<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/aura-by-aqualand-north-sydney-168-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">AURA</a>&nbsp;doesn’t just rise over North Sydney, it redefines it. Now in its final release, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a>’s $1 billion architectural statement is not just complete, but already reshaping the way people live, connect and dine in this rapidly evolving harbourside CBD.

Positioned beside the new Victoria Cross Metro Station and boasting panoramic views across Sydney Harbour, Aura’s 386 residences crown a mixed-use precinct designed with unapologetic ambition. The curvaceous sandstone-inspired form by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a>, paired with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/richards-stanisich">Richard Stanisich</a>’s understated interiors, sets a design tone that’s both monumental and intimate.

At its peak, literally, the two penthouses so spectacular they command their own names; La Davina and Il Magnate. The residents are spread across the&nbsp;entire top floor, offering what many consider the most refined residences ever built in North Sydney. Designed by Richard and Kirsten Stanisich, each four-bedroom home is meticulously crafted to evoke calm, space, and permanence.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VB70993aG-I?si=adRBlXQliYmYvaSz" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

The kitchens are fully wrapped in natural stone, with integrated Gaggenau appliances, Sub-Zero fridges, concealed sculleries, and even a zip hydro tap delivering boiling, chilled and sparkling water on demand. A linear stone fireplace anchors the open-plan living space, dividing lounge and dining zones with quiet sophistication.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292861]

The master suite, meanwhile, feels more like a private retreat, complete with a custom stone makeup vanity, walk-through dressing area, and spa-inspired ensuite with heated stone floors, a freestanding Villeroy &amp; Boch tub, and timber veneer joinery throughout.

Kirsten Stanisich, Director of Richards Stanisich, said the penthouses offer incredible scale reflective of a single residence.&nbsp;

“We sought inspiration for these remarkable residences from the classic top-floor Parisian apartment," Stanisich said.

"We looked at what made these French apartments so elegant and found it really came down to their scale. It was ultimately this generosity of space that we used for the AURA penthouses, where we’ve designed considered rooms with deep large-scale proportions."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=310337]

Everyday living at Aura feels no less elevated. A dedicated 24-hour concierge, Technogym fitness centre, sky dining terraces, and a resort-style pool serve a lifestyle designed to rival luxury hotels.

At street level, Aqualand’s own hospitality arm, Etymon Projects, curates a precinct of LA-style bistros, Japanese fine dining, and local wine bars, all seamlessly integrated into the building’s sculptural podium.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=310337]

This final chapter, aptly dubbed The Finale, is more than a sales phase, it’s an invitation to two of the most exclusive apartments ever to be built in North Sydney.

With limited residences remaining, buyers can access curated incentives including stamp duty rebates, rental guarantees, legal fee coverage, and even $20,000 towards dining within the precinct.

From generous one-bedders to The Icons, two singular penthouses priced well into prestige territory, Aura’s offerings reflect a scale and calibre rarely seen in urban Sydney. And with move-in now immediate, this is no longer a promise of future luxury. It’s happening.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=30959]

Staff Writer

Aqualand unveils penthouse collection at AURA By Aqualand in North Sydney

There’s no sign of the development wave that began several years ago slowing along Old Burleigh Road.

Around 10 new apartment developments are either underway or preparing to launch along the 800-metre strip stretching from the southern edge of Surfers Paradise towards the heart of Broadbeach, collectively adding just shy of 1,000 new apartments to the beachfront corridor.

The latest plans propose a further 30 apartments to replace an original six-unit walk-up on a 658 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/20a-old-burleigh-road-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">20A Old Burleigh Road</a>. The 14-storey building has been designed by Ferro Chow Architecture, which recently joined the Elevation Architecture Group.

The developer behind the project is Geoffrey Booth, whose Future Liv In has focused on delivering rental accommodation across regional Australia.

<img alt="Old Burleigh Road" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="99d393e7-d404-43bc-80cb-6255c39b83d6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-01-05%20at%2012.28.44%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ZFT8F3mOny4M4ut.kFF3woC9WH9oR5gT" />

The Old Burleigh Road development will comprise 18 two-bedroom apartments, 10 three-bedroom apartments, and a single four-bedroom residence occupying the entirety of level 12. Above, the building will be crowned by a two-storey penthouse with its own private lift, several multi-purpose rooms, and two rooftop terraces — one featuring a puppy lawn and spa, the other offering a private swimming pool, sunset deck, and built-in barbecue.

Resident amenities will be located on the second level and include a pool with adjoining spa, cabana, and pool deck, along with an indoor residents’ lounge featuring a bar and an alfresco barbecue kitchen.

In the architectural statement submitted by Elevation Architecture, the project is referred to as “UMI”, which the firm says has been “inspired by the majestic hinterlands and shaped by the coastal climate”.

