Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/drew-group">Drew Group</a> is wasting little time following the completion of Lagoon Main Beach, lodging plans for another high-rise apartment development less than two kilometres away at the northern end of Surfers Paradise.

Drew Group, led by local developer Jon Drew, is pitching for a 32-storey residential tower at 180–184 Ferny Avenue, replacing three low-rise buildings on a prominent 1,055 sqm corner site just 150 metres from the beach.

Drew called on architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA</a>&nbsp;to design the new slender tower, which will have 130 apartments. BDA drew on the inspiration of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy of organic architecture, which seeks "a superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."

"The design creates a seamless dialogue between built form, natural elements, and the iconic Surfers Paradise context," BDA wrote in the application recently submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5dcaa84d-67ba-4e22-b8f1-208ca5056b05" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20paradise%20da.png?VersionId=Ah9oBOlL0ofC5eboXSI.dEq9VRfEnFaT" />

BDA also drew inspiration from New York's iconic Flatiron Building, with softened curved corners responding to the geometry of the triangular site. While referencing the 1902 Manhattan landmark, the design reinterprets its distinctive form through a contemporary coastal lens.

Drew is targeting the Gold Coast's "missing middle" market, a segment that has arguably been underserved in recent years. The project is weighted towards owner-occupiers, with 104 two-bedroom apartments complemented by a further 26 one-bedroom residences.

Resident amenity will be centred on the level five podium, featuring a resident lounge, gym, yoga room, steam room, sauna, lap pool with a lagoon area, spa, cold plunge and magnesium plunge.&nbsp;

Additional resident facilities will occupy the rooftop, including work-from-home spaces, a meeting room, resident lounge with a full kitchen, bar and dining area, as well as a dedicated wellness zone with additional plunge pools, steam rooms and saunas.

<img alt="First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a1392ad9-620b-41f9-957d-b1fcec13613f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/surfers%20da%20podium.png?VersionId=9kDudIwvCaZFW6F8IyXGP6wQg0B_VS3E" />

The application follows the completion of Drew Group's Lagoon Main Beach, which only has around four apartments left to sell after a successful sales and marketing campaign.

Built by Hutchinson Builders, Lagoon comprises 248 apartments and was popular with local owner-occupiers and interstate buyers.

Joel Robinson

First look: Drew Group eyes next Gold Coast tower after completing Lagoon Main Beach

Builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mcnab-developments">McNab</a> has wasted little time reshaping one of South Brisbane's most significant undeveloped apartment sites after acquiring the property earlier this year.&nbsp;

McNab has lodged plans to scrap an existing approval for two 30-storey towers and instead deliver a single 28-storey residential building, preserving part of the site for a future development opportunity.

The proposal, lodged over <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-peel-street-south-brisbane-qld-4101">64 Peel Street and 9 Cordelia Street</a>, is for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising 124 apartments above a landscaped podium, alongside a boundary realignment that preserves part of the land for a future residential project.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="743bf564-3f8f-45fc-b8d3-bbf18f5b628f" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20Peel%20st%20podium.png?VersionId=EhCxGrVn_VFH3qTbKnI4WppGwaMnOn0t" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hayball">Hayball</a>, the development will deliver 119 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments across 23 residential levels. A five-level podium will accommodate 135 car spaces, while the ground floor will include a 66 sqm commercial tenancy, an activated residential lobby with work-from-home spaces, and a publicly accessible landscaped plaza linking Cordelia and Peel streets.&nbsp;

Communal amenities will span Level 6 and the rooftop, including indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, a swimming pool, barbecue facilities, kitchen and dining areas, lawn space, sauna, steam room and yoga facilities.

The application also proposes a boundary realignment to create a standalone 1,290 sqm development lot while retaining an adjacent parcel for future redevelopment, allowing the balance of the site to contribute additional housing over time.

Hayball said the architecture has been shaped by the site's elevated corner position at the intersection of Peel and Cordelia streets and Brisbane's subtropical climate.

