing Lorimer Street

<h2>Tower masterplan principles</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Tower%20Strategy.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Tower Strategy. © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Tower%20Strategy.jpg?itok=cI7j4afJ" title="Tower Strategy. © Hayball"></a>

Adequate Street Setbacks –– Towers 1A and 2A will be set back a minimum of 5 metres from Lorimer and Ingles Street frontage, with reduce setback to 1 metre at specific points to achieve generous tower separation 
–– Towers permitted to have pinch points of less than 2 metres of parallel facade where setbacks are less than 5 metres from street boundary

Adequate Tower Separation –– Tower separations within the development will range from 12.5 metres (min) to 28 metres (max) 
–– Stage 2A and 2B to be setback 15 metres and 10 metres respectively, from shared eastern site boundary of adjoining property to protect the reasonable amenity (privacy, views and daylight) for occupants

Minimal Overlooking in between Towers –– Towers to be designed to orientate away from each other to minimise direct overlooking of nearby towers 
–– Facade treatments to be employed by offsetting or angling views to overcome direct overlooking where necessary

Clustered Towers on Same Site –– Orientation of towers will maximise northern views of the harbour and water edge, as well as the CBD in the distance. 
–– Tower orientation to provide good solar amenity into internal spaces 
–– Towers will have varying architectural form, materials and detail to reinforce the character of site

Visual Impact and Profile –– Towers to be slender in form and designed to be viewed from all sides. 
–– Views towards the development from Bolte Bridge and CBD will be taken into consideration for tower composition 
–– Services on roof are to be concealed by rooftop communal facilities

<h2>Facades</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Facades%20response.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Facade Strategy. © Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Facades%20response.jpg?itok=_k4zTM81" title="Facade Strategy. © Hayball"></a>

The podium is intended to be expressed as a solid, heavy element that is punctured and peeled back where necessary to allow for internal amenity. The treatment to the tower element varies depending on elevation - north features glazed louvred winter gardens to mitigate wind and improve the amenity to balcony areas, whereas the south elevations employ a 2:3 ratio of glazed verses solid screening bands acting as the mediator between tower and podium.

One interesting aspect that is happening with a number of proposals within the the FBURA, particularly the larger consolidated sites under single ownership is the preference for staged multi-tower developments atop a single podium featuring clone towers. The danger is creating homogenous towers of similar height and finish not unlike the Central Equity experience in Southbank.

If multi-tower developments are to be the way forward for Fishermans Bend then architectural diversity, variable height, a good mix of housing typologies and meaningful contributions to the public realm via well designed active spaces are key to ensuring a good quality outcome.

As further details of proposals within Lorimer come to light, Apartments.com.au will begin to develop a digital model of all the proposals similar to what was <a href="/news/the-full-monty-montague-precinct-in-all-its-glory">previously done with the Montague Precinct</a>.

<h2>Project team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Goodman Group</li>
	<li>Architecture: Hayball</li>
	<li>Town Planner: Urbis</li>
	<li>Landscape Architecture: Oculus</li>
	<li>Traffic Consultant: GTA Consultants</li>
	<li>Services + ESD Consultant: Wood &amp; Grieve</li>
	<li>Wind Assessment Consultant: MEL Consult</li>
	<li>Waste Management Consultant: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>Structural Consultant: Mordue Engineering</li>
</ul>
</body></html>

Planning Application > 850-858 Lorimer Street

<html><body>
Apartments.com.au recently talked with ARM Architecture's Neil Masterton. As Design Director of the prolific architecture firm, Neil was the premier candidate to explore the design rationale behind the pending <a href="/news/st-collins-lane-vies-for-a-piece-of-the-luxury-market" target="_blank">St. Collins Lane development</a>, formerly Australia on Collins.

LD: What were the key drivers behind your offices' design strategy for St. Collins Lane? Improved sight lines? Light? Greater permeability?

NM: The fundamental driver behind the St Collins Lane project was the desire of the client and design team to create a particular boutique retail experience in an urban core that is specifically related to Melbourne. This is not a shopping experience but an urban retail experience.

NM: It is a re-structure of the existing centre with a flattening out of the floor plates and rationalisation - five floors down to four but the overall area will increase by 1000 sqm to about 9,000 sqm. The centre will boast high ceilings of 3.5m and we'll also be filling in the large void in the ground floor. We wanted to create a distinction between the high end of Collins Street and the boutique laneway environment of Little Collins Street. There will be a strong visual connection between the two by way of improved site lines from Collins Street through to Little Collins Street.

NM: The entry point from Collins Street will be double height with a little canopy over the dining deck on the upper level which really opening the centre up to Collins Street. It is about creating a vertical experience but also an elegant passeggiata with a level of intimacy in the heart of the city.

LD: Were there any particular inspirations for the design team both in a local and international context?

NM: We were fascinated with the great streets of the world - 5th Avenue in New York, the Champs-Élysées in Paris - these types of places.

LD: What lessons were learnt/what were you able to take away from the offices' experience on Melbourne Central - although there is clearly a different target demographic in mind?

NM: St Collins Lane is a unique experience but we were able to draw upon some similar approaches to design and ambitions - making the experience clear and direct with good sight lines - we wanted to steer clear of the labyrinth and 'trapping people' - a subtly different identity between levels is employed but within a holistic vision for the centre.

NM: The departure point between the two is obviously in the scale. St Collins Lane is a relatively small boutique experience that offers the opportunity for intimacy - where Melbourne Central occupies an entire city block. It is not a shopping centre but it's also not quite a laneway. It is unique.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/comparison.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A stark Melbourne Central and St. Collins Lane comparison. Image © ARM Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/comparison.jpg?itok=w3suh1bc" style="height:263px; width:580px" title="A stark Melbourne Central and St. Collins Lane comparison. Image © ARM Architecture"></a> ​

LD: Would you say it's a typology all of its own?

NM: Yes, that's perhaps one way of looking at it.

LD: Would I be correct in suggesting that St. Collins Lane is a bit more restrained formally with a much more subtle materials palette than usually employed by ARM?

NM: It's more about responding in vigorous ways to different settings. Retail itself is the most prominent or pronounced feature - the architecture has to help the retail but you don't want to necessarily see it as secondary. It's a bit of a juggling act - the generic nature of the shopping centre and the bespoke nature of the laneway or arcade. It becomes about the architecture of the public realm more than anything.

NM: To elaborate further, public spaces should be memorable. People should be encouraged to congregate in them, to be seen in them. I would say that the Royal Arcade is a memorable place and something St Collins Lane aspires to, so you could say that there is a sliding scale between the generic and the particular.

LD: The retail core is undergoing a renaissance similar to that of Melbourne's laneways in the 90's - what do you put that down to? Increased competition from an increasing number of international retailers? Increase in population and the advent of later trading hours?

NM: This is very much an architect's take on it but I would say it's a combination of a number of factors. There certainly are many more people living in the city. I think the diversity of Melbourne and Australia in general are seen as quite desirable for both international retailers and people looking to migrate, particularly the Asian middle class population. H&amp;M moving into the GPO didn't necessarily seem like a good fit at the time but it appears to be working.

NM: The other factor the retail world has to come to terms with is on-line shopping.

LD: Funny you should mention on-line shopping. That was my next question - the evolution of shopping and the implications for architecture - online vs physical?

