National property developer Goldfields has secured permit approval and appointed Victorian residential builder Ironside to begin work on The Brightly, an 11-storey, wellness and lifestyle-focused mixed-use development in Richmond.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/goldfields-group">Goldfields</a> has partnered with Dexus Real Estate Partnership Fund 1 (DREP 1) as co-investor and delivery partner in the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-brightly-9-15-brighton-street-richmond-vic-3121">Brighton Street project</a>.

With architecture and interiors by design practice Cera Stribley, The Brightly will feature 100 apartments, a resident-only wellness space, elevated dining experiences including a private dining room and a rooftop garden lounge, and ground-floor retail designed to integrate with Richmond’s local character.

The wellness space will feature a hot magnesium pool, cold plunge, steam room, sauna, and a vitamin-infused drinking station for refreshment and rehydration.

The Brightly’s focus on wellness extends to the rooftop landscaped by award-winning landscape architect Jack Merlo. It will feature canopied retreats and panoramic views of the Melbourne CBD and Richmond Hill treetops. Residents can also host guests with a private bookable dining space on the rooftop garden lounge and an indoor option on the first level.

Cera Stribley’s architectural vision drew inspiration from the surrounding area, using the flowing form of the train lines to shape the façade and create a dialogue between the building and Richmond’s rich history. The design features a four-level podium lined with lush greenery, honouring the suburb’s character and streetscape through its scale and materials.

There will be a choice&nbsp;of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, along with 19 exclusive sub-penthouses and penthouses, for prospective purchasers.

Lachlan Thompson, Goldfields’ CEO, said The Brightly will define a new kind of urban luxury for Inner East living.

“By drawing on Richmond’s vibrant mix of culture and hospitality, we’ve combined a lifestyle centred on wellness,” Thompson said.

“Its proximity to Melbourne's sports and entertainment precinct, the CBD, parks, and public transport makes it a prime location for both young professionals and those seeking a lifestyle change. What we’ve created is something remarkable - it’s real, it's Richmond, and it’s refined."

Dexus Real Estate Partnership Fund 1 Fund Manager, Jason Howes, said the Brightly is a high-quality investment in a high demand area with limited residential stock expected to be added in the coming years.

“Partnering with Goldfields, we are delivering a project that will redefine lifestyle focused urban living, offering residents exceptional design and amenities in one of Melbourne's most vibrant suburbs,” he said.

Onsite demolition is underway, with construction set to commence in April 2026 and completion targeted for late 2027. The Brightly will launch to market in mid-2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=146631]

Joel Robinson

Goldfields greenlit for The Brightly, Richmond apartment development

The Allan Labor Government has revealed the remaining 23&nbsp;Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres as part of their plan to try and encourage development around some of Melbourne's most connected suburbs.

The new zones includes&nbsp;four smaller ‘neighbourhood centres’ to plan for more modest growth.

<ul>
	<li>Five are connected to the new Metro Tunnel and are now experiencing more services: Caulfield, Springvale, Noble Park, Yarraman (neighbourhood centre), and Dandenong stations.</li>
	<li>Eight are along the Frankston Line, which has recently returned to the City Loop: Hawksburn, Toorak (Beatty Avenue), Armadale (High Street), Malvern (Glenferrie Road), Glen Huntly, Ormond, Bentleigh, and Mentone stations</li>
	<li>Four are along the Sandringham Line, which will see an increase in services later this year: South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor and Elsternwick stations</li>
	<li>Three are on the Belgrave/Lilydale Line and benefit from five-minute peak services on average between Ringwood and the city: Blackburn, Nunawading, and Mitcham stations</li>
	<li>Two neighbourhood centres on the Alamein Line: Ashburton Station, plus a combined centre for the two closest stations on the metropolitan network Riversdale &amp; Willison stations</li>
	<li>One neighbourhood centre, Toorak Village, is a built-up area along the Route 58 tram.</li>
</ul>

The <a href="https://spatial.planning.vic.gov.au/activitycentre/">draft maps</a> will now be subject to detailed community consultation.