The design incorporates generous landscaped setbacks, a masonry podium wrapped with planting, large north-facing balconies, and a slender tower profile intended to maximise natural light, cross ventilation and long-range views. The rooftop has been conceived as a wellness-focused retreat overlooking Brisbane, with amenities positioned to capture views towards Mount Coot-tha and the CBD.

<img alt="First look: McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5f99e84-6ad8-4a87-82d1-869685b754d2" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/mcnab%20tower%20perspective.png?VersionId=Gw0IuJaSAlk.tvGBxInhZOcQAdIB..2b" />

The planning submission positions the proposal as a response to both changing market conditions and Brisbane's Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning reforms.

McNab acquired the site after the previous approval was granted, with the existing scheme no longer reflecting current residential market demands, economic conditions, construction challenges, construction efficiencies or the quality of development outcome now being pursued, the planning report noted.

McNab continues to expand its residential development pipeline across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The developer recently launched The Tannery in West End, securing more than 60 per cent of apartments before the project's public release. It is also delivering Elements Budds Beach in Surfers Paradise and Lucia Highgate Hill, an eight-apartment boutique development overlooking the Brisbane River.

McNab resets decade-old South Brisbane approval with 124-apartment tower

A steeply sloping Bellevue Hill site is set to accommodate a new mid-rise apartment development, with plans lodged for 20 homes that respond to the site's dramatic topography.

The proposal for the consolidated land at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/138a-140-bellevue-road-bellevue-hill-nsw-2023">138A-140 Bellevue Road</a> has been designed by Sydney architecture practice Common Office, which has used the site’s substantial fall to distribute the building’s scale and unlock 20 apartments without presenting the full height to the street.&nbsp;

“The unique design strategy leverages the site’s substantial topographical fall to facilitate increased density, presenting a seven-storey profile to Bellevue Road while rising to 10 storeys at the rear,” Common Office said in its architectural design report.

The apartment mix spans one, two, three- and four-bedroom residences. Four two-bedroom apartments are designated as affordable housing, while the plans also include two adaptable dwellings. The mix is majority three-beds, with the typical three-bed apartment offering around 144 sqm internally, with balconies of around 15 sqm.

The affordable housing component represents 15 per cent of the residential floor area and allows the project to access additional height and floor space under the NSW Government’s in-fill affordable housing provisions. The site also falls within the inner area of the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy because it is within 400 metres walking distance of Double Bay Town Centre.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1230d0f-3bfa-4a11-abaf-0928c66ef345" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da.png?VersionId=dZeMK3P.OutGjN8ycjsxm8uNsj_QFWQv" />

Common Office has arranged the building around a masonry podium and a lighter upper volume, drawing on two recurring elements of Bellevue Hill’s established architecture: sandstone bases and the vertical proportions of local Inter-war Art Deco apartment buildings.

“The proposal is governed by a holistic design language that reconciles the solid horizontal masonry of the neighbourhood’s podiums with the elegant verticality of its Art Deco heritage,” the architect said.

“The building maintains a consistent rhythmic logic utilising deep recesses and a sophisticated material transition to break down the 10-storey scale into a series of articulated, human-scale volumes.”

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0147f503-1af1-4d51-97fb-c2f1cba63a9d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20bldg.png?VersionId=GoW7q3NlK67OpnePXhk7zvklrlKb72Qc" />

Large-format sandstone tiles will define the lower levels, establishing a robust base that negotiates the change in elevation from Bellevue Road. Above, red-tinted precast concrete frames, recessed balconies, anodised aluminium screens and expanded metal details will create a more vertically expressed façade. Integrated planter beds will introduce greenery across balcony edges and recessed sections of the building.

The elongated northern façade has been divided into three recessed vertical masses to reduce its perceived length. Triangular window elements and metal privacy screens reference the geometry of nearby Art Deco buildings while controlling overlooking toward surrounding homes. The southern elevation will incorporate further privacy screening, landscaped edges and deep balconies to maintain light and ventilation.

