The new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yarraville-green-42-stephen-street-yarraville-vic-3013">Yarraville Green</a> development in Melbourne's inner west is showing that landscaping can be just as influential as architecture, with buyers responding strongly to the garden-first approach adopted from the outset by developer Excelon Projects and the project's design team.

Excelon appointed Six Degrees Architects and landscape architects SBLA to work collaboratively on the development, with a brief to create "a sustainable, design-led building with a focus on community."

That approach has resonated with buyers. According to Next Chapter Director Tom Hirini, who is leading the sales campaign, the landscaped communal garden has become one of the project's defining features, alongside its boutique scale and European-inspired cluster housing concept.

Local downsizers, right-sizers and established families already living in Yarraville and surrounding suburbs have accounted for the majority of purchasers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297740]

Yarraville Green will comprise 53 homes, including apartments and townhomes, arranged around the shared central garden to maximise connections to the landscaped open space. Parking has been moved underground, allowing the ground plane to be dedicated to greenery, pedestrian movement and communal spaces.

The landscape extends well beyond passive planting. Productive garden beds, a pergola, communal gathering spaces, garden sheds and a pet wash have all been integrated into the masterplan, creating spaces designed to encourage everyday interaction between residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297741]

The interiors continue Excelon's focus on craftsmanship, incorporating bespoke elements by Melbourne artisans including leadlight detailing by Adadaz, hand-turned timber hardware by Auburn Woodturning and blown-glass lighting by Ruth Allen.

Sustainability has also been embedded throughout the project, with Yarraville Green targeting an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating through passive design principles, rooftop solar servicing common areas and rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297735]

Construction continues to progress at Yarraville Green, with structural works well underway and framing works approaching completion under builder Balmain &amp; Co. The project remains on track for completion in mid-2027.

Apartments at Yarraville Green are currently priced from $625,000, while townhomes start from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144913]

Joel Robinson

Garden-led design drives buyer demand at Yarraville Green

National diversified developer Fortis has officially launched Crest &amp; Walker, its latest Brisbane apartment development, with construction now underway on the 20-storey Newstead project.

Award-winning builder BINAH has commenced construction on the Bureau^Proberts-designed building, which will deliver a limited collection of 65 two and three-bedroom apartments on Kyabra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373556]

The project marks Fortis' fourth active residential development in Brisbane, following River House, which is nearing completion, alongside projects in New Farm and Hamilton as the national developer continues to expand its South East Queensland pipeline.

Fortis General Manager – Development Queensland Dan Boman said Crest &amp; Walker reflects the developer's long-term commitment to delivering design-led residential projects in Brisbane's established inner-city suburbs.

"We're proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such a sought-after lifestyle destination as Newstead," Boman said.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane's most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373559]

Positioned between Gasworks Plaza and James Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> has been designed as a boutique residential address offering privacy and generous living spaces within one of Brisbane's most established lifestyle precincts.

The building features a contemporary brick podium softened by integrated landscaping, while the upper levels are characterised by restrained architecture and enduring materiality. Interiors have been designed to maximise natural light, acoustic performance and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373583]

Residences comprise spacious two and three-bedroom floorplans, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $1.55 million and three-bedroom, half-floor residences from $3.95 million.

Residents will have access to a wellness-focused rooftop featuring a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, landscaped dining spaces and outdoor lounge areas overlooking Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373571]

Sales are being managed by Slaite Projects, with Fortis expecting strong demand from owner-occupiers seeking a high-quality, design-focused apartment in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

Completion of Crest &amp; Walker is slated for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Fortis expands Brisbane pipeline with launch of Crest & Walker in Newstead

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 41-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68833]

Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 41-storey tower, which has 229 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

A decade in the making: Residents to move into Chevron One as construction wraps up

A general rule of thumb in new apartment developments is that the penthouses get the rooftop.

It's a formula that's become commonplace across Australia's apartment market. Residents might have access to a pool, gym or barbecue facilities on a dedicated lower level, but the most desirable outdoor spaces are typically reserved for the highest-priced homes at the top of the building.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> has taken the opposite approach.

Rather than dedicating the rooftop to a handful of buyers, the Gold Coast developer has made it the centrepiece of its Flourish collection, creating expansive shared spaces from the best vantage point in the building.

The philosophy has reached its most ambitious expression at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> in Palm Beach, where two rooftop precincts connected by a skybridge will deliver one of the most extensive lifestyle offerings seen in a residential apartment project on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374053]

"We're seeing a clear move toward developments that offer more than just an apartment," Sherpa Group founder Christie Leet said.

"People want spaces that support how they actually live, whether that's working from home, staying active, or spending time with family and friends.

"That's where amenity becomes critical. It's not just about what's included, but how those spaces are designed to be used every day."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374052]

The breadth of amenity has already attracted buyers across multiple demographics. Younger first home buyers have been drawn to Soleira's one-bedroom apartments, a product rarely delivered in Palm Beach, while families have responded to practical inclusions such as the shallow children's pool adjoining the main lap pool and the extensive communal recreation areas.

Instead of a single rooftop, Soleira delivers two distinct lifestyle zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

The southern rooftop has been dedicated to wellness, featuring a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, work-from-home facilities, a wellness centre, spa, and hot and cold plunge pools.

The northern rooftop focuses on recreation and entertaining, incorporating a heated resort-style pool, private dining rooms, pizza ovens, barbecues, a golf simulator, children's recreation areas, and what is expected to be the Gold Coast's first rooftop basketball court, which will also double as a squash court.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374054]

Beyond the rooftops, Soleira will introduce 1,500 sqm of curated retail beneath the towers, creating one of Palm Beach's first genuinely mixed-use lifestyle precincts where cafés, restaurants and convenience retail become part of residents' everyday lives.

Sherpa has also retained management rights across the development, allowing it to oversee the long-term operation of the building through a 24-hour concierge model. The developer is also exploring additional revenue streams within the precinct aimed at helping offset ongoing body corporate costs for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370962]

While Soleira is the largest project Sherpa has delivered, the rooftop-first philosophy has been evolving for several years.

It began with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>, the first project released under the Flourish brand. Rather than competing at the ultra-luxury end of the market with oversized half-floor and full-floor residences, Sherpa focused on creating lifestyle-driven apartments supported by resort-style shared spaces.