“It is an exemplar of how community living can still feel at one with nature, breathable, and deeply connected in place,” the architects noted.

They added that the site benefits from established building separation to adjoining towers, helping to maintain privacy, sunlight, and residential amenity, while still offering direct beach access within an urban setting.

“Drawing inspiration from the Gold Coast hinterlands and the region’s natural landscape, the podium and tower detail highlights the contrasting elements of treetop green and cliff-face peach. The vibrant texture and materiality shaped by time has a richness in depth and character.”

<img alt="Old Burleigh Road" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3d6c923-a0ab-4d74-86da-177313447e8e" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-01-05%20at%2012.28.38%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=i2fygmoVQM6hWpbATTAW_yTitoMTrnI1" />

Old Burleigh Road has become a hotspot for developers, with the three-tower Jewel development kickstarting a wave of projects up and down the strip when it was completed in 2020.

Currently under construction and approaching completion is <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/faro-broadbeach-123-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">FARO Broadbeach</a> by 5Point and Bottega, 21 large-scale half- and full-floor apartments. 5Point is also behind the recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/lumara-108-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">Lumara</a>, another 37 apartments to add to the pipeline.

Luxury builder GRAYA is progressing construction on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/enclave-by-graya-118-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">Enclave</a>, its first Gold Coast tower, while Polycell remains the most active developer on the street. They are preparing to launch <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/sandpiper-broadbeach-155-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">Sandpiper</a>, a 50-storey redevelopment of the former Sandpiper Holiday Resort that will deliver around 200 apartments alongside extensive resident amenity. The group also has another 130-apartment project approved nearby, as does <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/dvb-approved-for-second-broadbeach-apartment-development">Dean Gallagher’s DVB Projects</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Old Burleigh Road apartment development wave continues

Sunshine Coast developer Habitat Development Group continues to position itself as one of the region’s largest new apartment developers.

Its latest project is in Maroochydore, where it is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-millwell-2-millwell-road-east-maroochydore-qld-4558">The Millwell</a>. Adjacent to the new 53-hectare Maroochydore City Centre project, Habitat is planning a further 180 apartments on a 3,468 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/132-136-aerodrome-road-maroochydore-qld-4558">132–136 Aerodrome Road</a>. The site was purchased with approval for a smaller 13-storey, 103-unit building.

Habitat will demolish the two existing retail centres, currently home to the Salvation Army Family Store and Neighbours Aid, and replace them with an 18-storey building featuring the significant rooftop amenities that have become a hallmark of Habitat developments in recent years. The rooftop will include both indoor and outdoor spaces, anchored by an infinity swimming pool.

<img alt="Maroochydore" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ad434d07-666b-4614-b33e-530ad6a2d261" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-01-05%20at%2010.12.33%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=7pyLsPWKQuwv0us3_v.9DmbzEc2VZe9Z" />

There will be a mix of one- to four-bedroom apartments.

The Development Assessment Report, submitted to the Sunshine Coast Council, says the proposal&nbsp;is not speculative, but a response to both zoning intent and demonstrated housing need.

“The proposed development represents an appropriate and logical intensification of the site, consistent with the planning framework and the intended urban outcomes for the locality.”

Across the Sunshine Coast, councils are increasingly scrutinising not just height or yield, but whether new projects genuinely align with the long-term structure plans underpinning growth corridors. The&nbsp;ASTP Planning Report&nbsp;reinforces the approach, noting that the project has been shaped around site responsiveness rather than generic typology.

“The development has been designed to respond to the physical constraints and opportunities of the site, while delivering a high-quality residential outcome that integrates with the existing and emerging urban context.”

<img alt="Habitat" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3a03fc54-4ca5-4868-88d0-eeced70604e2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-01-05%20at%2010.12.28%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=1pkK3lJrrZjkghTLBReM2zatcas4Nc4B" />

In mid-2025, Habitat, a developer that also builds its own projects, commenced construction on The Millwell, located just over one kilometre from the new proposal. The Millwell will comprise more than 200 apartments across two eight-storey buildings.

Habitat also has two projects on Lake Kawana in Birtinya: <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/st-clair-birtinya-930-931-waterside-retreat-birtinya-qld-4575">St Clair</a>, a 200-unit, two-building development launched last year and set to welcome buyers this year; and Esperance, a 175-apartment project currently progressing through the development approval process.

First look: Habitat continues to bolster Sunshine Coast apartment pipeline with Maroochydore development plans

John Camilleri, the breeder of legendary racehorse Winx, is set to deliver a landmark two-tower beachfront development that would redefine the Surfers Paradise skyline.

Camilleri, who spent around $100 million acquiring development sites across the Gold Coast in 2025, has lodged plans for two new towers on the dress-circle stretch of Garfield Terrace, just two days before Christmas.