<img alt="First Look: Plans lodged for topography-led affordable housing project in Bellevue Hill" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8679cf1-18bc-4447-8a0f-0052b94ab83c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Bellevue%20da%20rooftop.png?VersionId=5SQqQqRFf76rvE2p1TbxJSweMN70AIbc" />

Private and communal landscaping is distributed throughout the development. A landscaped garden apartment is positioned within the lower portion of the site, while a communal terrace on Level 5 will include a central timber deck, barbecue facilities, resident planting plots and areas for outdoor dining and informal gatherings.

Common Office described the terrace as an elevated sanctuary designed to capture district views and sunlight. Its planting strategy incorporates endemic species associated with the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, extending the landscape vertically through the building and providing habitat for local flora and fauna.

A second communal outdoor area is proposed at roof level, with built-in seating, paved gathering areas and perimeter planting.

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction. Positive Investment Enterprise is delivering the 16-apartment Kew Palm House on Birriga Road, while Chanine Developments is also under construction at Florian, a 36-apartment project on Banksia Road.

&nbsp;

Bellevue Hill is enjoying renewed momentum in the new apartment market, with several boutique developments recently launched and currently under construction.

First Look: Apartment development pitched for Bellevue Hill, Double Bay fringe

South Brisbane's apartment pipeline continues to build momentum, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/trk-property-group">TRK Property Group</a> lodging plans for a 161-apartment tower on Montague Road as developers accelerate investment across the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

The proposal for 176–186 Montague Road would replace an existing office building with a 20-storey residential tower designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, adding to a growing pipeline of high-density projects reshaping one of Brisbane's fastest-evolving inner-city precincts.

The project has been conceived as a "living building", featuring a flowing tower form, extensive vertical landscaping, and generous communal spaces that respond to the evolving Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct.

TRK Property Group Development Director Matt Kan said the project reflected the confidence developers have in South Brisbane's long-term future.

"South Brisbane is entering an incredibly exciting period, and we see Montague Road sitting right at the heart of that evolution," Kan said.

"With the former Visy site directly opposite us and significant investment planned throughout the broader Kurilpa precinct, there is a real sense of momentum around this part of the city and what it will become over the coming years.

"For TRK, this is an opportunity to be part of that next chapter and deliver a project that responds to where the precinct is heading, while contributing to the continued evolution of Brisbane's river edge."

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="590fe1ad-f892-4446-a679-80e33a16d029" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20tower%20facade.png?VersionId=uOJStrcKpyHFcPE1w6_9SMAFzVMCcZll" />

The scheme includes a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, incorporating multi-purpose rooms in selected residences to provide additional flexibility for home offices or expanded living areas. The proposed mix comprises 15 one-bedroom, 13 one-bedroom plus MPR, 73 two-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom plus MPR, 30 three-bedroom, and four four-bedroom apartments.

Rather than adopting a conventional rectilinear tower, COX Architecture has developed a sculpted form inspired by the movement of the Brisbane River.

"The proposal has been designed by COX Architecture as a 'living building' that responds to the site's riverine setting, floodplain history and evolving urban context within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct," the planning report states.

"The architectural form draws from the fluid nature of the Brisbane River, with a curved and undulating tower form that creates a varied architectural edge and avoids a conventional rectilinear tower expression."

The podium has also been designed as an architectural feature rather than a conventional parking structure, with cascading planting, screening and natural-toned materials softening its appearance. Resident parking is elevated above ground level to address the site's flood constraints, while habitable apartments sit above flood planning levels. Upper-level communal facilities are designed to accommodate shelter-in-place arrangements during major flood events.