Amargo introduced more than 800 sqm of rooftop amenity, combining wellness facilities, heated pools, entertaining areas, cabanas, pizza ovens and private dining spaces into what was designed as an extension of residents' homes rather than a facility used only occasionally.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146527 project_image_fid=366550]

That approach continued with Flourish Oasis, where the same amenity-led philosophy was refined into a more boutique development. Strong demand from Sherpa's growing VIP database saw much of the project sold before it reached the broader market, reinforcing buyer appetite for apartment communities centred around shared lifestyle experiences.

Flourish Amargo is slated for completion mid-way-through next year, with Oasis to be delivered by late 2027. Flourish Soleira is expected to complete in 2030.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa takes amenity to the sky as Flourish Soleira captures booming Palm Beach demand

As apartment living continues to evolve across Sydney's growth corridors, the quality and distribution of shared spaces is increasingly shaping how residents experience home. Rather than functioning as add-ons, amenities are being embedded into the daily rhythm of a building, supporting everything from quiet retreat to social interaction, often within a single vertical community.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aeris-melrose-park-nursery-street-melrose-park-nsw-2114">Aeris</a> in Melrose Park, this approach is resolved through a layered amenity offering that unfolds from ground level through to its upper podium. Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sekisui-house-australia">Sekisui House Australia</a> in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties, the project introduces 468 apartments across two towers and a mid-rise building, positioned at the highest point of the broader masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=359199]

The amenity experience begins at street level, where two courtyards sit within a landscaped setting that connects residents to the wider network of parks and green spaces. These green spaces are not isolated pockets but part of a wider pedestrian network that links Aeris to the surrounding <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melrose-park-nsw-2114">Melrose Park</a> precinct, including Central Park, future schools, and the Town Centre opening in July 2026. The result is a transition that moves from public to private without abrupt boundaries, allowing residents to pass through shaded, tree-lined environments before reaching the building itself.

Moving upward, the focus shifts to the level five podium, where the primary communal facilities are concentrated. This space brings together a 16-metre swimming pool, outdoor seating areas, and a communal BBQ zone arranged to take advantage of elevated outlooks. Seating is positioned beneath pergolas, creating pockets of shade that extend the usability of the space throughout the day. The pool edge aligns with views toward the wider district, reinforcing the sense of elevation that defines the project’s positioning.

In the adjacent building, this is complemented by quieter, more contemplative spaces, including an outdoor cinema set within the same level. Positioned to operate primarily in the evening, it introduces a different tempo to the shared environment, shifting from daytime activity to after-hours use without requiring separate zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360299]

The podium also accommodates an intimate private resident gym. Located on the lower levels, it gives residents convenient access to fitness facilities without leaving the building.

Above, the elevated podium sky deck extends the amenity offering, providing additional open-air spaces with elevated outlooks across the surrounding landscape. While more restrained in program, this upper level reinforces the project’s vertical progression, from ground-level greenery to elevated outlook, allowing residents to move between distinct spatial conditions within a single address.

This distribution of amenities reflects a deliberate response to how residents use space across the day. Sekisui House Australia Sales and Marketing Director Peter Kalaf points to the role these shared areas play in shaping buyer demand. Aeris has been conceived as more than a collection of apartments, with the podium pool, gym and outdoor cinema forming part of a broader lifestyle offering that extends the home beyond each individual residence.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360300]

What distinguishes Aeris is not the inclusion of these elements individually, but how they are arranged in relation to one another. Active, social, and passive spaces are layered vertically rather than separated, allowing residents to choose between them without leaving the building or moving far from their apartment. This proximity supports both routine use, such as a morning swim or evening workout, and more occasional gatherings, whether around the BBQ area or within the cinema setting.

The amenity design also sits within a broader framework of connectivity across Melrose Park. The Melrose Park Town Centre, anchored by Coles and Dan Murphys, features a mix of retail, dining, health and lifestyle offerings, bringing everyday convenience closer to residents. By the end of the year, more than five hectares of parks and open space, equivalent to around seven football fields of green space on residents' doorstep, will further enhance the precinct, allowing the internal facilities at Aeris to operate as an extension of the wider neighbourhood rather than a substitute for it.

Construction at Aeris continues to gather momentum, with ground floor slabs expected to be completed in late 2026 before the first sections of the buildings begin to rise above ground.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=426]

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

Concept

<html><body>
<a href="/expert-insights/buying/fed-square-east-some-food-for-thought-part-one">Following on from part one</a> is the conclusion to the two part-icle that is by comparison a contrast in scale and ambition to yesterday's more modest offering and a far more commercially driven scheme.

Featured as part of a submission I entered for the <a href="http://www.iaac.net/">IAAC</a>'s 3rd Advanced Architecture Contest entitled The Self Sufficient City: Envisioning the Habitat of the Future. I was fortunate enough to have my entry included in the accompanying publication featuring 107 finalists from 34 countries; the only one from Australia which was quite a humbling experience. Even more so because the competition attracted 708 entries from over 118 countries.

<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/l_dragomir_east_gate_tower_render.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Mixed-use tower soars above the Fed Square East site."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="393" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/l_dragomir_east_gate_tower_render.jpg?itok=_fjPIHKC" title="Mixed-use tower soars above the Fed Square East site." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Mixed-use tower soars above the Fed Square East site.</figcaption></figure>My entry was for a systematic approach to re-thinking how the current Melbourne CBD operates and opportunities to enhance, renew and re-invent it through adaptation of existing infrastructure coupled with a concentration of high-rise development along and adjacent to rail corridors rather than a free for all.

Some of the driving forces and guiding principles behind this scheme were derived from the now defunct Melbourne 2030 plan. I have included an extract below:

<blockquote>
Melbourne 2030 – planning for sustainable growth is a 30-year plan to manage growth and change across metropolitan Melbourne and the surrounding region. It emphasises the city’s interdependence with regional Victoria, to provide maximum benefit to the whole State.

In the next 30 years, Melbourne will grow by up to one million people and will consolidate its reputation as one of the most liveable, attractive and prosperous areas in the world for residents, business and visitors.

In establishing and articulating this vision through a set of Principles and nine Key Directions, Melbourne 2030 provides a framework for governments at all levels to respond to the diverse needs of those who live and work in and near to Melbourne, and those who visit.