In assembling the site, Camilleri's Celestino Developments has effectively acquired the 71 Garfield project by Iris Capital and AALTO by Weiya Holdings, creating an unrivalled <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">4,000 sqm beachfront holding along Garfield Terrace</a>.

The proposal comprises two residential towers of 55 and 48 storeys, linked by a dramatic skybridge which will home “exclusive VIP and wellness amenities.”

In total, the development would deliver 275 two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments across the two towers, rising above a shared landscaped podium that incorporates a central green space and a beachfront swimming pool stretching more than 90 metres.

<img alt="DBI" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="097900f3-6bef-4919-b168-b08f2f762876" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.37.58%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=et0SpmcvaPPVrexI_zWi46BVFtZBxAzx" />

Architecture firm DBI, in documents submitted to Gold Coast City Council, said the project at 63–79 Garfield Terrace would “establish a new benchmark for beachfront residential living on the Gold Coast.”

"The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience. Together, the 48-storey North Tower and 55-storey South Tower form a distinctive twin-tower composition whose dynamic silhouette will make a significant contribution to the Surfers Paradise skyline."

DBI said the architectural language draws inspiration from the fluidity and movement of the coastal landscape.

"Each tower is defined by organic, curving forms and continuous balcony ribbons that wrap the buildings, providing deep shading, enhancing environmental performance, and reinforcing the rhythmic, sculptural expression of the façade. These balcony forms also reduce the apparent mass of the towers while maintaining strong visual continuity from podium to summit. Sculpted reflective downturns run along the western spine of both towers, shifting and lifting as they extend upwards to frame service zones and open eastward to maximise ocean views."

<img alt="Garfield" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a2a00ce3-a0e9-45d6-b4b5-b7baed592ac5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.40%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=DnruWV1dhLrtXOeElwekyd7vPq2gw55t" />

The project’s most striking feature is the skybridge at level 45, which will house executive lounges, formal dining spaces, wellness facilities and panoramic ocean-facing views.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI added.

The podium will host an extensive suite of recreational amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a large open green lawn, and the signature 90-metre pool stretching along the beachfront. The pool is divided into lap, lounge and children’s zones.

The southern end of the podium will accommodate additional wellness facilities, including a gymnasium, plunge pools, treatment rooms and a dedicated yoga lawn.

<img alt="Garfield" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ee1b4f25-231f-4804-83b1-a573a1481962" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.55.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=zObzIA3D5w7EwqPsHjr2pKrA4vbB28zL" />

There will be 127 apartments in the North Tower and 148 in the South Tower, including multiple penthouses, while the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages will be activated by a series of food and beverage tenancies.

Camilleri emerged as the most active site acquirer on the Gold Coast in 2025. He spent just over $30 million acquiring Pacific Point, a 10-level Surfers Paradise apartment block and an adjoining three-level duplex, from fellow racing identity and Aquis billionaire Tony Fung. Plans are now underway for a 93-apartment, 40-storey tower on the 1,682 sqm site.

He also paid $53.65 million for the 1,500 sqm Garfield Terrace site previously marketed as AALTO by Weiya Holdings, before acquiring the adjoining parcel from hotel billionaire Sam Arnaout’s Iris Capital, the developer behind V&amp;A Broadbeach.

First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge

The Melbourne-based HLA Group is the latest developer to expand into South East Queensland, lodging plans for a unique mixed-use short-term accomodation and apartment building in Taringa, with the building design inspired by the Glasswing Butterfly.

The development application for 10 Morrow Street seeks approval for a total of 232 dwellings, comprising 116 residential apartments and 116 short-stay accommodation units. The build-to-sell residential component is made up of 31 one-bedroom apartments, 67 two-bedroom apartments, 17 three-bedroom apartments, and a single four-bedroom apartment, offering a diverse mix aimed at singles, couples, families, and downsizers.

<img alt="Taringa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="33913cd4-9839-4456-b325-d35b3f8b4694" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.40.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=sLvc7jUrYzDwqPDZBPrXTosKHDSp.qrt" />

Designed by Ellivo Architects, the tower takes strong inspiration from nature, with the architectural language driven by one of Queensland’s most delicate species. As described in the planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council, Ellivo Architects state the design is “inspired by the elegance of the Glasswing butterfly," and mirrors the graceful sweep of its wings, a form that feels light, fluid, and alive.

“Lush subtropical greenery is throughtfull woven throughout, transforming the building into a sanctuary in the heart of the city.”

The proposal positions the building as more than a conventional residential tower, with Ellivo Architects describing 10 Morrow Street as “an urban oasis that blends short term accomodation with residential living. A destination for rest, relaxation, and renewal.”