<img alt="First look: TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="01fa15d0-90df-46c7-9555-7941fc45373c" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/TRK%20podium.png?VersionId=mHyua.w1pHGBt9qEdWzrlsv.leztUCwO" />

Communal amenity is a major focus of the proposal. Around 1,815 sqm of shared resident space is proposed across the ground floor, level 19 and the rooftop, including co-working areas, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, wellness facilities, dining and gathering areas, lawn spaces, a rooftop pool and spa, and extensive landscaping. At street level, a landscaped forecourt and approximately 345 sqm of publicly accessible open space along Montague Road are intended to improve the pedestrian experience while activating the building's frontage.

The development will provide 163 car spaces, including 152 resident bays and 11 visitor spaces, together with 144 bicycle spaces incorporating resident storage, visitor parking, bicycle maintenance facilities and e-mobility charging infrastructure.

The site sits within one of Brisbane's fastest-changing inner-city precincts, less than two kilometres from the CBD and within easy reach of South Bank, West End, the Queensland Cultural Centre and extensive public transport connections. The Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct planning framework is encouraging higher-density residential development to help meet Brisbane's housing supply targets while supporting walkable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods.

TRK Property joins South Brisbane apartment surge with Montague Road tower plans

Article summary

<ul data-end="785" data-start="311">
	<li data-end="459" data-section-id="5hbcyr" data-start="311">Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at Skye Kangaroo Point, headlined by a two-storey sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm.</li>
	<li data-end="561" data-section-id="1p7lq8n" data-start="460">Early buyer interest suggests the residences could set a new Queensland apartment price record.</li>
	<li data-end="667" data-section-id="1y70z0l" data-start="562">The collection includes four move-in ready penthouses and the highly customised Skye One residence.</li>
	<li data-end="785" data-section-id="yvm0y1" data-start="668">The release caps one of Bri​sbane's most ambitious luxury apartment developments overlooking the Brisbane River.</li>
</ul>

<hr data-end="790" data-start="787" />
Pikos Group has released the five-penthouse collection at its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/skye-residences-by-pikos-kangaroo-point-8-river-terrace-kangaroo-point-qld-4169">Skye by Pikos</a> development in Kangaroo Point, with early buyer interest indicating the flagship residences could eclipse every apartment sale previously recorded in Queensland.

The collection crowns the luxury riverfront development with five residences, including four completed penthouses and Skye One, a two-level sky home spanning more than 1,000 sqm that will be tailored to its eventual owner.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374075]

Wanting to offer a fully customisable home, Pikos is offering Skye One as a blank canvas, allowing the buyer to work alongside the developer's design team to customise the home's layout, finishes and internal spaces.

The residence will feature a 247 sqm private rooftop terrace with its own swimming pool, sauna, steam room, outdoor kitchen and multiple entertaining areas overlooking the Brisbane River and CBD skyline.

The remaining four penthouses have been completed and are ready for immediate occupation, each offering four bedrooms, expansive open-plan living areas, soaring ceilings and private lift access.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374059]

One of the defining features throughout the project is its use of Roman Classic Travertine, with more than 20,000 sqm of the natural stone imported from Italy after being personally selected by Pikos Group Founder and Executive Director Pedro Pikos, interior designer Julie Williamson and third-generation stone specialist Mario Caucci.

Pikos said the penthouse collection represented the culmination of the company's long-term vision for Skye.

"True legacy isn't measured by what we build today, but by what endures tomorrow," Pikos said.

"Our ambition is to create places that become more valuable with time, enrich the lives of generations, and stand as timeless landmarks long after we've stepped away."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=90059 project_image_fid=374060]

Williamson said the interiors were inspired by the natural character of Kangaroo Point and the Brisbane River rather than international design trends.

"Materiality tells the story of a place," Williamson said.

"We looked to the movement of the Brisbane River, the texture of the cliff face and the warmth of the surrounding landscape to create interiors that feel understated, enduring and unmistakably Brisbane."