A similar process occurred for the first 10 pilot Activity Centres, with clear changes made as a direct result of this community consultation.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/vic/50-new-train-and-tram-zone-activity-centres-to-encourage-new-apartment-development-across-melbourne">50 new ‘train and tram zone’ activity centres to encourage new apartment development across Melbourne</a>

The final train and tram zones will set clear expectations on where new homes can go, cutting out delays, uncertainty and red tape and getting homes off the ground. The remaining two in inner-Melbourne that cover the entire Local Government Areas of Melbourne and Yarra, will go through a separate process.

In the immediate ‘core’ the plans allow for more homes in taller apartment buildings.&nbsp;Some cores have heights of six storeys, while others have up to 20 storeys, only when it is in line with those councils’ planning work.

Eligible buildings across the core will be ‘deemed to comply’ with planning rules and be exempt from VCAT review. Applications in the core that exceed the specified height of the site are not eligible for this fast-tracked pathway.

In the walkable catchments that surround the core, the plans propose gentler height limits and more low-rise apartments and townhouses. Heritage and landscape overlays will stay in place.

Inner catchments, representing up to a five-minute walk from the station or centre, propose limits of four storeys, or six storeys on larger blocks of more than 1,000 sqm, while outer catchments, representing up to a 10-minute walk from the station or centre, propose limits of three storeys, or four storeys on larger blocks of more than 1,000 sqm.

By 2051, train and tram zones will help deliver more than 300,000 new homes, with final plans for all 50 new centres expected to be completed by mid this year.

“We want more Victorians to have the opportunity to live close to public transport, their loved ones, and the things that matter to them,"&nbsp;Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said.

“Whether it’s making it easier to build homes close to public transport, townhouses in our inner suburbs, or family homes with a backyard, our planning reforms are all about giving more Victorians real housing choice.

“While we’re focused on giving more young Victorians the opportunity to have a home of their own, the Liberals are blocking them from being built. They oppose more homes near transport, jobs and services.”

Toorak and South Yarra earmarked for greater density as VIC Gov releases final Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres

Glen Waverley’s housing shortage is set to be closed by 50 per cent with the approval of 795 new apartments which will rise from a former carp park in the heart of the suburb.

The plans, lodged by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunkin-property-group">Sunkin Property Group</a> and now approved by the Victorian State Government Development Facilitation Program, will transform the 6,114 sqm carpark at 281 Springvale Road, into an $800 million, mixed-use residential and commercial development in the metropolitan activity centre.&nbsp;

“281 Springvale Road has received planning approval for a mixed-use, high-density development that will provide much needed homes in Melbourne’s middle-ring suburbs, including affordable housing," Sunkin's GM of Property and Development Lloyd Collins says.

"We worked closely with key stakeholders, the Department of Transport and Planning, Suburban Rail Loop Authority and Monash City Council to achieve an integrated design with an activated retail ground level that will add to the success of Glen Waverley.

Glen Waverley’s population is projected to grow by 9 per cent by 2031, with an additional 1,600 dwellings required to &nbsp;service the area.

Around 1,000 sqm of the former carpark has been retained by Monash City Council for a new Civic Plaza, creating a central meeting point and public transport link for the local community. &nbsp;

Sunkin Property Group acquired the site from Monash City Council in 2024. The site will remain open as a public carpark until development commences.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149491]

$800 million, 800-unit development permit fast-tracked for Glen Waverley carpark

UAE developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/arada">Arada</a> is continuing to unveil its billions of dollars of residential development it is set to deliver in Australia.

Following on its plans for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/arada-pitches-castle-hill-apartment-plans-ahead-of-2026-launch">431 apartments in Castle Hill</a>&nbsp;and the 2025 bail-out of construction firm Roberts &amp; Co so it can build its own developments, Arada&nbsp;has sought the NSW Government's approval for three towers in the Campsie town centre.

The project, dubbed One Campsie, has been designed by Woods Bagot and will deliver 346 apartments to Beamish Street across three interconnected towers rising 24, 32, and 39 storeys.

According to the Woods Bagot Architectural Design Report, the design seeks to “redefine the urban experience of a rapidly transforming town centre,” delivering housing above an activated ground plane that integrates civic and commercial uses. The design adopts a three-part vertical composition, stepping and articulating the tower to reduce visual bulk and respond to its varied urban interfaces.