<img alt="Taringa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="84e9a0ff-464e-4973-bffe-5d5a8fe9f087" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.40.32%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dhX9eVgUaQE2TvCzJPhF8N8_hzYSKpyK" />

Formally, the building’s massing and floorplate are directly shaped by its butterfly inspiration. Ellivo explain that, “adopting the wings of the Glasswing Butterfly, the tower's plan is divided into four distinct quadrants, each shaped to mirror the wing's segmented geometry and taking the slender ‘veins’ up the facade of the tower.”

"This approach results in a sculpted tower form with articulated façades and a strong vertical expression."

<img alt="Taringa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5947011d-ff6c-4a57-bdc1-9072a472a79c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.40.29%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=nnGqd4WCZM8AOJZY.c3u49BO4LurKRhb" />

The Assessment Report by Human Habitats said the 19-storey tower capitalises on its strategic connectivity and prominence at the entrance of Taringa Village and adjoining the Taringa Station.

"The proposal offers a significant revitalisation of the subject site that integrates architectural excellence, innovation, and sustainable design to directly address long-standing connectivity and safety challenges, housing supply , and diversity together with enhanced streetscape activation and convenient access to major transport corridors."

HLA Group Australia is registered to South Yarra and is currently delivering Adamson No.5, just 15 luxury apartments that start from around $2 million.&nbsp;

The Butterfly Effect: Glasswing butterfly inspires Taringa apartment development

La Trobe Street

<html><body>
Lodged for planning assessment last month, <a href="http://sterlingglobal.com.au/">Sterling Global's</a> intended $700 million tower set over a 2,850 square metre site at 383 La Trobe Street is poised to become a new visual marker to the CBD's north. At 70 levels the proposed mixed-use development is the work of renowned international architect <a href="http://www.jeannouvel.com/">Ateliers Jean Nouvel</a> with local practice <a href="http://www.architectus.com.au/">Architectus</a> installed as executive architect.

Urban.com.au recently sat down with Sterling Global’s Head of Investment and Development, Mark van Miltenburg, for a detailed briefing on the project which shapes as being something very unique for Melbourne.

At 242 metres above street level, 383 La Trobe Street has been designed to accommodate 488 residences and a 196-room premium hotel which Sterling Global expect to retain post the project's completion.

With over $1.5 billion worth of development in play, Sterling Global are well positioned to deliver the stand-out project under their own capabilities. Asked if the developer was open to a joint venture for 383 La Trobe Street, Mark van Miltenburg stated Sterling Global is open to the possibility of a partnership, but are quite comfortable in solely delivering the project.

<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/383_montage.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The tall-slender form of the tower."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="457" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/383_montage.jpg?itok=cMCub8zj" title="The tall-slender form of the tower." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The tall-slender form of the tower. Image: Sterling Global &amp; Ateliers Jean Nouvel</figcaption></figure>Sterling Global's intention was to bring a degree of difference to the project, setting it apart from many current CBD projects that the developer believes are quite generic in what they bring to the public realm. Thus Ateliers Jean Nouvel were appointed after a competitive design process, creating a project that in many ways is unique to Melbourne.

Dubbed "The Tower of Seven Colors," the moniker refers to the building's response to its context, adopting the visual characteristics of its neighbours via different colours to its four elevations.

The primary northern facade will be coloured red, drawing on the red brick heritage wall of the Royal Mint and Hellenic Museum, the eastern facade will be golden, reflecting the rising morning sun on Melbourne's streetscapes and the west facade will be lined with green in a nod to the nearby Flagstaff Gardens.

 An etched silver facade to the south ties the sky to the tower via its crystalline summit.

<blockquote>
The Tower of seven colors has roots. It knows where it is. It is a friendly tower that likes and respects its neighbors: the Hellenic Museum in the Royal Mint, Flagstaff Park, the Republic Tower. It is part of this family. One doesn’t choose one’s parents or one’s cousins, but there they are.

Is it because the tower was born right next door to the wall of the museum that it is dressed in this warm mat brick color through which white, green and blue highlights shine? 

Is it out of friendship with the Republic Tower that the tower adopts and shelters between its great feet giant screens that are permanently inhabited by dynamic images, an ideal complement to its neighbor’s own art space? Is it to touch the sky, or marry it, that the tower’s summit develops reflections and transparencies in a crystalline and deliberate ambiguity?
<cite>Ateliers Jean Nouvel</cite>
</blockquote>

The facade is composed of a 500mm deep grid-like outer structure of various densities and scales, with a juxtaposition of order and chaos, much like Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. This depth allows for a further articulation of colour which changes as you move around the tower.

This chameleon-like effect is illustrated bellow.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sLvQESCOlBw" width="100%"></iframe>

It is at ground level where 383 La Trobe Street truly distinguishes itself.