Melbourne 2030 is a plan for the growth and development of the metropolitan area. An important objective is to ensure that Melbourne retains the qualities that people enjoy about it. Despite a slowdown in population growth, Melbourne will grow substantially over the next 30 years. It is appropriate to plan for the capacity to comfortably absorb up to 620,000 extra households over that time while protecting and enhancing our existing suburbs.

The main thrust is to continue to protect the liveability of the established areas and to increasingly concentrate major change in strategic redevelopment sites such as activity centres and underdeveloped land. While a good supply of land for development will be maintained in growth areas, over time there will be a shift away from growth on the fringe of the city.

This will help prevent urban expansion into surrounding rural land. The trend towards fewer people in each household will continue to support demand for well-located apartment lifestyles around activity centres. This will be supported by an expanded and more attractive public transport system.

Melbourne 2030 focuses primarily on the metropolitan Melbourne urban area and the nearby non-urban areas. However, it also deals more broadly with the wider region where, increasingly, development is linked to and affected by metropolitan Melbourne in terms of commuting, business and recreation. Hence, Melbourne 2030 also considers the area between metropolitan Melbourne and the regional centres of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, and the Latrobe Valley.

Economic, social and environmental matters are integral to Melbourne 2030, but it is not an economic development plan, a community development strategy or a comprehensive environmental management plan. Rather, it gives a high-level overview of the directions metropolitan Melbourne is expected to take. Its clear focus is the management of future growth, land use and infrastructure investment. It will provide a vital context for other sectoral plans in areas like transport and housing.

Why do we need to look ahead?

Victorians face important choices about how metropolitan Melbourne and the surrounding region should develop in the next 30 years. Population and development pressures are changing the environment in which decisions have to be made, and are affecting the shape and the flavour of our city. Melbourne 2030 articulates a detailed plan that takes the long-term view and is based on consultation with the community.

Metropolitan Melbourne’s current shape reflects more than a century of work by those who developed the rail network from 1880 onwards, and by the generations of planners who crafted plans for the city since 1929 (see ‘Melbourne’s planning history’).

Melbourne 2030 builds on the earlier plans and the infrastructure we have inherited while responding to the new issues confronting us. It uses current views of the future and an understanding of the past as the basis for a long-term plan to mould the city.

It tackles these key questions – to which there are no simple or permanent answers:

<ul>
<li>how best can we provide for a growing population and ensure that we live within available resources of water, land and energy?</li>
	<li>how should development be focused and what pattern of land use and transport should we invest in for a better future?</li>
	<li>in which areas should we discourage or prevent development in order to retain the quality of natural environments across the Port Phillip and Westernport catchments and beyond?</li>
	<li>what changes should we make to our lifestyles, the technologies we use and the way we organise the city to reduce resource usage and our impact on our living environment?</li>
	<li>what additional social infrastructure will be needed to support a growing city, and how will we ensure this is available for all when it is needed?</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

While my scheme encompassed a greater area than the Fed Square East site including a re-imagined CBD, a revitalised Flinders Street and Northbank precinct, development of The Age and former Powerstation sites (keep in mind this was five years ago) and development of the airspace of the railyards north of Southern Cross Station.

For the purposes of this article I shall omit these aspects and focus on the Fed Square East site in addition to the eventual decking and development of the Jolimont railyards through to Richmond Station.

<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/l_dragomir_east_gate_site_plan.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Site Plan."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="364" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/l_dragomir_east_gate_site_plan.jpg?itok=l3hrYHB_" title="Site Plan." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Site Plan.</figcaption></figure><ol>
<li>Mixed-use tower</li>
	<li>Research offices and labs</li>
	<li>Market and East Gate train station</li>
	<li>Pedestrian promenade</li>
	<li>East gate Village</li>
	<li>Coleman Park</li>
	<li>Warne Wetlands</li>
</ol>
The scheme while much more commercially oriented built on similar themes and concepts than the FX Tension design. The origami eels are still evident in parts and contribute to the form and massing of the 70-storey tower and the NGV extension is still included.

To get an idea of the basis for this plan I have included text extracts from my submission; again I would really be pushing the limits of my memory to otherwise try and recall every minute detail and reasoning behind every design decision I made. An overall summary of the submission:

<blockquote>
The key principle being the idea of accommodating people in high density structures around activity centres, serviced by an extensive public transport system and bicycle network. This plan for Melbourne’s CBD is a template of sorts which could be applied to other activity centres in Greater Melbourne. Cars would be removed from the city centre, new train stations built, eco towers which generated they’re own power, collected, stored and recycled water and housed vertical farms through the use of hydroponics as well as a mix of housing and offices.

The 2030 version of Melbourne would best be described as a series of ‘suburbs’ and ‘vertical neighbourhoods,’ people wouldn’t need to travel great distances to get to work, school, shopping etc. all this would be possible either on foot or on bike. And when the need arose to travel greater distances the CBD’s trains and free trams rather than cars would be more than adequate. Open air car parks and the air space above railway lines would be developed, existing buildings particularly high rises would be upgraded, overhauled and adapted to and include other uses similar to the new ‘eco towers’.
</blockquote>

And the idea behind the East Gate precinct:

<blockquote>
The key component of the masterplan for the Melbourne CBD in 2030 is the redevelopment of the Jolimont railyards, which acts a physical and visual barrier between the Melbourne CBD and Yarra River.

The East Gate Precinct features a mix of office space, apartments, open space, shops at street level, a wetland, research labs for the development of sustainable technologies and materials, vertical farming, wind turbines, a landmark mixed-use tower, a market and a new train station to facilitate the new neighbourhood.

East Gate Precinct will be car free and will be serviced by trains and trams and residents and visitors will also be encouraged to walk or cycle. East Gate is to be used as a model for other transit oriented developments throughout greater Melbourne.

With a greater concentration of people in high density neighbourhoods, living and working within a 2km radius, reducing the need to travel great distances and should the need arise public transport would service this need.

With the population of Melbourne growing by approx. 1,000 people per week it is imperative that they are accommodated in areas serviced by public transport or where they are not required to commute large distances to work, live or relax, to reduce and eventually halt suburban sprawl.

The East Gate Precinct would also encourage greater community involvement in setting up and maintaining vertical gardens and farms within their own buildings and also encourage greater interaction between residents.