Positioned above the Kangaroo Point cliffs, Skye places residents within walking distance of Howard Smith Wharves, South Bank and James Street while offering uninterrupted river and city views.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=90059]

Brisbane's next apartment price record? Pikos unveils Skye's exclusive penthouse collection

Queen Street

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Quincy, the designer shoe store in Woollahra, is leaving its Woollahra Queen Street premises after nearly a decade.
They've been located at <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/%20https:/www.realcommercial.com.au/for-lease/property-76-queen-street-woollahra-nsw-2025-503386746" target="_blank">76 Queen Street</a> since 2010.
At the time, Quincy owner Kate McDiven told the Sydney Morning Herald that the street appealed because of its beauty and friendliness.
The commercial space with a current modern retail fitout includes, mirrors, floor to ceilign storage cupboards and white timber floors.
There's a kitchen and toilet at the back of the space, with rear lane access on the 125 sqm parcel.
Farquharsons Exec Rentals Double Bay agent Alana Sorensen is marketing the property.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Quincy to vacate Woollahra's Queen Street after a decade

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A narrow commercial premises on Woollahra's pricey Queen Street has been listed for $4.6 million.
Last traded for $1.65 million in 2006, <a href="https://www.realcommercial.com.au/for-sale/property-88-queen-street-woollahra-nsw-2025-503363674" target="_blank">88 Queen Street</a> is currently the home of Perryman Carpets by Design.
They are currently on a three x three year lease.
<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/2019/10/88%20Queen%20Street%201.jpg" alt="">
The freehold two storey commercial building has previously been occupied by real estate agency Laing + Simmons Woollahra.
1st City agent John Knott is marketing the property.
He says the property offers one of the most secure long term, capital gain investments available.
It's been a busy year on Queen Street, regarded as one of Australia's most exclusive shopping strips.
Last month a <a href="/expert-insights/investing/premium-queen-street-woollahra-commercial-space-sells-for-15-1-million">premium commercial site</a> made up of three tenancies sold for $15.1 million.
A <a href="/expert-insights/investing/gutted-queen-street-woollahra-shop-listed-for-sale">gutted Queen Street commercial space</a> also sold last month to the same buyer of the adjoining property, formerly Japanese grill bar Izy Izakaya.
 
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Narrow Queen Street, Woollahra shop listed for $4.6 million

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Further light can now be shed on the proposed 'Queens Place' development which is expected to eventually consume a sizeable and underutilised CBD corner site. Developer 3L Alliance has found a new home within the existing 350 Queen Street office complex onsite, that will eventually be flanked by dual high-rise residential towers.

With a nominal value of $750 million, the project will see an expansive five level podium topped with two towers terminating at 246 metres in height. Having only purchased the site during late 2014, 3L Alliance instated Cox Architecture and Fender Katsalidis as joint project architects following a limited design competition.

The sheer size of the development will likely see the residential towers delivered over two stages, with the current planning application seeking approval for Towers 1 and 2, with Tower 2's building envelope subject to further detailed development plans which will be provided by the development team for assessment at a future point.

Aviation exclusion zones has seen a separate Stage 1 plan for a 206 metre tower included, although for all intents and purposes the planning application focuses almost exclusively upon the dual 246 metre design.

<h2>350 Queen 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/image60a.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="350 Queen Street aspects. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="398" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image60a.jpg?itok=YdSZwfYA" title="350 Queen Street aspects. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>350 Queen Street aspects. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Planning application lodged April 2015</li>
	<li>Site area: 7,295sqm with existing 20L office complex retained, other structures to be demolished</li>
	<li>Application seeks full approval for Stage 1 and envelope approval for Stage 2</li>
	<li>Dual 79 level residential towers at 246.23 metres envisaged, with secondary Stage1 design of 206 metres included (non-OLS incursion)</li>
	<li>Total GFA sought: 176,217sqm</li>
	<li>554 car parking &amp; 603 bicycle spaces (154 bay commercial car park included within basement)</li>
	<li>1,925sqm of retail space and 120-space child care facility</li>
	<li>Strata offices suites between 174sqm and 647sqm</li>
	<li>Stage 1 apartment total: 864</li>
	<li>Amenities: Pools/spas, gym, saunas, home theatre, kitchen/lounge, yoga studio, karaoke area</li>
</ul>
<h2>COX and FK on 350 Queen Street</h2>

<blockquote>
‘Queens Place’ is a compelling opportunity to re-engage the site at 350 Queen St into the precinct. Using a finer grain of public connections and amenity paired with taller elements of urbane city proportions; the site is redefined to offer Melbourne’s CBD an activated, connected and enlivened precinct.