NM: On-line shopping can't offer a visceral urban experience. I believe there is a strong desire and need for actual visual and physical interactions and developers/retailers are looking more and more to create great places to be, interesting places to be! The experience is something that on-line can't offer and this is in part is what's leading to much more retail outcomes. Shopping is no longer shopping as it was in the 19th Century for example.

NM: It's all about being seen hanging out in interesting places, the element of 'shopping' has become secondary - it's all about the experience and creating memorable spaces.

Many thanks to Neil Masterton for setting some time aside to chat with Apartments.com.au.
</body></html>

Neil Masterton talks St. Collins Lane 

<html><body>
<blockquote>
Through thoughtful analysis of the existing, under construction, approved and proposed developments, a unique and sensitive development is proposed. In this way the proposal is respectful of its current and future neighbours.
<cite><a href="http://www.hassellstudio.com/">Hassell</a>'s planning application for 97 Franklin Street</cite>
</blockquote>

The quote above demonstrates Hassell's determination to design a mixed-use tower with a "point of difference". The proposed development which <a href="/news/97-franklin-street-simply-mind-boggling">first appeared two months ago</a>, would see a two-storey rendered brick building - currently home to Hertz car hire outlet and Eckersley's Art &amp; Craft - demolished and replaced with a 62-storey tower rising to a height of 212.5m.

97 Franklin joins an increasing number of 200m+ giants on the northern tip of the CBD, including <a href="/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Lighthouse</a> next door and <a href="/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Victoria One</a> diagonally opposite.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/97%20franklin%20talls.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Land of the giants! © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="428" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/97%20franklin%20talls.jpg?itok=OawrIHol" title="Land of the giants! © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Land of the giants! © Laurence Dragomir</figcaption></figure>The proposal marks Artemis Hotel Group's first foray into the Australian market and architects Hassell have certainly delivered a remarkable first impression. Upon initial viewing, the building appears as a series of precariously balanced office blocks but in reality they house 144 serviced apartments, 356 residential apartments and 11 penthouses across the top four floors.

A retail tenancy occupies the north-west corner of the ground floor helping to activate the public realm, whilst a food and beverage dining area occupies level 01 looking out onto Franklin Street. 490sq.m of office space is included as are shared recreational facilities through level 07, bordered by an outdoor landscaped terrace. Resident only facilities splitting a north and south outdoor terrace are found on level 32.

The project caters for 440 bicycle spaces within the basement with only 160 car spaces located in the southern portion of the podium.

<h2>Architecture</h2>

The tower presents as three large volumes stacked atop one another and rotated 90 degrees: podium, low-rise and high-rise. Each responds to a particular set of parameters and conditions:

<blockquote>
The space between the low-rise component and the surrounding developments enables equitable solar access. The north facing high-rise component maximises its solar access and the orientation for the city grid enables morning and evening sunlight onto the southerly face. The rotation gives the low-rise component a greater setbacks and amenity, as well as corridor views. Whilst the high-rise is afforded a large northern city vistas as well as southern CBD views.
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/97F%20design%20process%20diagram.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Design process diagram. © Hassell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="131" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/97F%20design%20process%20diagram.jpg?itok=k9hQjgx5" title="Design process diagram. © Hassell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Design process diagram. © Hassell</figcaption></figure>As a result the development works on a macro and micro scale by virtue of developing a set of principles for the three volumes which are designed to respond to adjacencies in context, in turn providing a high degree of amenity to apartments and the public domain.

The golden facade consists of a fine, slender grid which responds to the human scale of the rooms, visually reducing the monumental appearance of the three volumes.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/97F%20montage_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Grid. © Hassell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="494" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/97F%20montage_0.jpg?itok=NYFxGUr1" title="The Grid. © Hassell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Grid. © Hassell</figcaption></figure><h2>Setbacks</h2>

The low-rise volume employs the following setbacks from relevant boundaries:

<ul>
<li>5m from Southern Boundary</li>
	<li>8.2m from Eastern Boundary​</li>
	<li>0m from Franklin Street</li>
	<li>13.2m from Western Boundary</li>
</ul>
High-rise setbacks to relevant boundaries:

<ul>
<li>22.2m from Southern Boundary</li>
	<li>0m from Eastern Boundary</li>
	<li>10m from Franklin Street</li>
	<li>5m from Western Boundary</li>
</ul>
<h2>Public Realm</h2>

The proposal looks to provide a positive and meaningful contribution to the public realm by way a new north facing "urban forest" at ground level, running along the 40m frontage to Franklin Street. This is achieved by employing a 10m setback to the street with a 5m setback from the western boundary allowing for a new north-south laneway between the site and 450 Elizabeth Street.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/97F_GF.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Ground floor + public realm. © Hassell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="474" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/97F_GF.jpg?itok=7fUmaZ8c" title="Ground floor + public realm. © Hassell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Ground floor + public realm. © Hassell</figcaption></figure>I thought I might conclude with this list of objectives which Hassell set out to achieve. I think it's fair to say the design team have done an excellent job in producing an architectural response which certainly provides a "point of difference amongst the typical developer driven projects prevalent in the precinct."

<h2>Objectives</h2>

The main development objectives are:

<ul>
<li>To create a quality, considered architectural response that addresses the varying site conditions.</li>
	<li>To increase the public amenity along Franklin Street, offering a greater urban integration with shared and functional spaces.</li>
	<li>To infuse mixed use principles that will help create an active and engaging street interface.</li>
	<li>To create a landmark development that truly responds to its context, resulting in a equitable development for both the client and the city.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Project Team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: <a href="http://www.mingdegrandhotel.com/en/groupinfo">Artemis Hotel Group</a>
</li>
	<li>Project Manager: <a href="http://www.equisent.com.au/">Equisent</a>
</li>
	<li>Architecture: <a href="http://www.hassellstudio.com/">Hassell</a>
</li>
	<li>Town Planner: <a href="http://www.urbis.com.au/">Urbis</a>
</li>
	<li>Landscape Architecture: Urbis</li>
	<li>Traffic Consultant: <a href="http://www.mltraffic.com.au/">ML Traffic</a>
</li>
	<li>ESD Consultant: <a href="http://www.ark-resources.com.au/">Ark Resources</a>
</li>
	<li>Structural Consultant: <a href="http://www.arup.com/">Arup</a>
</li>
	<li>Wind Assessment Consultant: <a href="http://www.vipac.com.au/">Vipac</a>
</li>
	<li>Waste Management Consultant: <a href="http://www.wastech.com.au/">Wastech</a>
</li>
</ul>
</body></html>

A Point of Difference > 97 Franklin Street, Melbourne

<html><body>
A follow-up to <a href="/news/days-of-future-past-cub-site-carlton">yesterday's article</a>, Apartments.com.au explores the remaining land allotments yet to be developed within the former CUB Carlton site beginning with the tallest:

<h2>BUILDING #4 - 170 Victoria Street - Elenberg Fraser for CEL Australia</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/BUILDING%204%20Design%20Progression_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Building 4 Grocon + DCM &gt;&gt;&gt; CEL Australia + Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="219" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/BUILDING%204%20Design%20Progression_0.jpg?itok=_978yPJ0" title="Building 4 Grocon + DCM &gt;&gt;&gt; CEL Australia + Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