The proposal looks to introduce a highly active ground plane which ties into Victoria University's adjoining development program at its city campus. The spacious internal laneway which bisects the site is in typical Nouvel fashion, featuring a mass of bright digital surfaces and ever changing digital artwork and large volumes.

Within these grand spaces there are galleries, a bar, restaurants, retail spaces, video arcades and a public book exchange. Mark van Miltenburg explains that the intent was always to bring a new level of public activation to the lower levels of the tower, providing a heavy level of public benefit, while allowing the evolving digital displays to cater for different public events such as White Night Melbourne.

This heightened public benefit aspect of the design which sees 30% of the site area allocated to public space is also expecting to counter recent restrictive plot ratios imposed across Melbourne's CBD. 383 La Trobe Street maintains a plot ratio of 29.1:1 which exceeds the interim controls of Amendment C262 at 24:1.

Sterling Global are hoping the altogether unique design aspects of 383 La Trobe Street will see a plot ratio exemption granted.

<blockquote>
The tower wants to be welcoming and alive. Behind its great urban gate, passageways branch out and connect to the main streets of the neighborhood, creating a mini-neighborhood of laneways and covered porches, all under laid by a bluestone floor that extends outward into different variations of ceramic brick through all the spaces it crosses including the lobby bar of the hotel, which faces the heritage wall, and the grand entrances to the apartments and the restaurant.

This urbanity is particularly made to measure in the long, tall video space that terminates in a street library that reads as an extension of the heritage wall. The urban attraction of this place is linked to its singularity, to its magnetic charm that will be as important for the residents of the tower as for the Melburnians who will come here again and again.
<cite>Ateliers Jean Nouvel</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/383l_ground_plane.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="383 LaTrobe Street activated ground plane. Image courtesy Sterling Global"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="272" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/383l_ground_plane.jpg?itok=Y6pN-RTV" title="383 LaTrobe Street activated ground plane. Image courtesy Sterling Global" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>383 LaTrobe Street activated ground plane. Image: Sterling Global &amp; Ateliers Jean Nouvel</figcaption></figure>The development will also include four sky gardens designed by Oculus, including one which will be accessible to the public, another element common in Nouvel tower designs. These provide areas of respite for residents and further ground the tower within its context, reinforcing its relationship with Flagstaff Gardens.

All things going to plan, Mark van Miltenburg expects 383 La Trobe Street to grace the skyline in four to five years time, post its planning and apartment sales campaign.
</body></html>

Laurence Dragomir

A rather Nouvel approach: 383 La Trobe Street designed to impress

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Urban.com.au can reveal Singaporean firm Figtree Holdings Limited's proposal for what was formerly the Duke of Kent hotel on La Trobe Street. Better known as a builder of commercial and industrial facilities throughout east Asia, the group will press into Melbourne's high-rise residential sector via its subsidiary Figtree La Trobe Pty Ltd.

Securing the Duke of Kent for $14.08 million during 2014, Figtree subsequently added the adjoining <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">301-303 La Trobe Street</a> in order to amalgamate both sites in the hope of gaining approval for a 213 metre residential tower.

Responsible for the preliminary development scheme devised for the Duke of Kent's sales campaign, <a href="/architects/dko-architecture">DKO Architecture</a> were also engaged in order to conceive the scheme for approval, with the application currently before the State Government. If successfully approved, 293-303 La Trobe Street would see 370 apartments delivered, consisting of one, two and three bedroom dwellings.

<h2>293-303 La Trobe Street application summary</h2>

<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/image43_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Facing demolition. Image courtesy DKO Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="340" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image43_1.jpg?itok=Fub3elRH" title="Facing demolition. Image courtesy DKO Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Facing demolition. Image courtesy DKO Architecture</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Planning application lodged April 2015</li>
	<li>Site area: 667sqm with the Duke of Kent to be demolished</li>
	<li>66 level tower at 213m above ground (OLS ceiling)</li>
	<li>Total GFA sought: 34,353sqm</li>
	<li>​370 apartments: 1/2/3 bedroom options</li>
	<li>Podium parking for 61 vehicles and basement allowances for 168 bicycles</li>
	<li>50.2sqm of ground floor retail tenancy space</li>
	<li>Level 1 amenities area and level 13/44 communal spaces</li>
</ul>
<h2>Ground level greatness?</h2>

DKO Architecture have employed a visually unique and highly interesting ground level interface to the site's three frontages, namely La Trobe Street, Sutherland Street and Flanigan Lane. To avoid creating a 'choke point' of sorts by building to the site's boundaries, the lower levels has been arched inwards so as to improve the pedestrian experience to both Sutherland Street and Flanigan Lane.

Framed by perforated golden metallic screens, a new plaza to the eastern perimeter will open up Sutherland Street in particular while also allowing for enhanced solar penetration.