The design process has given rise to a concept that enriches the ground plane with new connections and an enhanced public realm within the Queen Victoria Market Precinct. In the podium, a variety of uses such as retail, childcare and commercial suites provide activation to the critical ‘first 25m’.

Atop the podium are positioned two towers, shaped and sculpted by design drivers from within and around the site. They step as they ascend, forming a dynamic pairing on Melbourne’s continuously evolving skyline. At both the ground plane and in the sky, this development has real potential to enliven and enrich the liveability and character of Melbourne’s CBD.
<cite>Cox Architecture and Fender Katsalidis, architectural report</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Overs and unders: OLS / PANS-OPS a consideration</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/image57_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="OLS Diagram. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="303" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image57_2.jpg?itok=f5I03ufG" title="OLS Diagram. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>OLS Diagram. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA</figcaption></figure><a href="/news/aviation-impact-on-building-development-in-the-melbourne-cbd">Obstacle Limitation Surface</a> (OLS) exclusion zones have been taken into account within the 350 Queen Street planning documents. OLS is essentially a series of height limits for objects surrounding a particular aerodrome, with Essendon Airport the major consideration.

As the preferred 246 metre outcome would breach the OLS ceiling of 228.5 metres, an alternative scheme of 206 metres has been included within the planning documents for comparisons sake (and for approval should the 246 metre version fail). While various CBD towers already penetrate the OLS ceiling, including the nearby Aurora Melbourne Central, they do not penetrate the more rigid PAN-OPS ceiling.

350 Queen Street is no exception in this regard with the development team citing constructability and PAN-OPS limitations as halting their advance skyward.

<h2>The first 25</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/image59_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impression from Queen and A'Beckett. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="266" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image59_0.jpg?itok=1hA3XQuO" title="Artist's impression from Queen and A'Beckett. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impression from Queen and A'Beckett. Image courtesy COX &amp; FKA</figcaption></figure>Numerous references have been made to 'The first 25 metres' within the planning documents, alluding to the weight placed upon creating a dynamic podium structure.

<blockquote>
The importance of the first 25m to the human experience at ground level and contribution to the City’s fabric is crucial. Queens Place makes a clear separation between tower and podium, providing a highly detailed vibrant base and a calm simple tower above.

Rather than treat the public space as the space left over from the development, the design team approached the task from the opposite direction, designing the public realm first responding to existing conditions, through site connections and solar access and then placed the buildings around this space.
<cite>Cox Architecture and Fender Katsalidis, architectural report</cite>
</blockquote>

The result is a highly articulated podium both externally and internally, with a large covered central plaza included at the heart of the project. Transparent glazing wraps ground level frontages while site entry points are discerned with distinctive bamboo plantings which supplements hanging greenery over the podium structure.

The curved podium is veiled with operable, contoured timber louvres which respond to prevailing weather conditions.

<h2>Two towers</h2>

Both Melbourne City Council and the The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning have been consulted with regard to the size and nature of the proposed development. Based upon the joint discussions a twin tower outcome was considered most appropriate for 350 Queen Street.

Setbacks and tower separation has been considered, with a distance of between 15 and 33 metres representing the void between both buildings while a boundary setback of at least 4.5 metres are present above the podium.

The towers present in a clean and simple form, and this has been continued over the plant levels atop each structure. Described as a 'visual flourish' within the architecture report, the crown of each tower has been integrated into the tower form and will be glazed in bronze finishes thus providing a focal point from many surrounding angles.