Once known as the DCM Tower due to the fact it was designed by Denton Corker Marshall the building was originally conceived as a 85,000sqm office tower with scope for apartments/hotel through the upper levels:

<blockquote>
Denton Corker Marshall’s design for a signature commercial tower on the Carlton Brewery site, a prime inner-city Melbourne block, has been declared a winner in an architectural ideas competition run by Australian developer Grocon. Building 4 will be the largest building in Grocon’s master plan of the Carlton Brewery site on the corner of Swanston and Victoria Streets. Envisaged as a tall flanking element, it will provide a new long distance marker for Melbourne’s civic spine which stretches from the Shrine of Remembrance through the heart of the city.
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The design features a simple language of ‘sticks’ to create a series of closely spaced slender towers that will generate startling views from the surrounding streets and public spaces. By eroding the tops of select sticks, a distinctive crown to the tower will be created providing a highly memorable silhouette to the northern city skyline. The design will undergo further development and will be submitted for planning approval at a later date.
</blockquote>

In 2010 Grocon received planning approval for a 90-storey, 281m tower and subsequently put the site on the market. Failing to sell until last year when it was purchased by CEL Australia for $80m, Grocon eventually reaped double what was originally paid for the whole brewery site.

CEL engaged Elenberg Fraser to produce a new scheme - 1041 apartments across 76 storeys reaching a height of 253m.

A comprehensive write up of 170 Victoria Street will appear on Apartments.com.au in coming weeks.

<h2>BUILDING #10 - B Apartments - Studio 505</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Delta-%20B%20Apartments_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Delta &gt; B Apartments. © Studio505"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="263" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Delta-%20B%20Apartments_0.jpg?itok=42Y-OYl3" title="Delta &gt; B Apartments. © Studio505" width="580"></a>

Originally intended to be a 'passive house' apartment complex, the initial 50 apartment, 10 level design by Studio 505 was to be known as Delta and consist of prefabricated CLT (cross-laminated timber). Had it been built it would have been the tallest timber building in the world. The passive concept, is based around a set of standards mostly prevalent in Europe - this involves achieving the best indoor standard of heating and cooling possible, captured in the way a house is designed and manufactured rather than through the use of gas and electricity.

The design has since evolved into B Apartments featuring 218 apartments across 20 storeys. <a href="/news/grocons-cub-site-takes-the-next-step" target="_blank">Highlighted in this article</a>, the project has since moved to pre-sale registrations.

<h2>BUILDING #1 - McBride Charles Ryan</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/MCR_Bouverie%20Street_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Progression of McBride Charles Ryan competition entry. © MCR"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="123" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/MCR_Bouverie%20Street_0.jpg?itok=aNMbP3xi" title="Progression of McBride Charles Ryan competition entry. © MCR" width="580"></a>

As the mosaic of images illustrate, McBride Charles Ryan's Building 1 has seen a raft of design iterations over the years. These have ranged from commercial office space to apartments and most recently what looks to be student accommodation.

The colourful bands are reminiscent of MCR's PEG's Senior building glazed and Fitzroy High school. Glazed brick would be a welcome addition at the brewery site amongst a host of glass and steel buildings, and ties in with the immediate area's history - traditionally an area of industry and warehousing.

<blockquote>
To date MCR are currently undertaking the design for Building 1, a 16-level student housing project. In this proposal MCR have reworked the planning envelope. By locating an increased height to the south of the site many more apartments are provided with a northern aspect and outdoor living spaces which have a view over Carlton. The form of the building also acts as a scale transition between the diminutive Pixel Building on Queensberry Street and the iconic commercial tower proposed to the south west corner of the site.
</blockquote>

Likely the most advanced in terms of design progression out of Buildings 1, 2 &amp; 3, logic suggests it might be the next cab off the development rank.

<h2>MASTER PLAN + BUILDING #2 NH Architecture</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/NH%20montage_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Master plan and design concept for Building 2. © NH Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="108" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/NH%20montage_0.jpg?itok=o3x_jhmI" title="Master plan and design concept for Building 2. © NH Architecture" width="580"></a>

In addition to master planning duties, NH Architecture was engaged to design Building 2 in the CUB development. <q>This building is central to the north of the site and addresses both Queensberry Street and the internal plaza area to the south. It will form a crucial role tying together diverse neighbours both in its immediate vicinity but also acting as a mediator in height between Carlton and the Melbourne CBD.</q>

Details on Building 2 are few and far between at this stage.

<h2>BUILDING #3 - Minifie van Schaik</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/mvs_CUB_0_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Minifie van Schaik (formerly Nixon) design ideas competition entry. © MVS"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="182" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/mvs_CUB_0_0.jpg?itok=7At-MduI" title="Minifie van Schaik (formerly Nixon) design ideas competition entry. © MVS" width="580"></a>

Another land parcel floating about with no definite plan or timeline, the initial design was awarded to Minifie van Schaik. Here's a word from the architects following their appointment:

<blockquote>
Minifie Nixon (now van Schaik have been chosen unanimously by an expert design panel with representatives from RMIT University, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Grocon to design a 10 level 1,000m2 floor plate building with retail at lower levels and commercial and/or residential above. The competition was endorsed by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

Located on the corner of Swanston street and Queensberry street, the north eastern portion of Grocon’s exciting new CUB development, this building will provide the important Swanston street address to the northern end of the site, face two internal public spaces and hold congress with the existing Malt Store and the Queensberry Hotel, its immediate neighbours.
</blockquote>

The above projects promise much by way of architectural flair, time will tell if reality equates to vision.
</body></html>

Days of Future Past: CUB Site Carlton (Continued)

<html><body>
Back in sunny February developer Mirvac lodged an application for a 30-storey tower, in part forming the first stage of the Bolte Precinct. Spearheading the westernmost strip of land within Yarra's Edge, the proposed tower at 160-186 Lorimer Street will effectively be the eighth built at Yarra's Edge, number 9 overall, but officially Tower 10 - work that one out!

The 4,000sqm site will have a future interface with the high-density Lorimer Precinct to the south, which forms part of the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Yarras%20Edge%20Site.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Yarra's Edge site aerial."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="149" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Yarras%20Edge%20Site.jpg?itok=L2wILbgy" title="Yarra's Edge site aerial." width="580"></a>
<figcaption>Yarra's Edge site aerial.</figcaption></figure>The boot shaped Tower 10 sits atop a 5-storey podium which rises 19.5m for an overall height of 100 metres (RL100.175). As per the planning application, 229 dwellings (none of which rely on borrowed light), 302 parking spaces, 84 bike spaces and 229sqm of retail at ground level are included.

The breakdown of apartments is as follows: 118 one bedroom, 71 two bedroom and 40 three+ bedroom dwellings. Apartments have been introduced to the podium in order to veil an above ground car parking structure, always a welcomed result.

Architecturally the tower has a similar DNA to Yarra Point but with a much more fluid form that responds to prevailing windy conditions. Visually the proposal will form the termination of the Bourke Street axis - a critical vista from within Docklands. Curiously there has been a departure away from procuring designs via competitive entry (Wood Marsh delivering Tower 5 &amp; 6) in favour of in-house design.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/YE9_L1%20PLAN.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Level 01 plan."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="401" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/YE9_L1%20PLAN.jpg?itok=hZL1Xp5I" title="Level 01 plan." width="580"></a>
<figcaption>Level 01 plan.</figcaption></figure>History will show that only T5 was built as per Wood Marsh's vision with Mirvac Design taking over design duties for Tower 6 which has since become <a href="http://www.arraybymirvac.com/home">Array</a> (currently under construction), the feminine counterpart to the masculine T5. My biggest criticism is the predominantly bare concrete podium articulation along Lorimer Street which will become a primary facade once the Lorimer Precinct begins to develop - a somewhat short term approach for a long term structure holding a prominent position.