The buildings would collect rainwater, use recycled ‘grey’ water, and would be powered by wind turbines and solar panels incorporated on the roofs and into the facades of the buildings.
</blockquote>

With that in mind please enjoy the images below of East Gate. Until next time.
</body></html>

Laurence Dragomir

Fed Square East: Some food for thought (Part Two)

<html><body>
A couple of weeks ago Apartments.com.au touched on some <a href="/news/design-requirements-that-will-define-federation-square-east">design requirements that would define Fed Square East</a>, prior to the release of the Expression of Interest campaign on September 15th.

In a two-part-icle (yes I just invented a new term) piece I jump in a time machine and travel back to my university days to take a look at two different schemes I developed during the course of my studies at RMIT. Each sets out to achieve various objectives based on a number of similar considerations relating to necessary program, sight lines, connections both physical and visual with the Yarra and a few Melbourne landmarks, althoughthe outcomes are hugely different.

The Federation Square East site is bounded by Federation Square/Russell Street to the west, Flinders Street to the north, Batman Avenue to the east and Birrarung Marr to the south and totals 3.3 hectares; 2.3ha above the rail lines and 1ha that is largely used for car parking.

The first concept was part of a design studio entitled FX-TENSION and was run very similar to a design ideas competition so the level of resolution at a micro scale wasn't as critical as the macro planning. The brief was to develop a proposal for a building or series of buildings which would bring together the three schools of architecture (at the time - Monash has since joined) under one roof, as well as an extension to the NGV's Ian Potter Centre housing the Oceania and Asia collections.

Additionally a commercial component was required to facilitate the development of the other areas as well as making the decking over the railyards viable. A theme of camouflage was carried throughout the semester and was to be the basis for any facade strategy employed.

<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/conceptual_render.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Conceptual Massing Study - Fed Square East."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="309" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/conceptual_render.jpg?itok=d2fX_F_c" title="Conceptual Massing Study - Fed Square East." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Conceptual Massing Study - Fed Square East.</figcaption></figure>I mention this as I believe one of the shortcomings of the Flinders Street Station competition was the viability of proposed schemes relative to their commercial components. As much as I love Hassell's scheme the likelihood of it seeing the light of day hinges on its commercial offering; in this case a museum and gallery.

The Government would never be able to deliver such a project on its own (particularly with a $2b price tag) so either a Public Private Partnership comes into play whereby a developer in all likelihood would reconfigure the western end of the station to accommodate a number of high-rises, or in the case of Fed Square East the site is handed over to the private sector to develop as they see fit with a number of criteria to be met before any formal engagement.

<blockquote>
This Expression of Interest (EOI) is an opportunity to convey your interest and demonstrate the capability, capacity and innovation necessary to deliver a vibrant and commercially viable mixed use development of exceptional design quality at FSE without a capital contribution or regulatory relaxation by Government.

The Government is seeking Submissions that identify and explain the intended approach to development, design and integration of mixed uses that will fulfil the vision for the FSE Site. This information will be used to identify a short list of Respondents who will be invited to participate in the subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) stage of this Procurement Process.
<cite>Major Projects Victoria</cite>
</blockquote>

Without having seen the EOI documents for myself (you must register and log in to view them) one critical aspect that should be included in any future scheme is an extended Ian Potter Centre as per the brief we were given at university 6 years ago. Although this is rarely ever mentioned in the same breath as Fed Square East particularly in the media, the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/ngv-push-for-landmark-gallery-extension/2007/09/21/1189881777512">NGV had already outgrown its current digs 7 years ago</a>.

<blockquote>
Indigenous art was popular with locals and tourists, and the Ian Potter Centre, just five years old, had run out of space. A dedicated indigenous wing would be a "massive drawcard" for Melbourne.

But as a gateway building, such a gallery had to be "highly distinguished, monumental and significant" architecture. "It cannot be done on the cheap," he said. Preliminary costings show that such a building could cost about $150 million.

Dr Vaughan said the NGV's idea for a new wing was in draft form only. It was developed in anticipation that government and business would eventually extend decking over the Jolimont rail yards. He said it was crucial that any such project include a major cultural component. "We would like to book some space on the deck that the government and private sector will build for some other entirely different purpose."

Dr Vaughan said the NGV needed more space for indigenous, Asian and oceanic art. A key attraction for such a gallery would be a large multi-media display of rock paintings from around Australia.
<cite>The Age September 22 2007</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Concept</h2>

The existing design for Fed Square has largely future proofed itself by way of the 'Crossbar' structure that begins in the undulating plaza as the offices for SBS, puncturing through the atrium and NGV before poking out on the eastern facade, setting up the future extension of the gallery over the Russell Street extension. So it was with that key objective in mind that I set about designing the complex: an extension for the NGV to house its Asian and Oceanic collections.

This manifested itself in a series of origami eels which were an evolution of Federation Square's 'filaments' that informed the formal and programmatic planning of spaces and buildings. Drawing upon the ideas and inspirations for the Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) artwork that sits within Birrarung Marr I combined these themes with an idea-gram produced earlier in the semester for the site.

<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/birrarung_wilam.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Birrarung Wilam and origami eels."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="402" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/birrarung_wilam.jpg?itok=k9C7y-Vk" title="Birrarung Wilam and origami eels." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Birrarung Wilam and origami eels.</figcaption></figure>The public spaces were also key to the design with an emphasis on good connections to the river via a large cascading series of steps down to the river and an extension of the footbridge through Birrarung Marr over the rail lines to Flinders Street and adjacent to a new north facing public space.

Rather than try and remember and regurgitate everything I did point by point I have decided to include the pages from my final presentation in the slideshow below which are lighter on text but visually (hopefully) quite easy to understand.

<a href="/news/fed-square-east-some-food-for-thought-part-two">Look out for part two tomorrow</a> for an alternate, more ambitious scheme I think befitting of Fed Square East.
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Fed Square East: Some food for thought (Part One)

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Urban.com.au aren't averse to providing a shout out to firms who design intriguing residential buildings, albeit conceptual ones. Recently a design by South Melbourne firm <a href="http://burtonandcarter.com" target="_blank">Burton &amp; Carter</a> crossed our desks and we were mighty impressed.

The architect's summary of the gateway project designed for Port Melbourne is as follows:

<blockquote>
The Eminence is a proposed 35 storey residential tower in the bay side area of Port Melbourne.