<img alt="First Look: Arada unveils 39-storey mixed-use tower for Campsie town centre in State Significant Development bid" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f515807f-7277-4ea5-8b2b-a5718514f30a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campsie%20podium.png?VersionId=J3oSJpOvye8gpg1kjagODjdhOb0Cl28I" />

At street level, the scheme places significant emphasis on public domain upgrades. A new civic plaza is proposed opposite the Orion Theatre, alongside a landscaped pocket park and a through-site pedestrian link connecting Beamish Street to Campsie Street and Ninth Avenue. The Urban Design Justification Report states that the proposal “builds on Council’s Master Plan by applying a place-led urban design framework that responds to the site’s unique conditions and enhances pedestrian experience and public benefit.”

The documents note that the development aligns with the Master Plan’s intensification strategy for sites within walking distance of the Metro station, while seeking to retain solar access to key public spaces. As outlined in the Urban Design Report, the proposal delivers “intensification within walking distance of the Metro Station while retaining solar access to key parks."

<img alt="First Look: Arada unveils 39-storey mixed-use tower for Campsie town centre in State Significant Development bid" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="586ad606-a84f-49cc-b715-fc3ecb731205" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campsie%20podium%20a.png?VersionId=gNHaD.Os8yW4LVOdsJIdmmhlgQArs0Gm" />

Woods Bagot’s design narrative also draws on local history and Aboriginal cultural context. The Architectural Design Report references engagement with Wangal Country and the Cooks River landscape, seeking to embed a connection to Country through material selection, planting, and public art integration. The broader vision, as described in the report, is to create a building that functions as a “community catalyst, not only as a place to live, but as a vibrant destination for work and play that brings people together, supports local culture, and contributes meaningfully to the civic identity of Campsie.”

<img alt="First Look: Arada unveils 39-storey mixed-use tower for Campsie town centre in State Significant Development bid" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f1bc9a44-0c1a-4e3f-8b27-38070b0d2744" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_2.png?VersionId=1JmMWg6jOU1rPpS9hCxy8s8H48xc0EiM" />

Located at 124–142 Beamish Street and 16–18 Ninth Avenue, the site occupies a key stretch of Beamish Street, Campsie’s traditional high street, characterised by fine-grain retail, multicultural dining, and proximity to civic infrastructure including the Orion Theatre and Canterbury Civic Centre. The proposed civic plaza and pocket park aim to strengthen this interface, formalising connections between retail frontages, public transport, and community facilities.

If approved, One Campsie would mark one of the tallest and most ambitious additions to the suburb’s skyline, reflecting the broader shift toward higher-density living around transport nodes in Sydney’s middle-ring centres.

First Look: Arada files for trio of apartment towers in Campsie town centre

Syd​ney builder-developer Scion has lodged a State Significant Development Application (SSDA) for a 22-storey mixed-use tower at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/96-anzac-avenue-west-ryde-nsw-2114">96 Anzac Avenue, West Ryde</a>, marking a significant step in the transformation of the Victoria Road gateway precinct.

Designed by Turner, the proposal would replace an ageing two-storey commercial building with 145 apartments and 29 co-living rooms, above ground-floor retail and three basement levels of parking.

The 3,149 sqm site sits just 150 metres from West Ryde train station, at the edge of the suburb’s retail core and diagonally opposite Anzac Park. It occupies a prominent corner with frontages to both Anzac Avenue and Victoria Road, positioning it as a key transition point between established residential neighbourhoods and the commercial centre.

The scheme is being advanced under the Housing Delivery Authority pathway as a State Significant Development, alongside a concurrent rezoning to lift the site’s height and floor space ratio controls.

Turner says in the Architectural Design Report that the proposal "responds to a unique opportunity to support the revitalisation of West Ryde through the delivery of a landmark development that combines high-quality residential offerings with enhanced public realm and active ground plane uses.”

Scion will be pushing height almost five times higher than what had been pitched for the site before.

Turner says the increased scale aligns with Council’s strategic direction for the precinct, including the West Ryde Town Centre Revitalisation Strategy (2019), the Draft Masterplan (2021), and the West Ryde–Meadowbank Renewal Strategy (2023).