Design Development Overlay 49 (DDO49) allows for a single or twin tower development rising a maximum height of 130m and it would have been good to see that extra 30m utilised for a proportionally more slender tower in keeping with the heights of T5 &amp; Array. Perhaps the neighbouring Tower 11 will go all the way in the not-too-distant future?

Overall it would appear that the City of Melbourne support the proposal which has undergone a number of design iterations via workshops, so official Ministerial approval is expected soon enough.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/YE9_from%20river%2002.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Tower 10 aerial with a glimpse of Tower 09 in the distance."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="349" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/YE9_from%20river%2002.jpg?itok=lvKdrx1F" title="Tower 10 aerial with a glimpse of Tower 09 in the distance." width="580"></a>
<figcaption>Tower 10 aerial with a glimpse of Tower 09 in the distance.</figcaption></figure>Until next time I'll leave you with an image hinting at the height and form of Tower 09 (in the distance above), expected to be the tallest of all within Yarra's Edge.
</body></html>

The Edge of Tomorrow > 160-186 Lorimer Street, Docklands

<html><body>
This time last year I wrote an article called "<a href="/news/blockhead-concept-this-little-piggy-went-to-market-on-his-fixie">This little piggy went to market (on his fixie)</a>" which investigated (on a purely conceptual level) redeveloping the Brunswick Market site @ 661 Sydney Road into a mixed-use village.

Like most sequels, no-one really asked for it, but I went ahead and decided to produce one anyway. Without further ado here's the highly anticipated "This little piggy went to a different market", focusing on everyone's favourite, the Queen Victoria Market.

As most readers would know, the City of Melbourne have made their intentions clear in the past year regarding the market's renewal: creating one of the world's great market experiences. City of Melbourne are currently pushing ahead with phase two of their community consultation process, covered in <a href="/news/unesco-world-heritage-listing-for-the-vic">an earlier article</a>.

Based on some of the guiding principles illustrated below, I've put together a concept for the site with a focus on the new public space and southern development site.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image2vmarket_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Queen Victoria Market Planning Strategy. © City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="695" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image2vmarket_0.jpg?itok=jvk9iWQI" title="Queen Victoria Market Planning Strategy. © City of Melbourne" width="580"></a>

I've kept it rather broad and conceptual, to nut out the finer details and design it correctly would take more time than I can presently afford.

Put simply it's an idea around a series of new glazed and timber sheds which house various programs (such as nurseries, a community veggie patch, microbrewery and TAFE) bordering a large public space, featuring a mix of soft and hard landscaping.

For the new development to the south, I've kept the buildings which interface with the Queen, Franklin and William Streets to maximum height of eight levels. Predominantly residential in use they are clad in a mix of timber, masonry and off-form concrete with retail at ground level. A new laneway off Franklin Street snakes its way through the site and out on to Queen Street.

To the south of the laneway sits 18-storey and 80-storey buildings of mixed uses; the taller of which is loosely based on a shard-like reinterpretation of DCM's unbuilt Building 4 at the former Carlton Brewery site.

And with that I shall let you all (hopefully) enjoy these conceptual images:

<dl>
<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_01_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="New development to Peel &amp; Franklin Streets. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="241" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_01_1.png?itok=vijLeMYL" title="New development to Peel &amp; Franklin Streets. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>New development to Peel &amp; Franklin Streets. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_02.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Plaza view looking west along new Franklin St. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="239" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_02.png?itok=ByAJeeNw" title="Plaza view looking west along new Franklin St. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>Plaza view looking west along new Franklin St. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_04_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Aerial view of north end and market precinct. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="297" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_04_0.png?itok=DUmF24LZ" title="Aerial view of north end and market precinct. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>Aerial view of north end and market precinct. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/tower_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="300m tower - drawing cues from DCM's unbuilt Brewery tower. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/tower_0.png?itok=6P6MpAmb" title="300m tower - drawing cues from DCM's unbuilt Brewery tower. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>300m tower - drawing cues from DCM's unbuilt Brewery tower. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03a.png" rel="gallery-all" title="View of new development from Queen Street. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="167" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03a.png?itok=FyLk9orc" title="View of new development from Queen Street. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>View of new development from Queen Street. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03.png" rel="gallery-all" title="View looking east along Franklin Street with skyline in the distance. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="237" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03.png?itok=5V7tSACP" title="View looking east along Franklin Street with skyline in the distance. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>View looking east along Franklin Street with skyline in the distance. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
</dl>
</body></html>

This little piggy went to a different market (probably on foot)

<html><body>
With the release of X-Men: Days of Future upon us we once again find ourselves delving deep into the Apartments.com.au archives, this time perusing the various incarnations of <a href="http://www.grocon.com/gallery/current/">Grocon's</a> <a href="http://www.swanstonsquare.com.au/">Swanston Square</a> project at the top end of Swanston Street. Like the film's impressive roll call of big name actors, the site is similarly playing host to an all-star cast of local architects.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/swanstonsquare_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Swanston Sqaure prior to the sale of Building 4. © Grocon"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="384" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/swanstonsquare_0.jpg?itok=e26YEvtK" title="Swanston Sqaure prior to the sale of Building 4. © Grocon" width="580"></a>

It's difficult to comprehend that 8 years have passed since Grocon first acquired the site (save for the south-east corner now housing the Design Hub) from RMIT back in late 2006. In that time only RMIT's Design Hub &amp; the Pixel building have been completed with the 30-storey Portrait on the cusp of topping out.

<h2>A brief 'recent' history</h2>

<ul>
<li>Grocon purchases site from RMIT for approximately $40 million during 2006.</li>
	<li>NH Architecture are appointed to oversee the master plan and urban design aspects of the former brewery with a brief that called for 120,000sq m of commercial space and 600 apartments, plus 150 underground parking spaces. Heritage fragments such as the old Malthouse building and bluestone facades fronting Bouverie Street are to be retained and incorporated into the new development while the Swanston Street vista towards the Shrine of Remembrance is to be preserved and extended into the site.</li>
	<li>A design ideas competition is run for each of the five buildings, encouraging a diversity of architecture. Ten architects are invited to submit proposals for the site based on the master plan developed by NH.</li>
	<li>The successful architectural firms are announced in mid-2007 - ARM, DCM, MCR, MVS &amp; NH.</li>
</ul>
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/CUB_PLAN.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Carlton Brewery Development Plan."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="281" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/CUB_PLAN.jpg?itok=dnPnWXSD" title="Carlton Brewery Development Plan." width="580"></a>

Over a two part article we discuss the history of each land parcel of the former CUB Carlton site:

<h2>BUILDING #8 - Pixel - Studio 505 Pty Ltd</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/PIXEL.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Pixel Building. © Studio 505"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="242" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/PIXEL.jpg?itok=lh0kDxEU" title="Pixel Building. © Studio 505" width="580"></a>

Completed in July 2010, the 1,100 sq.m Pixel building was the first building constructed on-site and was to act as Grocon's site office for the duration of the construction phase at The Brewery. It is most notable for being the first carbon neutral office building in Australia, generating its own power and water on-site. Most striking is its colourful facade comprising a random assortment of recycled panels of various shapes, sizes and colours which help shade the interior spaces and reduce glare.