The parametric design of the podium incorporated retail, restaurant and cafe spaces to generate a lively community space for residents and public that would make use of the interesting design that allowed for natural light and bay side views through the triangulated windows, yet stopped unwanted cold strong south-west winds. The opening up of the facade allows for a triple storey interior main lobby that marks the entrance at ground level.

The residential tower connects with the podium with a sleek extrusion to the north-west facade, allowing maximum balcony space to the south to maximise views of the bay side for the residents, but also allowing city views to the north-east. The smooth finish to the tower’s form creates a crown on top of the building that follows the curvilinear form of the podium to generate an aesthetic connection between the two.
<cite><a href="http://www.burtonandcarter.com/#!multi-residential/c1ww2" target="_blank">Burton and Carter: The Eminence Apartments</a></cite>
</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/9f8809_2d38001534e24636a2f08a669cddb3ed.jpg_srz_p_954_865_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Burton &amp; Carter"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="526" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/9f8809_2d38001534e24636a2f08a669cddb3ed.jpg_srz_p_954_865_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.jpg?itok=9HVgBnKA" title="Image © Burton &amp; Carter" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Image © Burton &amp; Carter</figcaption></figure>Visually, design parallels can be drawn between Burton &amp; Carter's scheme and <a href="http://snohetta.com/project/90-ras-al-khaimah-gateway" target="_blank">Snøhetta's</a> Ras Al Khaimah gateway project in the emerging UAE emirate, albeit on a smaller scale.

<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/arch2o-rak-gateway-project-8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image courtesy Arch2o"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="328" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/arch2o-rak-gateway-project-8.jpg?itok=QxaZO7DE" title="Image courtesy Arch2o" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Image courtesy Arch2o</figcaption></figure>Both designs are mixed-use in nature and carry substantial areas of associated communal space and landscaping. Externally the buildings are quite similar in styling, while also providing a variety of sheltered and shaded spaces for public use. The undulating form of either design peaks with a landmark 'gateway' tower signifying the structures isolated dominance.

Both gateway projects are also situated at the entrance to their respective city, the difference being Ras Al Khaimah's fronts the desert whereas Port Melbourne's would be a marker for arriving ships.

<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/01_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="317" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/01_2.jpg?itok=IdVbhBaT" title="Image © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Image © Laurence Dragomir</figcaption></figure>Resident render guru Laurence provided us with this <a href="/news/blockhead-concept-pier-ing-into-the-future" target="_blank">Port Melbourne concept design</a> last year (as seen above), further investigating the notion of a gateway structure marking ones aquatic arrival into Melbourne. I'd take any which one in Melbourne yet Button and Carter's is a crisp, contemporary design that unfortunately will never seemingly see the light of day.
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silvermb

Gateway meets gateway meets gateway in Port Melbourne

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

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Following a great deal of procrastinating over the last few weeks, I have the pleasure of finally presenting part two of my What to do with Waterfront City? duology; a case of better late than never, one could argue. If you would, please cast your mind back to two months ago or alternatively <a href="/expert-insights/buying/what-to-do-with-waterfront-city-part-one">refresh your memory</a> with part one.

Today's piece focuses on the sites to the perimeter of the precinct that have been built to a low-density and feature only a single program: Costco and Medibank Ice House. Where part one investigated an approach to the public realm aspects of the precinct, part two looks at the commercial aspects.

Rather than being explicit about exactly what should be built or done with the precinct, the idea is to be a little more implicit: encouraging a level of discourse through some pretty pictures I put together.

<h2>Costco and Residential towers</h2>

When Costco opened the doors to their new warehouse in the heart of Vancouver in 2009, Costco's regional marketing manager for Western Canada, Robin Ross described it as "the most unique Costco in the world." Part of the Spectrum project, the Costco on Expo Boulevard anchors a residential development of four highrises, built on the edge of Yaletown making it the first Costco to be built in the heart of a city.

<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/Costco%20Vancouver_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Costco%20Vancouver_0.jpg?itok=m5qxjbwo"></a>

When Australia's first Costco was built in Melbourne's Docklands, all we got was a shed, albeit one with more character than most.

<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/Costco_Photo_04_PH.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Costco Docklands. © NH Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Costco_Photo_04_PH.jpg?itok=nlBeWVq3" title="Costco Docklands. © NH Architecture"></a>

Designed by <a href="http://www.nharchitecture.net/">NH Architecture</a>, I've always considered it to be missed opportunity to deliver a quality mixed-use project that marks the gateway into Docklands but also provides a crucial interface with the precinct and the adjacent future development at E-Gate.

<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/costco-RENDERS.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Revamped Costco with residential towers above. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/costco-RENDERS.jpg?itok=S6K5SHyo" title="Revamped Costco with residential towers above. © Laurence Dragomir"></a>

Through a redressing of the exterior of the Costco warehouse and the introduction of residential towers (two vs Vancouver's four) that employ a warm palette of timber and feature rooftop gardens, a visually static building suddenly becomes more lively on the outside and provides a stronger edge to the precinct.

A sinuous podium structure housing Costco, allows for the creation of pocket parks providing a buffer to the road network adjacent. The separation between the towers allows visual privacy but also views beyond from the Melbourne Star Wheel, framing views to and from. Visually a higher density mixed-use development provides a cue for the imminent E-Gate regeneration project and a gateway landmark of sorts into Docklands.

<h2>Medibank Ice House and New Hotel</h2>

Few will probably recall but at one point in time it was proposed that the two ice rinks which form Medibank Ice House were to be built above the multi-storey car park at Waterfront City, effectively killing two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, this never proceeded to construction and we are now left with two problems. With the multi-storey car park being dealt with in part one, the attention shifts to Ice 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/icehouse%20Hotel_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Ice House Hotel. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/icehouse%20Hotel_1.jpg?itok=DDDxhloi" title="Ice House Hotel. © Laurence Dragomir"></a>

As a means of funneling people through Harbour Town, why not build a hotel above the existing rink, utilising the pockets and strips of land around the perimeter to introduce lift cores and support columns. The foyer would be part of an expanded entry off Pearl River Road.

While the novelty of short-stay accommodation above an ice rink may not be everyone's cup of tea, the views back towards Docklands and the city would be quite something. Direct and easy access to CityLink via Footscray Road would also be one of the benefits of locating a hotel there.