“The increased height and density proposed aligns with Council’s evolving strategic direction for the precinct, as outlined in the Draft Revitalisation Strategy (2019), the 2021 Draft Masterplan, and the broader West Ryde–Meadowbank Renewal Strategy (2023), which collectively call for higher density, transit-oriented development and design excellence."

Turner describes the vision as establishing “a contemporary, mixed-use development that contributes positively to the West Ryde town centre.”

<img alt="West Ryde" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5c22c11-92b8-4ca6-b77b-b5848ae0176d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-02-12%20at%202.41.34%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=aom0z8azYDw7Hl6.A6vDbCom5ozZICn5" />

The architectural response has been shaped by the site’s gateway role along Victoria Road and its proximity to Anzac Park and surrounding heritage elements, including the Sydney Water pumping station opposite the site.

The design process also incorporated consultation around Connecting with Country principles. The design report outlines engagement with Cultural Heritage Consultants Artefact and Aunty Julie, a Burruberongal woman of the Darug Nation, informing planting selection, materiality and potential public art opportunities.

Turner says the scheme aims to optimise the site’s capacity while balancing yield and amenity.

“The proposed scheme seeks to optimise the site’s potential by balancing yield, amenity, and urban integration. It will deliver a high-quality, mixed-use precinct that supports West Ryde’s ongoing transformation into a connected, accessible, and liveable centre."

Scion recently completed the build of its own development, The Sterling in Lane Cove. They are currently building Chatham in West Ryde, just 500m from the new proposal. Those 62 apartments will complete later this year.

First look: Scion pitches tower plans for West Ryde

Flemington Racecourse

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There's set to be a new apartment development opposite Melbourne's landmark Flemington Racecourse.
Parkside, a boutique complex of just 23 apartments, sits on the location of the Flemington Landing, where boats use to dock and deposit punters to Flemington Racecourse back in the day.
<div>The Parkside apartments, which will be developed by Montalto Properties and designed by Karen Alcock of architecture firm MA Architecture, have never to be built out views of the 1600 metre start mark.</div>
<div>
They sit beside the neighbouring Footscray Park and overlook the Maribynong River.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/11/7/flem2.jpg" alt="">
The one bedroom apartments, with a minimum floor space of 54 sqm, start from $395,000.
Two bedrooms are priced from $630,000 for their minimum 71sqm space and the three bedrooms start from $930,000.
The apartments are designed for entertaining, with the large kitchen with bench flowing to the living and balcony space. The bedrooms are designed to be private with tree top views.
Set behind a modernist facade, Parkside will be surrounded by sculptural gumtrees, rolling parklands, and scenic cycle routes.
 
</div>
</body></html>

jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Parkside apartments to overlook Flemington Racecourse

<html><body>
The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) and its project partners have achieved a significant milestone with practical completion of its new $128 million Club Stand at Flemington Racecourse.

The eye catching five-level Club Stand designed by Bates Smart represents the 10th grandstand to be built at Flemington since 1865 and was completed by Multiplex on schedule, in time for this year's Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The ‘petal’ projections which form the perimeter of the Club Stand at each floor are the defining feature of Bates Smart's design and were constructed using 90 precast panels each weighing up to 30 tonnes.

Bates Smart also completed the interiors of each of the 17 spaces within the Club Stand with a timeless palette applied to offer the venues a unique and diverse personality for all Members’ to enjoy while respecting the heritage and the spirit of the famed race track and its festivities during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

<blockquote>
The completion of The Club Stand marks one of the most exciting times in the VRC’s history and we look forward to officially opening it to VRC Members and their guests in full for the first time on AAMI Victoria Derby Day.

We congratulate Multiplex on its success in bringing Bates Smart’s vision for The Club Stand to life. The Club Stand is a statement venue that will change event experiences forever and become the setting for the next generation of racegoers to enjoy racing differently.

- Amanda Elliott, VRC Chairman
</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/the_club_stand_july_2018_credit_pat_scala_for_racing_photos_3_crop.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The VRC's new Club Stand is now completed save for a few finishing touches. Image: Pat Scala"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="355" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the_club_stand_july_2018_credit_pat_scala_for_racing_photos_3_crop.jpg?itok=Xsj024oz" title="The VRC's new Club Stand is now completed save for a few finishing touches. Image: Pat Scala" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The VRC's new Club Stand has achieved practical completion. Image: Pat Scala</figcaption></figure>Urban.com.au spoke to Bates Smart's Kristen Whittle and Jeff Copolov on the various aspects of the design and some of the key driver which have influenced the final outcome.