<blockquote>
Pixel has achieved a perfect score of 100 under the Greenstar rating system, with 75 points the benchmark for 6 Star Greenstar. It gained an extra five points for innovation, equating to world leadership. Included in Pixel's five innovation points were points for carbon neutrality, a vacuum toilet system, the anaerobic digestion system and reduced car parking.

Pixel has also achieved a perfect 105 points under the US LEED rating scheme making it the highest rating building of any yet certified for LEED anywhere in the world. It is aiming to exceed the highest score yet achieved under the UK BREEAM rating systems. To put that into context, there are approximately 40,000 buildings registered worldwide under those three rating schemes, and Pixel would be at the forefront of all of them.
</blockquote>

For more info visit:<a href="http://www.pixelbuilding.com.au/"> http://www.pixelbuilding.com.au/</a>

<h2>RMIT Design Hub - Sean Godsell + Peddle Thorp</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Design%20Hub.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="RMIT Design Hub © Sean Godsell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="263" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Design%20Hub.jpg?itok=WlwTjELu" title="RMIT Design Hub © Sean Godsell" width="580"></a>

The 10-storey design, research and education facility on the corner of Victoria and Swanston Streets opened in late 2012. Comprising a series of large flexible indoor 'warehouse' style spaces running the length of the building, the complex is designed to promote collaborative learning and research amongst various disciplines. The Design Hub houses the Design Archives, a Virtual Reality Centre, a workshop, Multipurpose Room, Lecture Theatre, and four rooftop Pavilions with a cafe at lower ground level.

More than 1700 sq.m is dedicated to exhibition spaces with an exhibition corridor running the length of the building along Swanston Street. A cascading public forecourt links the Design Hub and the RMIT Design Archives.

<blockquote>
The purpose of the Design Hub is to provide accommodation in one building for a diverse range of design research and post graduate education. RMIT is a world leader in design research however post graduates are currently dissipated across various campuses and facilities. The Hub will provide a collegial research base where post graduates in fields such as fabric and fashion design will work alongside those involved in architecture, aeronautical engineering, industrial design, landscape architecture, urban design and so on.

Research groups have the ability to locate and fine tune their accommodation within ‘warehouses’ - open plan spaces where research teams can set up and tailor their work environment to suit their particular needs. Teams may stay for anywhere from six months to three years depending on the nature of and funding limits to their research and education programs. Research may include the need for workshops to make physical models to be located alongside computer studios, three dimensional printing, virtual reality modelling and so on.

Given the time frames associated with research projects all the warehouses require a high level of adaptability and flexibility. In that sense these spaces are designed to accommodate the organic nature of research - ever evolving, adapting, changing and growing.
<cite>Sean Godsell, Architect</cite>
</blockquote>

The Design Hub won the Victorian Architecture Medal and the William Wardell Award at the 2013 Victorian Architecture Awards.

<a href="http://www.designhub.rmit.edu.au/about/the-building">http://www.designhub.rmit.edu.au/about/the-building</a>

<h2>BUILDING #5 - Portrait - ARM Architecture</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Portrait%20progression.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Design Progression. © ARM"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="230" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Portrait%20progression.jpg?itok=NJjZhbQ0" title="Design Progression. © ARM" width="580"></a>

The one constant throughout various design proposals over the years is ARM, who first developed a winning scheme for a $300m development on the site in the 1995, but which was never built.

<blockquote>
ARM won an invited competition for a $300 million redevelopment of the former CUB site in 1995. This project included student housing, two towers, multimedia centre, residential apartments, commercial offices, a hotel, cinemas, retail and carparking. This scheme at the termination of the Shrine of Remembrance axis made a provocative urban and formal response by deflecting to create a spectacular anti-monumental void. This development did not go ahead, but the concept for this proposal informs the new scheme for the ARM designed office building in the current CUB master plan.
</blockquote>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ARM%20Brewery%201995_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="ARM proposal for $300m mixed-use development circa 1995. © ARM"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ARM%20Brewery%201995_0.jpg?itok=DwcV3UG7" title="ARM proposal for $300m mixed-use development circa 1995. © ARM" width="580"></a>

The office finally see one of their designs come to fruition in the form of the building formerly known as Portrait. Originally conceived as a 20-storey office building the development forms the first stage of the rebranded Swanston Square:

<blockquote>
This 20-storey office tower faces down the Swanston Street axis towards the Shrine of Remembrance in St Kilda Road. Architect Howard Raggatt said the building would be a new gateway to Melbourne, akin to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The Shrine of Remembrance was a "profoundly symbolic element" of Melbourne's city centre, Mr Raggatt said, and it was crucial a significant building at the other end of the city faced the Shrine.
</blockquote>

The design has since evolved into a literal interpretation of the building facing the shrine, in the form of William Barak's face across it's 32-storeys. Currently under construction, the face will be partly obscured by the Design Hub with only views from close proximity affording pedestrians a glimpse of it in full.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/jPcKH.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="715" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/jPcKH.jpg?itok=y_gRco9V" title="Image © Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<a href="/news/days-of-future-past-cub-site-carlton-continued">In part two tomorrow</a>, we highlight those land parcels not yet constructed, including CEL Australia's 156-172 Victoria Street proposal at 253 metres.
</body></html>

Days of Future Past: CUB Site Carlton

<html><body>
This afternoon we delve into the Apartments.com.au archives and take a look back at the evolution of <a href="/new-apartments/docklands-vic-3008">Docklands</a>' Stadium Precinct over the better part of a decade. Through various newspaper clippings and renders, we ponder what may have been for the precinct that envelopes Etihad Stadium.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Stadium%20village.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Stadium Village Article. © Herald Sun 14 November 2000."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="810" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Stadium%20village.jpg?itok=iwhjWPyb" title="Stadium Village Article. © Herald Sun 14 November 2000." width="580"></a>

It all began when I recently decided to trawl through old newspaper clippings I had accumulated over the course of 15 years. The above article appeared near 14 years ago at a time when Colonial Stadium was marking it's first full year of operation and <a href="/new-apartments/essendon-vic-3040">Essendon</a> had claimed a record equaling 16th flag. The strategy sought a hive of activity at the interface between city and harbour, at all hours of the day.

Remarkably (or depressingly) we are only beginning see the early framework for a precinct, which after a number of false starts is finally beginning to come together in a manner not too dissimilar to the image depicted above.