According to the town planning report, the proposed urban realm will not only allow for increased pedestrian movement north and south along Sutherland Street, but also create a space where pedestrians can relax and congregate. Landscape consultancy T.C.L have envisaged bluestone public seating and Bower Vines climbing the metallic screens as a means of softening the space.

<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/image40_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Street level interface. Image courtesy DKO Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="532" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image40_1.jpg?itok=zMpdx4GO" title="Street level interface. Image courtesy DKO Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Street level interface. Image courtesy DKO Architecture</figcaption></figure><h2>Tight site, tight fit</h2>

<blockquote>
The tower is architectural resolved in a cylindrical shape with convex ends east and west which make a tower form unique to Melbourne. The use of dark blue glazing to the façade, interspersed with gold-colour glass, complements the perforated gold metal of the ground level plaza to create a building that will be an iconic building within the CBD.

The proposed built form has been sensitively designed to offer improved public amenity at ground level and excellent internal amenity, while also responding to the surrounding built (existing and approved / under construction).
<cite>Urbis, town planning report</cite>
</blockquote>

The tight nature of the site has led to minimal setbacks to La Trobe Street and Flanigan Lane, although there is precedence in the area with current towers under construction also maintaining minor setbacks to all frontages. The design's intended setback to La Trobe Street ranges between 0 and 2.3 metres over levels 14 to 43, while the west boundary is setback between 4 and 5.57 metres in anticipation of a possible redevelopment of the adjoining property into the future.

Beyond level 44 the tower's form bulges, resulting in decreased east and west setbacks. It is noted within the planning documents that although 293-303 La Trobe Street's setbacks are minimal, recent projects in the area such as <a href="/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Victoria One</a> and <a href="/developers/brady-group">Brady Group's</a> completed Melbourne Star &amp; Sky employ little if any setbacks.

<h2>The tall and the short of it</h2>

As per many other pockets of inner Melbourne, the southern footpath of La Trobe Street between Elizabeth Street and Queen Street is in the grips of mass development with five residential towers at various stages of the development process. <a href="/buildings/eporo-tower-279-la-trobe-street-melbourne">Eporo Tower</a>, <a href="/buildings/la-trobe-tower-323-la-trobe-street-melbourne">La Trobe Tower</a> and <a href="/buildings/the-carlson-321-la-trobe-street-melbourne">The Carlson</a> are all under construction, with another 48 level residential development approved atop the <a href="/buildings/paragon-318-queen-street-melbourne">Celtic Club</a>.

The above projects border the Guildford Lane Heritage Precinct which is a prime example of early twentieth century low-rise industrial and warehousing buildings, and quite a unique aspect of <a href="/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">Melbourne's CBD</a>. With limited blocks fronting La Trobe Street available for development, 293-303 La Trobe Street shapes as one of the last sizeable residential towers that will front both La Trobe Street and the heritage precinct.

Only in the last year has the scale of La Trobe Street as depicted below begun to change immensely; it remains to be seen how Figtree's proposal along with the aforementioned towers slot into the streetscape and what effect, if any, they have upon the adjoining Guildford Lane Heritage Precinct.

<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/731003w-latrobest-dofkhotel-rsmith.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Duke of Kent in times gone by. Image courtesy tdu.to"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="273" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/731003w-latrobest-dofkhotel-rsmith.jpg?itok=WD4x7J_Z" title="The Duke of Kent in times gone by. Image courtesy tdu.to" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Duke of Kent in times gone by. Image courtesy tdu.to</figcaption></figure><h2>293-303 La Trobe Street development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Figtree La Trobe Pty Ltd</li>
	<li>Architect: DKO Architecture</li>
	<li>Town Planner: Urbis</li>
	<li>Structural: Webber Design</li>
	<li>Services &amp; ESD: ADP Consulting</li>
	<li>Building Surveyor: SW Partners</li>
	<li>Traffic: GTA Consultants</li>
	<li>Waste: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>Land Surveyor: Bosco Johnson</li>
	<li>Wind: MEL Consultants</li>
	<li>Landscape Consultant: T.C.L</li>
</ul>
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silvermb

Figtree's Melbourne foray: 293-303 La Trobe Street, Melbourne

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The jungle drums are beating for Melbourne's next big development with word that 254-260 La Trobe Street is subject to a tower that if approved will rival its neighbour, <a href="/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">Aurora Melbourne Central</a> for size. The height of the intended development, which approaches the PANS-OPS ceiling for this section of the CBD has seen the proposal referred to aviation authorities for input.

This is somewhat unusual as the application for the tower has not appeared on the State planning register as yet, which is usually the first port of call. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will instead initially make a call on the project which would see two tower cranes utilised during its construction breach the PANS-OPS barrier for an extended period of time. Post a consultation period the project is expected to move through standard planning channels.