Time permitting a conclusion piece - that considers the remaining undeveloped pockets of land adjacent to Harbour Town complex and the airspace above - may appear later down the track. Until then, I leave you with one final image to finish on looking down at the sites in question.

<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/Wfc2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Ice House Hotel looking over WFC. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Wfc2.jpg?itok=KRDyF6Qh" title="Ice House Hotel looking over WFC. © Laurence Dragomir"></a>
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What to do with Waterfront City? (Part Two)

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Recently news filtered through that Sydney-based <a href="http://www.ashemorgan.com.au/">AsheMorgan</a> had <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/docklands-sale-citys-biggest-in-seven-years/story-fn9656lz-1226857431660#">acquired Harbour Town and the Medibank Ice House Ice complex</a> within Waterfront City from <a href="http://www.ingrealestate.com.au/">ING Real Estate</a>. The $150m sale of the 40,000sqm centre follows the disposal of the Melbourne Star observation wheel to its Japanese builders and the sale of Waterfront City's only water fronted parcel to <a href="http://www.mab.com.au/">MAB</a> who are developing <a href="http://www.newquaypromenade.com.au/home">NewQuay Promenade</a>.

These asset disposals seem a clear sign that ING Real Estate are looking to slowly but surely exit the precinct and absolve themselves of any further responsibility within the area. They currently retain ownership (for the time being at least) of the the Costco building, the multi-level car park and an adjacent undeveloped tract of land. The question which must now be posed is - "where to now for the trouble plagued precinct?"

From the moment of its conception, Waterfront City has struggled with an identity crisis of sorts; it's part entertainment precinct and part shopping precinct with no real unifying theme. Bearing that in mind today's piece constitutes the first part of a series of articles looking at ways of improving the look and usability of the precinct.

<h2>Rebranding/Change of name</h2>

With the single stretch of water frontage now controlled by MAB (see render below) it would appear an opportune time to reconsider the precinct's name and branding strategy in addition to erasing the negativity associated with the precinct.

<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/NewQuay%20Promenade.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="NewQuay Promenade. © MAB"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/NewQuay%20Promenade.jpg?itok=V-VRoDDs" title="NewQuay Promenade. © MAB" width="580"></a>

Now this is probably best left to the marketing types but let's just go with something like North Dock. I'll be honest I didn't expend a whole lot of mental power in conceiving the name but I think it's not half bad. Feel free to suggest your own.

<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/northdock.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="North Dock."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="171" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/northdock.jpg?itok=2fnpsA8C" title="North Dock." width="580"></a>

<h2>Improving the first impression</h2>

When entering Harbour Town either after disembarking from a tram or crossing Docklands Drive, visitors to the precinct are confronted with a bland and sterile entry point defined by cheap finishes over what should be a gateway building. Introducing a green wall to soften the harshness of the facade and employing an operable timber screen both for resident privacy and visual interest would do wonders for a comparatively small outlay.

Signage identifying the precinct awaits within the central median strip, with new greenery also helping to remould first impressions for visitors crossing Docklands Drive from NewQuay Promenade.

<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/WFC%20Gateway_EDIT_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Refurbished entry to Harbour Town © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="347" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/WFC%20Gateway_EDIT_0.jpg?itok=pyn9W4Xx" title="Refurbished entry to Harbour Town © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a>

<h2>Taking a cue from Merchant Street</h2>

Over at Victoria Harbour Lend Lease are in the process of <a href="http://www.victoriaharbour.com.au/news-and-events/news-and-events/news-degrees-of-change" target="_blank">upgrading Merchant Street</a> and have enlisted the help of renowned hospitality architects Six Degrees.

<blockquote>
"Changing things up is also part of Six Degrees’ approach to the project more broadly. Its aim is to achieve the mixture of venues and shopfronts you would see in any high street in Melbourne or, indeed, in any high street anywhere in the world. “In your usual high street … you’ve got evolution of 100 years – you’ve got all sorts of canopies, verandas, free-standing cantilevers and so on,” says Healy.

“We want to bring in that idea of variety and diversity. This is important at the level of scale. We needed to introduce a finer grain, so we decided to ‘chop’ and make tenancies into two and three … but we are trying to make it somewhat architecturally consistent per tenancy.”
</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/MerchantStreetOverview.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Merchant Street revamp. © Six Degrees"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="191" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/MerchantStreetOverview.jpg?itok=wLqVDh6M" title="Merchant Street revamp. © Six Degrees" width="580"></a>

While Merchant Street presents a much smaller challenge than any overhaul of Harbour Town, a similar strategy could be employed incrementally with a variety of architects and designers chosen. The focus on a greater mixture of uses, architecture styles and in particular activating the upper level concourse should be at the forefront when trying to lift/design the current venue out of the doldrums.

The introduction of maritime materials and architecture on the remaining undeveloped roof tops is a possibility - topped with gabled roofs perhaps mimicking the existing Central Pier sheds and similar to what is proposed at Wharf Precinct within Victoria Harbour

<h2>(Car) Park²</h2>

Visible from the Melbourne Star and once proposed to house the Docklands Ice Centre atop, the Waterfront City multi-level car park is presently a wasted site. With previous proposals for an apartment complex along it's western elevation yet to see the light of day, I believe it's worth considering some alternative uses for the site, in particular the expansive rooftop.

A perfect place for a park, maybe? And why not throw in a community 'greenhouse' on top as well?

<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/waterfront%20city%20park.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rejuvenated Car Park and park with 'greenhouse' on top. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="299" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/waterfront%20city%20park.jpg?itok=SwAru233" title="Rejuvenated Car Park and park with 'greenhouse' on top. © Laurence Dragomir" 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/waterfront%20city%20park%20%2B%20greenhouse.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Car Park rooftop. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/waterfront%20city%20park%20%2B%20greenhouse.jpg?itok=EQ_aaHD5" title="Car Park rooftop. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a>

What do you think should be done to improve Waterfront City? Or what would you like to see?

Leave your comments below and stay tuned for part two focusing on the Medibank Ice House and Costco, to follow soon.
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What to do with Waterfront City? (Part One)

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Today's content comes directly from the vault; dusted off and ready for inspection. During the late 1990's the then Docklands Authority published an irregular newsletter that although now yellow, worn and stained gives a fair indication as to the expectations maintained by those in charge of delivering Melbourne's new waterfront during that time. Dated November 1998 the fold-out newsletter provides a fantastic glimpse of Melbourne prior to the new millennium.