<h2>South-West Stadium Precinct (SWSP) / Victoria Point</h2>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Victoria_Point_reduced.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victoria Point Article. © Herald Sun "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="799" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Victoria_Point_reduced.jpg?itok=ykDw1DId" title="Victoria Point Article. © Herald Sun " width="580"></a>

Delivered by Devine, Victoria Point has stayed true to form, being built more-or-less as depicted in the articles above, with a further level of refinement. In addition to the 42-storey apartment tower the site also features Quest Serviced apartments along Bourke Street and a 9-storey office building along Harbour Esplanade that is home to Bendigo Bank.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/vic_point_8_fauxwindow.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victoria Point. © Australian Aluminium Finishing"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="434" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vic_point_8_fauxwindow.jpg?itok=4HVh9OA5" title="Victoria Point. © Australian Aluminium Finishing" width="580"></a>

<h2>South-East Stadium Precinct (SESP) / Bourke Junction / NAB @ 700 Bourke / Medibank @ 720 Bourke</h2>

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Outrigger-drops-anchor-at-Docklands/2005/04/06/1112489558726">Outrigger proposal circa 2005</a>:

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/outrigger_combo.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Outrigger Docklands. Circa 2005."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="359" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/outrigger_combo.jpg?itok=Zw43jWJX" title="Outrigger Docklands. Circa 2005." width="580"></a>

Proposed to be 35-storeys and over 100m in height, Outrigger's first foray into Melbourne would have delivered a new 350 hotel rooms with 17 floors of apartments above. Conceived jointly between Outrigger and RIA Property Group, the <a href="/architects/peddle-thorp-architects">Peddle Thorp</a>-designed project fell through leading to Vic Urban running another Expressions of Interest campaign which resulted in...

Bourke Junction. Designed by <a href="/architects/hassell-studio">Hassell</a> and <a href="/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> for project partners <a href="/developers/cbus-property">CBUS Property</a>, <a href="/developers/ispt">ISPT</a> and EPC Partners the three tower complex would have become the new home for <a href="http://www.suncorp.com.au/">Suncorp Metway</a> and <a href="https://www.mebank.com.au/">ME Bank</a>, along with a Saville Hotel.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Bourke%20Junction_HUN_reduced.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bourke Junction. © Herald Sun 8 April 2008."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="685" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Bourke%20Junction_HUN_reduced.jpg?itok=UBOXlaKj" title="Bourke Junction. © Herald Sun 8 April 2008." width="580"></a>

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Bourke%20Junction_AGE_reduced.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bourke Junction. © The Age 8 April 2008."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="464" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Bourke%20Junction_AGE_reduced.jpg?itok=u5VC4kv7" title="Bourke Junction. © The Age 8 April 2008." width="580"></a>

Following the Global Financial Crisis, the project was shelved and ISPT sold its share to CBUS. 720 Bourke was redesigned in an attempt to lure an anchor tenant but ultimately required further reconfiguring and refinement.

The project was eventually rebranded as 700 Bourke leading to a second Docklands address for NAB, whilst Medibank has since joined with their new HQ @ 720 Bourke Street - forming a dynamic duo of sorts.

<img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="185" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Bourke%20Junction%20%2B%20700%26%20720%20bourke.jpg?itok=eQw5Ym_Y" title="What was to be and what is there today." width="580">

<h2>North-East Stadium Precinct (NESP) / Lacrosse + M Docklands</h2>

At one stage NESP was to be the site of a 19-storey, $70m glazed office building. Not all that interesting except that each facade would act as a 40m x 40m screen for motion projections.

Proposed by Pan Urban there was once talk of the Bureau of Meteorology anchoring the development and projecting live feeds of the weather radar - handy for our southern capital.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/pan%20urban%2070mill%2019L%2040mx40m.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Pan Urban NESP proposal. © Pan Urban"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="227" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/pan%20urban%2070mill%2019L%2040mx40m.jpg?itok=ISHMrEZl" title="Pan Urban NESP proposal. © Pan Urban" width="580"></a>

The development would ultimately become the Elenberg Fraser designed Lacrosse (Stages 1 &amp; 2). To date only Stage 1 has been delivered (by Charter Hall) with Stage 2 now being developed by <a href="/developers/capital-alliance-investment-group">Capital Alliance</a> and known as <a href="/buildings/m-docklands-679-la-trobe-street-docklands">M Docklands</a>.

<img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="203" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Lacrosse%2BM%20Docklands.jpg?itok=somKnLgS" title="Lacrosse Docklands + M Docklands. © Elenberg Fraser" width="580">

<h2>North-West Stadium Precinct (NWSP) / Docklands Gateway / Channel 7 / Salta</h2>

Once owned entirely by Channel 7, the site save for C7's digital broadcast centre is now under the control of <a href="/developers/salta-properties">Salta</a> having seen a host of development proposals including:

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Channel%207_reduced.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Channel 7 HQ / Docklands Gateway."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="250" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Channel%207_reduced.jpg?itok=LKqImgxU" title="Channel 7 HQ / Docklands Gateway." width="580"></a>

Pacific Harbour's squat 12,000sqm campus proposal (below left) came and went, as did a Woods Bagot-designed office complex known as 360 Degrees. Salta currently have approval in place for a commercial development of this <a href="/architects/fk-australia">Fender Kataslidis</a> designed apartment building:

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image76.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Images © Merchant Pacific and FK Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="308" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image76.jpg?itok=H-io71c-" title="Images © Merchant Pacific and FK Architects" width="580"></a>

<h2>North Stadium Precinct / 685 LaTrobe Street</h2>

Originally forming part of the NWSP parcel, this <a href="http://www.685latrobe.com.au/">37,000sqm proposal</a> by <a href="/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart</a> is targeting a 5 star Green Star &amp; NABERS Energy rating. Joint venture partners Charter Hall and <a href="/developers/premier-capital-developments">Premier Capital Developments</a> are currently seeking a pre-commitment from an anchor tenant before commencing construction with <a href="/builders/watpac">Watpac</a> the preferred head contractor.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/685LExt_Hero.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="685 LaTrobe Street. © Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="487" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/685LExt_Hero.jpg?itok=tUHK4Bje" title="685 LaTrobe Street. © Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

15 years later, Stadium Precinct still marches on. Whether the end product is capable of becoming the hive of activity during all hours remains to be seen.
</body></html>

Days of Future Past: Stadium Precinct

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> has lodged plans for a $750 million, three-tower mixed-use precinct that would complete the long-running redevelopment of Carlton's former Carlton United Breweries site.

The proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/185-195-queensberry-street-carlton-vic-3053">46-78 Bouverie Street and 185-195 Queensberry Street</a> spans a 6,468 sqm site, the last remaining undeveloped parcels within the former brewery's 2007 masterplan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the development will comprise two purpose-built student accommodation towers and a third build-to-sell apartment tower above a shared commercial podium and basement.

Across the three towers, SP Setia is proposing 606 build-to-sell apartments and 1,499 student accommodation units containing 2,009 beds.

The apartments will sit in the tallest tower, which will rise nearly 200m and 55 storeys. It will become&nbsp;one of the more substantial new build-to-sell apartment projects at the northern edge of Melbourne's CBD.

The apartment mix is weighted toward smaller inner-city product, with 188 studios, 206 one-bedroom apartments, 192 two-bedroom apartments and 20 three-bedroom apartments

<img alt="First look: SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8271bc87-1b0a-41b7-ac73-a425ee375261" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/3_2.png?VersionId=G4lw23o90B1boX4k4dj7rdz2ZEajS9wy" />

Part of the precinct will be a large-scale&nbsp;3,684 sqm supermarket and a further 2,198 sqm of speciality retail, creating close to 5,900 sqm of new commercial space within the precinct.

But one of the biggest components of the proposal is what sits between the buildings.

Around 4,650 sqm, or roughly 72 per cent of the site, will be publicly accessible open space, incorporating plazas, pedestrian connections, landscaped laneways and retail spill-out areas.