<h2>350 Queen Street development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: 3L Alliance Pty Ltd</li>
	<li>Architecture, Urban Context Report: Cox Architects and Fender Katsalidis Architects</li>
	<li>Planning: Urbis</li>
	<li>Project Manager: Gallagher Jeffs</li>
	<li>Aviation Report: Airport Consultancy Group Pty Ltd</li>
	<li>Traffic Engineering: GTA Consultants</li>
	<li>Landscaping: Rush\Wright Associates</li>
	<li>Wind Assessment: Mel Consultants</li>
	<li>Heritage Assessment: prepared by Lovell Chen</li>
	<li>Sustainability, Lifts and Services: Aurecon</li>
	<li>Waste Management Plan: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>Geotechnical Report: Golder Associates</li>
	<li>Building Surveyor: McKenzie Group</li>
	<li>Structural Report: WSP Group</li>
	<li>Land Surveyor: Bosco Johnson</li>
</ul>
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silvermb

3L Alliance pushes for twin 246 metre towers at 350 Queen Street

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A design can now be put to the news reported upon during late 2014 concerning Brady Group's latest intended Melbourne project. 280 Queen Street has been in and out of planning for the best part of four years, but with the news that Brady Group is the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/brady-group-push-to-develop-80level-queen-street-tower-20141111-11k5jn">intended developer</a> of the mid-CBD site, the chances of the current scheme progressing beyond approval have increased dramatically.

Weighing in at over 250 metres in height and located in an elevated part of the CBD, 280 Queen Street may become one of the more prominent buildings to grace Melbourne's skyline in years to come. Or even sooner as according to the article linked above Brady Group intent to proceed with the project in a relatively short time-frame.

<h2>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/image18_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="314" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_1.jpg?itok=ouwGMcCJ" title="280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Planning application submitted October 2014</li>
	<li>Current 1,290sqm site currently used as four and five storey office building</li>
	<li>Proposed 80 level mixed-use tower at 254.62 metres</li>
	<li>589 apartments - 242*1BR / 287 * 2BR / 36*3BR</li>
	<li>Included are 23 Penthouses and one custom design penthouse</li>
	<li>1,400.2sqm office space through podium</li>
	<li>322.4sqm retail space</li>
	<li>504sqm residential communal facilities</li>
	<li>130 basement car parking spaces</li>
</ul>
<h2>Apartments and penthouses</h2>

Dwellings within the project begin within the podium, fronting both Little Lonsdale to the north and Queen Street to the west. Beyond the podium a generic floor plan covers levels 9-35 and 37-63 where 9 apartments per floor is the norm, split between one and two bedroom options.

Sitting atop the penthouse floors is a split level custom designed penthouse located over levels 76/77. The lower floor contains 290.2sqm of internal space while the upper floor contains 265.6sqm, allowing a sizeable dwelling with unimpeded views given there are no towers of equal height either existing or planned nearby.

<h2>Finlay Lane retained</h2>

<blockquote>
There is an existing easement along the east boundary that joins with Finlay Lane, an ‘L’ shaped service lane, which connects to Queen Street. The existing easement and Finlay Lane provide rear access to the adjoining buildings. The lane is covered in registered street art. The proposed development seeks to maintain a predominately hard edge to this boundary with openings for vehicle access and loading. This will provide opportunities for future street art along the majority of these walls, maintaining the existing character of this lane.
<cite>Urbis - Town Planning Report</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Previous incarnations</h2>

Peddle Thorp have been active on the site in question for some years, initially devising a scheme for an office tower in excess of 200 metres, carrying a dappled facade. That particular scheme was superseded by another Peddle Thorp design which gained approval during 2013.

Championed by developers with little experience, the site lent itself to being onsold post approval resulting in the third and current version up for approval.