What immediately stands out is the lack of infrastructure throughout the area. Traversing Docklands over the last twelve years with trusty camera in tow and having no recollection of Docklands prior to its current metamorphosis, it's truly disturbing and impressive that such a large area of land so close to a major metropolis was underutilised for so long. With the Bolte Bridge and La Trobe Street / Collins Street extensions not yet constructed, it truly resembled a wasteland.

Cast your view to the second image below and you'll see a very lonely Crown Casino dominating Southbank's panorama; how times have changed! For Docklands at least the land parcels had at this point been defined, although time would subsume the names Yarranova, Entertainment City and Commonwealth Technology Port, replaced by NewQuay, Waterfront City and Digital Harbour.

<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/Img_0089.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Infrastructure works prior to Docklands commencing. Images © Docklands Authority"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/Img_0089.jpg?itok=NHEcxjLT" title="Infrastructure works prior to Docklands commencing. Images © Docklands Authority" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

See below the official Docklands render of the day, a concept far more advanced than earlier ghastly visions which bore an uncanny resemblance to a Mulgrave office park. For the countless articles of diatribe against Docklands over the years, the precinct has managed to stay true to the render in certain respects. The general height, bulk and density of realised buildings is fairly similar to the image below. NewQuay and Yarra's Edge in particular have delivered to date basically what is seen below. Whilst the central precinct, Victoria Harbour, has in reality a denser built form, Batman's Hill was at the time the exception.

<a href="/news/grollo-tower-one-mans-vision-unrealised" target="_blank">Covered by Urban.com.au previously</a>, Bruno Grollo's then world's tallest Grollo Tower was one of two parties vying for the right to develop the Batman's Hill precinct. History shows that neither gained the right to develop the whole precinct, rather it was portioned off to separate developers with the last slice recently <a href="/news/batmans-hill-collins-street-the-missing-piece-of-the-docklands-jigsaw" target="_blank">granted to Lend Lease</a>, and now subject to further planning. Whilst many think that Docklands struggles on a micro level, it will never be known whether a better outcome could have been achieved by development plot by plot, rather than precinct by precinct.

Would the urban realm have been enhanced by each individual site being subject to a tender process? Docklands may have therefore followed a more organic growth, slowly expanding westwards whilst maintaining the feel of the CBD rather than a large master planned enclave. Gone would be the pockets of development surrounded by vast tracts of empty land which has only in recent years been corrected as the suburb continues its expansion.

<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/IMG_0094_0.JPG" rel="gallery-all" title="The envisaged Docklands. Images © Docklands Authority"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/IMG_0094_0.JPG?itok=us5g6YZA" title="The envisaged Docklands. Images © Docklands Authority" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

In isolation the 1998 Docklands vision seemed to provide a fair balance between the practical expansion of Melbourne's CBD whilst taking into account the desire for open space, density and height considerations. The mind boggles at what would be proposed for the precinct if Docklands were a blank canvas today. Fifteen years ago Melbourne had yet to experience its shift toward apartment living, Southbank was yet to boom and Fishermans Bend, E-Gate and the CBD North/Arden Structure Plan were foreign concepts.

I'd suggest the 1998 vision provided a decent platform for Docklands to base itself upon. Consider now that the precinct is approximately 60% complete; it has been a long haul with many years to come and I can't help but think that one day into the distant future when Docklands is near ringed by far larger developments that public sentiment will shift more and more in favour of the precinct.
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The Docklands vision - circa 1998

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Following on from <a href="/news/the-pencil-skyscraper-464-collins-street-in-depth#content" target="_blank">Mark's comprehensive article on the development at 464 Collins Street yesterday</a>, I have the privilege of providing you all with a follow up article aptly named "How do you solve a problem like 464?" More specifically I am referring to the sheer concrete wall abutting the western boundary of the site, broken up only by two slivers of glazing; a pet hate of the Apartments.com.au crew.

464 Collins Street is not alone in this regard and this article should in no way be construed as an attack on the building or project architect Bates Smart for that matter, whose work I generally admire. Rather the intent is to highlight what we consider to be a problem that is becoming more prevalent with new buildings along shared boundaries - the dreaded blank wall.

This commonly occurs on smaller city sites housing residential towers designed to achieve the maximum yield or commercial towers with a side core arrangement hoping to maximise floor plate efficiency. As a result of this insatiable need for more and more apartments/office space in the city coupled with Floor Space Ratios unofficially going out the window (pun definitely intended) some time ago, means setbacks from boundaries are becoming somewhat of an endangered species. This basically limits the possibility of any windows to habitable rooms along the site's boundary and you guessed it we're left with a blank wall.

<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/eEYx88.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Star &amp; Sky as seen from Elizabeth Street. Image credit Ryan Seychell."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/eEYx88.jpg?itok=zlWF4NEh" title="Melbourne Star &amp; Sky as seen from Elizabeth Street. Image credit Ryan Seychell." typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Star &amp; Sky as seen from Elizabeth Street. Image credit Ryan Seychell.</figcaption></figure>The most recent crop of buildings to be adorned with this must have architectural accessory are Melbourne's answer to Mary-Kate &amp; Ashley Olsen (better known as Melbourne Star and Melbourne Sky above), developed by Brady Group and designed by Peddle Thorp Architects. Both buildings' service cores are located to the east and west boundaries of the greater site, the towers only being separated (just) by Sutherland Lane.

Consequently a pedestrian walking along Elizabeth Street is presented with a great big blank wall making up about 50% of the eastern elevation, a sliver of glass, and a facade nominal setback consisting of a series of windows and balconies which will lose any amenity that they may currently have once the adjoining site is redeveloped.

Melbourne Star &amp; Sky highlight the problem developers and architects on tight sites have to contend with perfectly; you either build all the way to the boundary and have no windows or you setback a minimal distance (usually 1.5m) and risk the loss of what natural light and means of ventilation those apartments possess to any future development.