The ground plane is intended to finally complete pedestrian connections envisaged when the CUB masterplan was first approved nearly two decades ago, stitching together Victoria Street, Queensberry Street, Bouverie Street and Swanston Street through the former brewery precinct.

Urbis said the development would "complete the CUB precinct", with the public realm providing important north-south and east-west connections through what is currently the final undeveloped portion of the masterplanned site.

SP Setia is also exploring a new linear park within the Bouverie Street road reserve, with the concept to be developed further with the City of Melbourne through the planning process.

The proposal is being pursued through the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program under Clause 53.23 for significant residential development with affordable housing.

The planning report acknowledges the proposed heights exceed those contemplated under the original Comprehensive Development Plan and masterplan, but argues the built-form context has changed considerably over the past two decades.

Urbis said the three towers would instead create a stepped transition between Carlton and the Hoddle Grid, rising progressively from the 94.1-metre Tower One along the Queensberry Street edge to the 199.44-metre Tower Three closer to the established CBD-scale buildings to the south.

<img alt="SP Setia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e885a07a-592c-40fc-bf82-e6dbaf32da54" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.52.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=7s_ErUkSKAdY1mAWp3GRZgMNCGtwhk5m" />

SP Setia plans to deliver the development across three stages.

Stage One would deliver the basement, podium and retail areas for the entire precinct alongside the first student tower. Tower Two would follow in Stage Two, before the 606-apartment Tower Three is delivered as the final stage.

If approved and delivered, the project would close out a redevelopment process that has been underway since the former brewery masterplan was approved in 2007, adding more than 2,600 student beds and apartments to a precinct already home to Swanston Central, the Barak Building, RMIT Design Hub and several large student accommodation developments.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct

Melbourne developer Lowe Living is seeking to add to its growing bayside apartment pipeline, filing plans for a boutique eight-residence development in tightly held Middle Park.

Lowe Living, which has built much of its development portfolio across Melbourne's affluent bayside and south-east suburbs, is behind the plans for the 730 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/123-125-erskine-street-middle-park-vic-3206">123-125 Erskine Street</a>, just off Armstrong Street and within the Armstrong Street Neighbourhood Activity Centre.

The developer is seeking approval for a five-storey residential building above two basement levels, with just eight large-format apartments and 18 car spaces.

“This is a deliberately very different proposition for us,"&nbsp;Tim Lowe, Co-Founder of Lowe Living, said.

"Eight residences is exceptionally boutique, but that's precisely what this site calls for.

“There is a strong community in Middle Park and the surrounding suburbs who have spent decades building a life here. They no longer want the maintenance of a large period home, but they aren't prepared to compromise on space, quality or location. We think there is a real opportunity to capture that hyper local market. A site like this rarely comes to market.”

<img alt="Lowe " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="875fe572-0f14-4d90-9e11-55b28dd07731" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.42.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GDNQRv9BfpR9r1zkZ5UDyUM4ZvpIksut" />

The low-density proposal has been designed by Cera Stribley and is being progressed through the Victorian Government's Great Design Fast Track pathway, having already secured eligibility from the Minister for Planning.

The Office of the Victorian Government Architect supported its eligibility after finding the proposal demonstrated consistency with the program's seven design principles, while the project's financial feasibility has also been independently confirmed by Invest Victoria.

The project is targeting the downsizer market, with the planning documents describing the homes as larger-format residences and noting the two penthouses could otherwise have been configured as four separate apartments.

<img alt="Lowe 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="60ab0987-2da6-4175-adac-315dcf6053c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.43.15%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=bOCPH0B2MFwlmaRW.TTCF9TzyifgVoQI" />

The site has dual frontage to Erskine Street and Canterbury Place and currently comprises a collection of commercial buildings used as offices, including a former heritage bakehouse, a former stable, a later gabled addition and a central courtyard.

It sits within the Commercial 1 Zone and the Armstrong Street Commercial Precinct heritage overlay, with the existing property classified as a contributory heritage place.

Heritage has subsequently played a significant role in Cera Stribley's design.

The front section of the former bakehouse facing Erskine Street will be retained, including its return walls, street-facing hipped roof and chimneys, while the Erskine Street façade and part of the western return wall of the former stable will also be incorporated into the new development.

Levels four and five will be set back five metres from the retained stable façade, while bricks removed through demolition are proposed to be salvaged and reused within the new building where possible.

<img alt="Lowe 3" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e97927a9-a2de-4a0f-83b6-65451238abfa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.43.06%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VR44AChLrX9q1XPB9GvVQV.ALXXbe4gC" />

Rather than presenting as a single five-storey building to Erskine Street, Cera Stribley has broken the development into a series of distinct forms.

A three-storey infill element will sit between the retained bakehouse and stable façades, with the upper levels recessed behind the heritage fabric. Canterbury Place will similarly feature two three-storey podium forms, separated by a central pedestrian accessway, before the upper two levels step back from the street.

A pedestrian through-link will run through the centre of the project between Erskine Street and Canterbury Place, creating entrances from both sides of the site and introducing landscaping and communal areas through the ground plane.

Landscape architect Acre has designed planting across the ground level, private terraces and upper levels, including a feature canopy tree at level three and integrated planting and arbours across the level four terraces. Five existing Erskine Street trees are proposed to be retained.

Sustainability is also a significant component of the Great Design Fast Track application. The apartments are targeting an average eight-star NatHERS rating, with no residence below 6.5 stars, while the project has achieved a 75 per cent BESS score. Seven of the eight apartments are designed for cross-ventilation, with the remaining residence using mechanically assisted natural ventilation.

The plans also incorporate an 8kWp rooftop solar system, a 5,000-litre rainwater tank and infrastructure allowing future electric vehicle charging for every residence.

Lowe has a strong portfolio across Melbourne's blue-chip suburbs. They recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House by Lowe Living</a> in Camberwell, their first development in the Stonnington LGA.

Lowe Living unveils Middle Park apartment development

Article summary

<ul data-end="888" data-start="289">
	<li data-end="442" data-section-id="8tsh6o" data-start="289">DVB Projects is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway at 137 Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach.</li>
	<li data-end="573" data-section-id="1nyxl3e" data-start="443">The 34-level tower will comprise just 49 ultra-luxury residences, including half-floor, full-floor and penthouse apartments.</li>
	<li data-end="717" data-section-id="oiyimj" data-start="574">The launch follows strong demand at DVB's nearby Sea Glass project, which is more than 50 per cent sold and currently under construction.</li>
	<li data-end="888" data-section-id="epk9o9" data-start="718">The development adds to the transformation of Old Burleigh Road, with premium beachfront apartment projects continuing to reshape the tightly held Broadbeach strip.</li>
</ul>

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dvb-projects">DVB Projects</a> is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway on the Broadbeach site as the Sydney developer moves closer to bringing the ultra-luxury project to market.

The 34-level tower at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/137-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">137 Old Burleigh Road</a> will comprise just 49 residences, ranging from half-floor apartments through to full-floor homes and a penthouse. The launch follows the strong sales performance of DVB's nearby Sea Glass development. More than half of the apartments at Sea Glass, on the other side of Broadbeach, have been snapped up, well ahead of its late 2027 completion

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2944b4be-c84e-4b54-8dc1-c712e76704c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E02_Exterior_Street%20Level%20Entrance.jpg?VersionId=YoNig7pRdrE3HCue7sUj78LzJteeQf3H" />

The start of demolition at 137 Old Burleigh Road signals DVB Projects’ underlying confidence in the Gold Coast’s luxury beachside apartment sector.