Urban.com.au: What was the brief from the VRC for the design of the new Club Stand?

Kristen Whittle: Before it became a detailed brief, the fundamental brief was to create a new type of grand stand for the VRC which would greatly enhance the hospitality offer at Flemington but also to provide a flagship building that would celebrate both the heritage and beauty of Flemington and create an icon for the VRC. 

U: Good quality architecture often draws on its context to produce a site specific response. The new VRC Club Stand achieves this by drawing inspiration from Flemington's rose garden beds. How do you take a simple idea and produce an architectural response that has an elegant quality without the novelty or kitsch-ness?

KW: The thoughtful and elegant design takes inspiration from Flemington’s iconic rose garden beds creating a very strong sense of place and one which is very particular to the gardens. When you see the Spring Racing Carnival it's the people that make the place, so the gardens provide the frame within which the people move.

We studied people movement, membership movement, back-of-house, front-of-house movement to understand how it all works. What became immediately obvious through that analysis was that people at the Spring Racing Carnival are so resplendent that they deserve to have a place to frame themselves and so they became the exhibit and are almost as important as the horses when it comes to defining the event both nationally and globally. 

We wanted the grandstand to celebrate the movement, the promenading of the people during the course of the day - the horse racing itself only accounts for a small percentage of time - so we analysed what people do before and after, and the (food and beverage offering) and outside activities are very important in creating pockets of space where people can congregate, intermingle and celebrate the races.

So the grandstand brief that eventuated out of the analysis was for a far greater amount of indoor space. The indoor space should open out to all the outdoor space and interact with it. There should be flexibility in the seating, so we chose bench seating as opposed to single seating, and from within the stand there should be an ability to stand up and see the race unfold in front of you.

As a result, the cross-section of the stadium became fundamentally important so that the indoor venues were higher than the outdoor seating. Each bar and restaurant has an outdoor deck which is very particular to those venues, and the building slopes inwards like a hill in cross-section so that each tier as you move up the building, becomes more prestigious. This is then finished off with a roof deck which is serviced by two outdoor bars and two kitchens which will provide outdoor food and beverage opportunities. In the middle of all that there is a large scale indoor-outdoor exhibition-esque flexible restaurant which means that it can be used throughout the year not just on racing day. 

What is also pertinent as to why we have shaped the building in the way that we have is it forms a front door entry statement and is in your line of sight as you're coming in from the train station, so it really forms the centrepiece for the whole track.

U: The new Club Stand is both impressive in its architectural expression, and provides a contrast to the existing stand yet is still in many ways very restrained and has a timeless quality about it. Does this type architectural approach ensure that the building doesn't date and will still be very much relevant 20-30 years from now? 

KW: That's a good question and an important question which is very central to our thinking, that we needed to have a building that functionally speaking was flexible and moving forward was adaptable and provided an armature or structure that allowed for any change in circumstance. 

The 10 metre column grid set in from the outdoor glazing was critical to providing sight lines and also produces a very horizontal expression to the building. The white horizontal bands which sit below the glazing are the areas which accommodate the services, and the large scale shades also project from there.

The idea of the white was to contrast against the gardens. White architecture works very well against a garden backdrop and we always wanted to bring the garden up into the grandstand and so what you have on the ground and first floors is the gardens literally wrap up and around the building. 

We saw the building as a future heritage building rather than just a mere piece of architecture, and we acknowledged that we were demolishing a nationally heritage listed building and so the big argument we put to the Heritage Council was that we were producing a future heritage and so the building needed to be strong, appropriate and of a high quality. Rather than stylistically overtly denoting today's style or fashion.

I think what distinguishes it is the function of the building, the heightened functionality of the building that generated the form as opposed to being an artificial gesture. It is very much the result of a functionally driven form making exercise.

U: The new club stand has a very light and transparent quality about it, but how do you balance the need for natural daylight and ensuring maximum outlook while also balancing the needs of sustainable design?