CBD-based Landream are understood to be behind the project, which would add to their portfolio which also sees apartment projects in <a href="/buildings/northcote-hill-1a-campbell-grove-northcote">Northcote</a>, <a href="/buildings/carrington-109-carrington-road-box-hill">Box Hill</a> and further east along La Trobe Street, namely <a href="/new-apartments/the-trillium-36-la-trobe-street-melbourne">Trillium</a>. Currently under construction, Trillium's head contractor Built is also involved in the early planning for 254-260 La Trobe Street, having aided in construction feasibility and the placement of the all important tower cranes as seen below.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/location.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Tower crane positioning for the intended development"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="383" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/location.jpg?itok=dNCBrz5u" title="Tower crane positioning for the intended development" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Tower crane positioning for the intended development</figcaption></figure>Incidentally a post on Apartments.com.au's forum has linked to an <a href="/news/3l-alliance-pushes-for-twin-246-metre-towers-at-350-queen-street">online document portfolio</a> for a project dubbed Skyline Melbourne located at 254-260 La Trobe Street, which looks to be a concept created within University of Melbourne's design studio on behalf of Landream.

Irrespective of the design's purpose, the 83 level mixed-use concept does provide a fair indication as to what can be expected onsite once an official planning application is lodged.

<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/c139e915b0e1f829d18e6708384aa3fc.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Skyline Melbourne. Image courtesy Studio 11"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/c139e915b0e1f829d18e6708384aa3fc.jpg?itok=zo56aIk8" title="Skyline Melbourne. Image courtesy Studio 11" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Skyline Melbourne. Image courtesy Studio 11</figcaption></figure>If and when 254-260 La Trobe Street does eventuate it will sit alongside Aurora Melbourne Central which is currently due to see its site demolition works commence, prior to Probuild undertaking construction works. Located at 224-252 La Trobe Street, Aurora weights in at 267 metres above ground and will carry in excess of 1,000 habitable dwellings split between private apartments and serviced apartments.

Only last week Apartments.com.au covered plans for <a href="/news/3l-alliance-pushes-for-twin-246-metre-towers-at-350-queen-street">dual 246 metre towers</a> further west along La Trobe Street for developer 3L Alliance. Coupled with Aurora and 254-260 La Trobe Street, this quartet of towers has the ability to radically alter the skyline in this section of Melbourne's CBD which has for so long been dominated by the lone presence of Melbourne Central.

Lead image courtesy Google maps.
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260 La Trobe shapes as Melbourne's next big tower

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The CBD's west end is set to receive an ultra-luxury development with plans afoot for a 70 level mixed-use tower carrying in excess of 1,100 apartment and hotel rooms. Based on St Kilda Road, established developer Vic Investments Management Group (VIMG) is behind the plan which is expected to crown their expanding development workbook.

Formed near on a decade ago the firm is active in both the Melbourne and Sydney apartment markets, and has seen both the frequency and size of their projects increase over time.

The subject site of VIMG's intended blue ribbon development is 600 Collins Street which was <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/investors-move-into-collins-street-as-values-build-up-in-central-melbourne-20150324-1m667g">reported</a> as sold during late 2014 to a syndicate of Chinese, Malaysian and German investors for $60 million. Currently a low-rise commercial office and day care facility, the expansive site sits alongside the under construction 568 Collins Street which is due for completion in coming months. 600 Collins Street looks set to eclipse its neighbour for height, with a tower of between 220 and 240 metres a likely outcome.

<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/image228.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The site as is and as expected. Images courtesy 600collinsstreet.com.au and VIMG"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="281" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image228.jpg?itok=SgArD5Q0" title="The site as is and as expected. Images courtesy 600collinsstreet.com.au and VIMG" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The site as is and as expected. Images courtesy 600collinsstreet.com.au and VIMG</figcaption></figure>VIMG have stated via their <a href="http://vimg.com.au/portfolio/collins-street-melbourne/">website</a> that the tower will carry an end value in excess of $1 billion, with a tentative completion date set for 2021. While other pending projects in the immediate area such as <a href="/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">250 Spencer Street's Ritz Carlton</a>, <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">555 Collins Street</a>, <a href="/buildings/premier-tower-134-160-spencer-street-melbourne">Premier Tower</a> and <a href="/news/besgate-group-readies-their-surge-into-the-melbourne-apartment-market">640 Bourke Street</a> jockey for position in the market, 600 Collins Street's $1 billion price tag may well usurp the aforementioned projects and pit it against <a href="/new-apartments/one-queensbridge-street-1-23-queensbridge-street-southbank">1 Queensbridge Street</a> as Melbourne's most opulent current development.