“We see the Gold Coast as one of the most compelling lifestyle markets in Australia, particularly at the premium end where demand continues to deepen,” said Dean Brown, Managing Director of DVB.&nbsp;

“This project has been carefully designed to respond to that demand - delivering large-format residences with a level of quality, privacy and amenity that is still relatively rare in the apartment market on the beachside."

Brown says the site itself is "exceptional."

"Old Burleigh Road is one of the most tightly held beachfront strips, and opportunities to deliver a project of this scale and calibre in this location are extremely limited.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="398f377a-c037-455e-9250-0c5e0d84c35b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/I12_FF%20Balcony.jpg?VersionId=NwOiRWGMubR1c8wthuEfggklcja7al9." />

The project will comprise 40 half-floor residences of approximately 260 sqm, alongside eight full-floor residences spanning around 524 sqm.

A single penthouse will crown the building, featuring a private pool, barbecue area, indoor gym and dedicated entertaining spaces.

Residents will have access to a resort-style suite of amenities, including a 20-metre pool with daybeds, a gymnasium, hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, and private residents’ lounge and dining facilities.

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1642bb0-9a66-4427-a022-dfc0988c6287" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/A02_Pool%20to%20View.jpg?VersionId=c0IXPyn_Gp_Kn3XCwzMrqIVkAdCEwVXP" />

Sales agent Todd Matheson, of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a>, which is marketing both 137 Old Burleigh Road and Sea Glass, said 137 Old Burleigh Road would address a clear gap in the market for genuine luxury products.

“There are very few opportunities on the Gold Coast where buyers can secure a residence of this size and quality in a new building,” Matheson said.

“What we’re seeing is a growing cohort of downsizers and interstate buyers who still want space - they’re not willing to compromise on living area, entertaining or finishes.

“This project has been designed with that buyer in mind. It offers the scale of a home, combined with the convenience and security of apartment living, in one of the coast’s most desirable positions.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59aae0ca-5639-4320-8aca-d0bf60f48e43" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E01_Exterior%20Hero.jpg?VersionId=DS8Zfy2WtgUEtdfe0TEUuf1W1GfcZq8S" />

Located on a 1,156 sqm site one block from the beachfront, the development will replace an ageing walk-up building and is expected to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Old Burleigh Road strip into one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious residential corridors.

With the development moving into the delivery phase, 137 Old Burleigh Road is slated to hit the market later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145141]

DVB Projects to launch second Broadbeach apartment tower as demolition commences

<a data-end="327" data-is-only-node="" data-start="250" href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/norus-projects" rel="noopener" target="_new">Norus Developments</a> has lodged plans for a new apartment development in Clayton that would add further momentum to the suburb's emerging Green Street corridor.

Plans have been lodged for the consolidated site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1359-1365-centre-road-clayton-vic-3168">1359-1365 Centre Road</a>, where Norus is seeking approval for 218 apartments across a 12-storey apartment building designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/life-architecture-and-urban-design">Life Architecture</a>.

The proposal sits within the Clayton Major Activity Centre at the threshold of the planned Green Street corridor, a landscaped pedestrian connection intended to improve links through the precinct towards Clayton Railway Station.

The development would replace the site's existing collection of low-scale residential and commercial buildings with a single consolidated building, introducing significantly greater housing density to this part of Centre Road.

A retail tenancy is proposed at ground level to activate the Centre Road frontage, accompanied by transparent street interfaces and landscaping intended to create a more pedestrian-focused edge to the development.

<img alt="First look: Norus Developments plans landscape-led apartment project for Clayton’s emerging Green Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a5a763a-d9e9-4253-af2f-88008de27ebf" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Clayton%20a.png?VersionId=S2WJJbat1XVkZwB9SnYtygirXgWHiklX" />

The building has been designed with stepped massing and upper-level setbacks to manage its transition towards surrounding residential properties. The planning report describes the approach as one that integrates the building into the landscape rather than treating landscaping as a secondary element.

"A strong landscape and public realm strategy underpins the proposal," Urbis states in the planning report.

"Public benefits include an affordable housing contribution, a new pocket park, generous landscaped setbacks, deep soil planting and integrated Water Sensitive Urban Design."

The report adds that these elements are intended to create "a permeable, pedestrian-focused ground plane that enhances walkability, supports urban cooling and reinforces the emerging Green Street character."

Biophilic and passive design principles extend through the residential levels, with planting, daylight, natural ventilation and views towards landscaped areas forming part of the amenity strategy.

Parking would be concentrated away from the public realm, with 145 car spaces proposed from the rear laneway rather than dominating the Centre Road frontage.

The proposal follows an extensive pre-application process with the City of Monash. Three formal meetings were held between the project team and Council from December 2025 to March 2026, with the scheme evolving through several concept iterations before the current design was lodged.

The project arrives as Clayton prepares for substantial change around its established activity centre and the wider Suburban Rail Loop precinct. Its position on Centre Road places the development within an existing concentration of shops, services and public transport, while the Green Street connection is intended to strengthen pedestrian access towards Clayton Railway Station.

First look: Norus plans landscape-led apartment project for Clayton’s emerging Green Street

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> has officially commenced construction on Bronze on Chevron, celebrating the sod turning of its first-ever Gold Coast development and marking a significant milestone in the company's continued expansion across South East Queensland.&nbsp;

Following the successful delivery of premium residential developments throughout Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bronze-on-chevron-8-mawarra-street-chevron-island-qld-4217">Bronze on Chevron</a> represents Gardner Vaughan Group's entry into the Gold Coast market. Bronze will deliver 119 one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments above two ground-level retail tenancies.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367193]

The recent sod turning ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel, President of the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, Cassandra Sedgman, project consultants, purchasers, project partners and invited guests to celebrate the commencement of construction.&nbsp;

Gardner Vaughan Group Chief Executive Officer Simon Betteridge said Bronze on Chevron represented an exciting new chapter for the business.&nbsp;

"We've spent almost four decades building homes that respond to the way people want to live, and we're excited to bring that experience to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chevron-island-qld-4217">Chevron Island</a>," Betteridge said.

"Bronze on Chevron is particularly significant because it marks Gardner Vaughan Group's first development on the Gold Coast following many successful projects across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367183]

Betteridge said the ground breaking is a proud moment for the&nbsp;team and their purchasers, who can now see their future homes beginning to take shape.&nbsp;

"As both developer and builder, we're able to oversee every aspect of the project from design through to construction, ensuring the quality and attention to detail Gardner Vaughan Group has become renowned for."&nbsp;

Designed by acclaimed architectural practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, Bronze on Chevron has been thoughtfully designed to complement Chevron Island's evolving streetscape while embracing its relaxed coastal lifestyle.

The development will offer generous residences with refined interiors, premium finishes and resort-style amenities, with completion anticipated in early 2029.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=107520]

The development will offer generous residences with refined interiors, premium finishes and resort-style amenities, with completion anticipated in early 2029

Laurence Dragomir

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Laurence Dragomir

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News