KW: It's a very environmentally conscious building and we used the horizontal sun shades to be able to employ very clear glazing - which is a triple laminated glazing which means that it's very transparent and open in its appearance and provides very clear colour rendition of the horses out on the track. 

The challenge technically speaking is that you have a very tall floor to floor in the grandstand and it's very difficult to get long pieces of glass which are triple laminated without having what's called 'rollaway' which occurs when the glass itself warps through the cooling process. So we had to ensure the manufacturing process removed all from the glass and more particularly the edges of the glass which are prone to wobbling. The last thing you want is to be looking out towards the finishing line and all of a sudden the horse disappears due to rollaway. 

U: Are there any particular aspects of the design or spaces which really excite you or have a special quality?

KW: There's two things which I think will really shout out to people. The first is the rooftop experience and the fact that there's not really many places in Australia where you can be right at the top of a building for a sporting event, which is really driven by hospitality and customer experience. I think the roof top garden will become very precious in the same way that the member's lawn has become arguably the most precious element of the current members' experience.

The other one is and I think everyone would understand that during the Spring Racing Carnival, the importance of the Melbourne Cup means there's often an aerial shot of the VRC and Flemington in relation to the Melbourne skyline. And I think what people are going to see in the future is a very strong and interesting shapely building with a big VRC logo ontop of the canvas roof which will form a new iconic statement.  

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/284085972" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://vimeo.com/284085972">The new Club Stand, Victoria Racing Club</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/batessmart">Bates Smart</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

Urban.com.au: The success of a building's interior relies heavily on a well designed shell, particularly when discussing the longevity of a building. A good shell generally remains largely unchanged while the interiors often tend to change in response to trends over time. What consideration was given to the idea of longevity in the interior design of the spaces and choice of materials? 

Jeff Copolov: That's a really good question because it was very much the defining starting point - the strategic approach to how you dealt with what is primarily a series of food and beverage offerings, and as we know food and beverage trends change, the Club's needs change and we're hoping the Club Stand is around for another 100 years and so we were very mindful of allowing elements to change over time.

Our approach was to ensure the architectural language of the exterior was very clearly defined and so internally the approach was to treat the fit out or the elements within those fit outs almost like a stage set that could be inserted into the preceding shell - if you think about a theatre within the shell - and therefore they had some significant rules about that.

The principle ceilings which are the curved white ceiling planes that flow from the outside in, needed to be retained and needed to be totally legible. Any decorative elements that were unique to any specific interior needed to float or be disengaged from those ceilings .

All of the perimeter columns were always to be left white and never treated in a different finish and if they were incorporated into any of the food and beverage elements, their legibility needed to remain intact. Sometimes we wrapped seating around them but the columns still remained white. 

We very much created a shell that was legible and that the base building materials were consistent across all levels such as lift lobbies, toilets, core linings, escalator linings and all had a simple and unique palette.  

So common areas were clearly defined as one unique palette, base building shell was another and then our interior fit out could have a range of quirky and unique personalities which is what the client's response was.

U: Light is often spoken about in the design of interior spaces as a material in and of itself. How important was natural daylight in the design of the spaces and how did it inform the design?

JC: First and foremost the spaces are there on race day and unlike a lot of food and beverage outlets where you design predominantly for day and night, that was equally important but even moreso daylight was fundamental because  race days at Flemington are day time events, but we were conscious that one day there might be night racing but we ensured that day light  was the principle driver for selecting colour and that we used warm light for our artificial lighting.

Because of the very nature of maximising views and due to our floor to ceiling full height glazing and the panorama and outlook across the track that it provides, we knew we were going to have an enormous amount of daylight and that our interiors would be formed by that bright light quality and there are no window coverings. In most food and beverage outlets you would need to be very conscious of that, so although it provided us with some beautiful ambience it also created some technical requirements with sun shading, window shading, fade resistance and all of those issues.   

U: The views from within the Club Stand are one of its greatest assets. How did the idea of views manifest in terms of the internal planning of program and the design of the spaces themselves?