<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/08jj.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="464 Collins with a kinetic energy facade applied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/08jj.jpg?itok=LZIS6Wlj" title="464 Collins with a kinetic energy facade applied" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

<figcaption>464 Collins with a kinetic energy facade applied</figcaption></figure>So just what can be done with a blank concrete wall along a shared boundary considering there's the possibility that at some point in the not-too-distant future another building will cover cover the precast facade. Using 464 Collins Street as my subject I had a crack at some potential treatments for the blank concrete wall to the west. While the urban art and embossed precast make grand visual statements that may fall foul of planning authorities, the kinetic energy facade strikes a balance between subtle visual interest and intense facade activation.

Consisting of small aluminum tiles bound by lengths of wire, the facade treatment seems fluid, reacting to wind movement in a constantly changing manner providing an interface between built form and the natural environment. Current examples include <a href="http://www.uap.com.au/art/infrastructure/brisbane-domestic-terminal-car-park/" target="_blank">Brisbane Airport's car park</a> and Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The beauty of such a facade application is that when required it could be easily removed utilising 464 Collins Street's building mechanical unit with minimal fuss.

Ultimately though once again it's a matter of heightened planning policy and enforcement; I wouldn't be holding my breathe...

Click for a larger view and enjoy the renders including some context shots!
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How do you solve a problem like 464?

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A lot has happened since my last concept article (<a href="/news/blockhead-concept-this-little-piggy-went-to-market-on-his-fixie">This Little Piggy went to Market (on his fixie)</a>): Kevin Rudd is now Prime Minister, Australia has lost The Ashes but is fighting for respect, The Maroons are State of Origin champions and Hawthorn lost to Geelong while Essendon has run out of steam yet again.

All the while I've been lying in bed at night thinking about Station Pier, Port Melbourne. This article forms part of a series of articles focusing on Port Melbourne's past, present and future. As the name suggests I'll be focusing on a possible future for at least part of the site.

I may revisit the pier itself for another article at some stage, however I have decided to focus on the area highlighted in red below, closest to Waterfront Place.

<figure><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/pictures/article-images/Existing%20site%20plan.jpg"></figure>My concept for the site consists of seven parts as seen on the map below:

<figure><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/pictures/article-images/site%20plan_edit-01_1.jpg"></figure><ol>
<li>A museum and visitor centre focusing on the history of the pier</li>
	<li>A raised sloping park with public parking underneath, replacing the current open air car park and nature strip</li>
	<li>New paved square</li>
	<li>Overpass and raised public concourse allowing for courier/truck access through and underneath the development</li>
	<li>8-storey apartment building with retail at ground and concourse levels + 2 rooftop gardens and pergola structure</li>
	<li>55-storey Hotel and apartments with retail and commercial space at ground and concourse levels + garden on rooftop</li>
	<li>65-storey apartment tower atop a 3-storey shared podium, retail at ground and concourse levels</li>
</ol>
While the height of the towers may be significantly beyond any other development in the area, they sit to the south of the existing residential area and west of the beach; overshadowing of the beach only really occurring late in the afternoon, which particularly in summer, might not be such a bad thing. As per previous concepts dreamt up for Apartments.com.au, I have tried to provide a reasonable balance between private and public spaces.

The idea is the development would act as a gateway for visitors arriving via sea (standing out from a distance) while also activating what is an otherwise series of 'dead' spaces. The concept won't appeal to all, but hopefully it serves its purpose in provoking thought for a complex that could be so much more.

Hope you enjoy the images below, click for them for a full screen view.
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Blockhead Concept - Pier-ing into the future

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Following <a href="/news/anstey-in-colour">Anstey in Colour</a> and <a href="/news/anstey-in-development">Anstey in Development</a>, the final instalment is… "This little piggy went to market (on his fixie)". Today we look at Brunswick Market (661 Sydney Road), its immediate derelict neighbours on Florence Street and the potential development opportunities that exist within the precinct.

The strategy covers a number sites, which are but a short stroll or fixie ride from Anstey Station and Sydney Road. See Google Maps image below, with site highlighted in a rich shade of Brunswick Green.

<figure><img alt="" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/pictures/article-images/Site.jpg"></figure>As John Batman once declared on the banks of the Yarra, to whomever was listening "This is the place for a village!" So too do we at Apartments.com.au decree that this is "the place for a village!"

The strategy behind the plan is simple: live local, grow local, buy local - a self sustained village of sorts. The market traders could live within any one of the 5 apartment buildings or shop top homes, the fruit and vegetables would be grown on-site and sold on site, with the Brunswick Market housed in a new building fronting Sydney Road, integrated with an urban farm to the rear that spills out onto Florence Lane (nee 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/05_overall%20aerial_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Anstey Village overview"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="263" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/05_overall%20aerial_0.jpg?itok=hWLqsZqT" title="Anstey Village overview" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Anstey Village overview</figcaption></figure><h2>Key features</h2>

<ul>
<li>A rebuillt Brunswick Market.</li>
	<li>A Multi-storey urban market housed within a glass house.</li>
	<li>5 apartment buildings ranging in height starting from 3 storeys fronting Sydney Road and rising to 13-storeys facing Breese St, employing a variety of materials to break down the visual mass and create an identity for each tower element.</li>
	<li>The pedestrianising of Florence Street with a strong interface between it and the new market / multi-storey urban farm.</li>
	<li>Shoptop housing along Florence Lane with a mix of retail spilling onto the laneway with plenty of bicycle parking.</li>
	<li>An expansive rooftop park.</li>
	<li>North facing sky gardens interspered between apartments.</li>
</ul>
Whereas my last renders for <a href="/news/the-future-of-vertical-farms-in-melbourne">integrated vertical farming</a> were more about exploring a notion, Brunswick Village is certainly a more viable commercial concept. Regardless of whether the site is owned by state, private of institutional interests the concept could proceed given the acquisition of a minimal number of adjoining sites.

Without burdening readers with a thorough business case, development would roll out as follows. The current vacant carpark would be developed initially, with profits from residential unit and retail space sales to fund the still running market redevelopment. Stage two involves redeveloping the market space fronting Sydney Road to the north of Florence Street. The new market would move into this area and stage three would see the remainder developed, delivering additional multi-stotey urban market space along with a signature circular residential building.

There you have it, the potential to deliver a redeveloped market with improved urban outcomes whilst having the market run continually in some way, shape or form throughout the construction process.

Next up is a <a href="/news/blockhead-concept-pier-ing-into-the-future">revamped Station Pier</a>. Feel free to leave your suggestions as to what you'ld like to see next. Enjoy the images below.
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