At the opposite end of the CBD the developer is pursuing another tower, albeit more modest. With the site in question sold during August 2014, a planning application was submitted during October 2014 seeking the approval of a 52 level residential tower. Covering 141-149 La Trobe Street and 25-27 Bennetts Lane, the proposal would see Bennetts Lane Jazz Club make way for 210 apartments over 51 floors with two retail tenancies at ground level.

According to VIMG 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments will constitute the living options within the tower. City of Melbourne currently have the proposal listed at an 'appeal' stage.

<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/8941dd5b118085c844a249414324433a.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impression of 141-149 La Trobe Street . Image courtesy VIMG"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/8941dd5b118085c844a249414324433a.jpg?itok=FAdYO9Z_" title="Artist's impression of 141-149 La Trobe Street . Image courtesy VIMG" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impression of 141-149 La Trobe Street . Image courtesy VIMG</figcaption></figure>Nearby Hamilton Marino Builders have taken VIMG's <a href="/buildings/metrolitan-melbourne-137-bourke-street-melbourne">Metropolitan</a> on Bourke Street above ground level, on the way to delivering the 19 level dKO Architecuture-designed tower midway between Russell and Exhibition.

The remaining local VIMG project has just reached construction tender. <a href="/new-apartments/coventry-haus-33-coventry-street-southbank">Coventry Haus</a> on Southbank will see a JCB Architects-designed 20 level residential tower slot into the popular residential precinct.

Hamilton Marino Builders have also recently completed Central Gardens in Box Hill and Prahran's Scout Apartments for VIMG in addition to Metropolitan, suggesting they may be considered favourite to snare the Southbank build.​
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VIMG's latest tower valued in excess of $1 billion 

<html><body>
The commercial sector's apparent disinterest in the western end of La Trobe Street has given rise to one of Melbourne's premier residential development sites. At the foot of Victoria Harbour, 1000 La Trobe Street has emerged as The Millennium Site, a 6,007sqm land holding with the ability to hold approximately 600 apartments.

Land owner Digital Harbour Holdings has chosen to sell the prime site following years of staggered activity within their Digital Harbour Precinct, seeking instead to capitalise upon fervent market conditions which continues to seen strong prices achieved for inner city development sites.

Selling agent Colliers International is preparing for a tide of interest from both local and international developers as The Millennium Site represents the largest single development site currently available in the City of Melbourne. The current approved commercial scheme has been superseded with the below concept, yet still allows for a total of 47,940sqm of residential living gross floor area.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image134_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impression of a revised 1000 La Trobe Street. Image courtesy Colliers"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="980" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image134_1.jpg?itok=MJETN2KL" title="Artist's impression of a revised 1000 La Trobe Street. Image courtesy Colliers" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impression of a revised 1000 La Trobe Street. Image courtesy Colliers</figcaption></figure><h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
The Millennium Site forms part of Melbourne’s waterside precinct which will benefit from the redevelopment of Harbour Esplanade. Situated between Southern Cross Station, Etihad Stadium, New Quay, the waterfront, and the soon to be announced E Gate precinct, The Millennium Site will be a key element within a highly connected precinct linking the Melbourne CBD to the Docklands waterfront.

There is a tram stop on the doorstep of the site and developers will be able to capitalise on the uninterrupted water and CBD views from the upper levels of any potential future development. CBD development sites are becoming increasingly popular among developers as central CBD precincts become more tightly held.”

Melbourne as a city has a diminishing supply of prime residential development opportunities, with development sites increasingly hemmed in by adjoining buildings. Docklands is not as intensively developed on a site-by-site basis, so it is becoming increasingly desirable for residential development because there are more opportunities to optimise both built form outcomes and future view lines.
<cite>Trent Hobart, Colliers International media release</cite>
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
Docklands is also becoming more connected to the CBD. Whereas once Docklands was thought of as a very separate precinct, new roadways, pedestrian access and tram super stops have seen it become increasingly thought of as part of the western core of the CBD.
<cite>Bryson Cameron, Colliers International media release</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>All washed up</h2>

A string of commercial developments at the Docklands end of La Trobe Street have failed to materialise in recent years, much to the delight of residential developers. Subject to a low-rise commercial development, <a href="/new-apartments/695-699-la-trobe-street-docklands-vic-3008">695-699 La Trobe Street</a> is now with Salta Properties seeking approval for a 303 apartment development while the neighbouring 685 La Trobe Street development site was sold to a residential developer following its unsuccessful commercial leasing campaign.

Diagonally opposite The Millennium Site, Chinese-aligned Capital Alliance Investment Group is delivering <a href="/buildings/m-docklands-679-la-trobe-street-docklands">M Docklands</a>, a mixed-use residential and hotel tower that backs onto Etihad Stadium. The residential prospects of The Millennium Site coupled with the five most recent development site sales in Docklands averaging $7000/sqm points to the inherent value that this emerging Docklands residential pocket holds.
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