JC: If you take a typical cross-section and let's say the glass is on the left and the core is on the right, we transition from floor to ceiling glass with limited amount of built environment up against the glass so that if people are standing up against the glass at the most exciting part of the race, they'll be drawn towards that, so we needed to ensure that lines of sight are retained.

Often we would place low lounge seating in corners where the diagonal view, because if you're looking at the track the horses come from the left and move to the right - we race in an anti-clockwise direction here in Victoria - so the finishing post is always on the right of the venue as you face out. We made sure that our seating to the right hand side was kept generally low - so that if you were within the food and beverage portion of the restaurant, the lower dining tables would be to the right and the higher bar seating would be located to the left side. 

In the case of the members dining area, where we have a large number of people to seat, we used the extra ceiling height to in fact ramp up a portion of the dining room, so that if you were further to the back, you were sitting the equivalent of two steps higher than the immediately adjacent dining area.

We created deliberate tiering and in Kristen's design of the architecture of the building, the interior is always a good height above its corresponding external circulation and seating. So that even if you had people seated inside and then outside on the bleachers, you're actually looking out over people's heads. 

U: And finally, are there any particular aspects of the design or spaces which really excite you? 

JC: I think the biggest challenge for us was the demolition of what was a much loved stand, that served the club well for nearly 100 years and in doing so, we're mindful of the destruction of some of the history of that club.  

At the same time, the club and ourselves wanted a very contemporary building that was forward looking and would take the club forward for the next 100 years but without losing some of the qualities.  

The challenge then became how do you maintain and ensure the history of a club that is founded on a rich tradition isn't lost while creating new built form? The memories of members are associated largely with the old stand and I thought we had a responsibility to craft a new memory, but take along some of the aspects of the past without it being cheesy, but was also contemporary. And I think we achieved that.  

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/281718499" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://vimeo.com/281718499">The new Club Stand, Victoria Racing Club</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/batessmart">Bates Smart</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

Lead Image Credit: Pat Scala. (L-R) Graham Cottam (Multiplex), Kristen Whittle (Bates Smart), Amanda Elliott (VRC Chariman), Jeff Copolov (Bates Smart)
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Laurence Dragomir

Bates Smart celebrates the completion of the new Club Stand for the Victorian Racing Club 

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Multiplex, a global contractor, has completed the Victoria Racing Club’s (VRC) new $128 million Club Stand at the Flemington Racecourse.
Designed by Bates Smart Architects, the five-level Club Stand (pictured above) is the 10th grandstand to be built at Flemington since 1865.
VRC Chairman Amanda Elliott said the Club is delighted to reach this significant milestone ahead of its hallmark events in the spring racing season.
According to Multiplex, construction of The Club Stand generated an estimated 350 full-time equivalent jobs over the 18-month construction period with a peak workforce of 435 workers on site.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2018/8/3/Flem%202.jpg" alt="">
 
Approximately 1,500 tonnes of steel were used during construction with one tower crane and up to six mobile cranes on-site each day during the main structural steel construction period.
It offers 360-degree views of the Mounting Yard, race track, Members Lawn, Parade Ring, Betting Ring and Winning Post.
Multiplex recently completed a similar project, the redevelopment of Randwick Racecourse (pictured below) for Australian Turf Club in 2013.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2018/8/3/Randy%20race.JPG" alt="">
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

New Flemington racecourse club stand has been completed

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The Victoria Racing Club has appointed Multiplex to build a new stand at Flemington Racecourse to the value of $128 million.
The five level Club Stand, designed by Bates Smart Architects is the 10th grandstand to be build at Flemington since 1865. Construction is slated to begin after the 2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The new Club Stand will feature 360 degree views of the Mounting Yard, race track, Members Lawn, Parade Ring, Betting Ring and Winning Post. 
A first floor walkway will connect the Club Stand t to the existing Members Stand and Parade Ring. A new north-south corridor will form the heart of the new Club Stand and will also link the Betting Ring with the Members Lawn and Mounting Yard. 
The Members Lawn will also be enlarged as part of the project and seamlessly linked to function spaces on Level One by a grand sloping tier of seating encompassing viewing platforms and gardens.
A rooftop garden will be built on level five.
Graham Cottam, regional managing director at Multiplex said the new Club Stand is world-class and will deliver a completely new experience for racing patrons.
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