<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/image17_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Early versions of 280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image17_0.jpg?itok=R-VtlLYJ" title="Early versions of 280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Early versions of 280 Queen Street. Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure>Also worthy of mention is that the current proposal for 280 Queen Street includes inactive precast panels to its eastern facade, reaching mid way up the tower. This is likely in response to the adjoining property at <a href="/buildings/399-little-lonsdale-street-melbourne">399 Little Lonsdale Street</a> which is also subject to a current 200 metre planning application.

399 Little Lonsdale Street's western-facing facade is also heavy with precast elements, albeit slightly activated with the sparse use of windows. Both proposals almost butt one another; the use of precast panels may go some way to mitigating concerns planning authorities may have about proximity.

<h2>Comment</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/image14_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impressions of the proposed development. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="440" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image14_0.jpg?itok=v7xEGKVR" title="Artist's impressions of the proposed development. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impressions of the proposed development. Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure>The tower element of the design receives two thumbs up. With a bowed northern aspect and slanted roof profile, it adds more to the skyline than merely another rectangular box. Viewed from east and west, the asymmetrical apex is a worthwhile design feature.

Conversely the podium as presented in the renders looks less than ideal. In a case of 'misconstrued' rendering what looks to be a large blank orange volume is actually timber screening over activated levels while the yellow protrusion above the main entry is gold metal cladding. Fair to say it's quite hard to conceptualise the qualities of the podium based on the render above.

On the face of it the podium doesn't slot seamlessly into its surrounds.

Regardless Peddle Thorp have made the immediate area their own with 280 Queen Street joining the completed Melbourne Star and Melbourne Sky apartment towers (both Brady Group projects), in addition to <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">278 Little Lonsdale</a> which is at planning. Add the under construction Vision and the Brady Group-Peddle Thorp alliance is defined by a handful of deep blue towers dominating the area.

<h2>Development team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: 280 Queen Pty Ltd / Brady Group</li>
	<li>Urban context report: Peddle Thorp Architects</li>
	<li>Architectural plans: Peddle Thorp Architects</li>
	<li>Town planning: Urbis</li>
	<li>Traffic and Transport Assessment: Cardno</li>
	<li>ESD report: Sustainable Built Environments</li>
	<li>Wind Assessment: MEL Consultants</li>
	<li>Waste Management:y Leigh Design</li>
</ul>
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Planning Application: 280 Queen Street, Melbourne

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Height, overshadowing and heritage; the Holy Trinity of inner-city development concerns that's sure to garner mainstream media attention. This was indeed the case during 2014 when plans were revealed for the redevelopment of the Fletcher Jones site at 1-5 Queen Street which sits directly opposite the Banana Alley vaults.

Malaysian-backed Creative Wealth (Aust) Pty Ltd commissioned the project with CBD-based K2LD Architects conceiving the residential tower which at 25 levels and 90.75 metres would have made an instant impression upon its more modest in height neighbours.​

<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/1-5_queen.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artists' renders of the rejected development. Image © K2LD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="342" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1-5_queen.jpg?itok=Ql5SWl8J" title="Artists' renders of the rejected development. Image © K2LD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artists' renders of the rejected development. Image © K2LD</figcaption></figure>According to a <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/former-fletcher-jones-site-due-for-a-dressup-20121123-29yrg">Business Day</a> the 746sqm site was owned and occupied by retailer Fletcher Jones since 1955, until falling into private ownership post 1993. With the onsite Cobden Buildings structure originally dated 1872, groups such as <a href="http://melbourneheritage.org.au/2014/09/15/objection-facading-of-1872-fletcher-jones-building-add-your-voice/">Melbourne Heritage Action</a> considered the redevelopment as little more than facadism with the Flinders Street edifice the most notable feature retained within the proposed redevelopment.

Enter 2015 and City of Melbourne have elected to reject the proposal in its current form. Almost six months to the day after the initial planning application was lodged, the decision to rebuke 1-5 Queen Street was made public on January 13. According to Melbourne Heritage Action, City of Melbourne's refusal was based upon a number of factors with the tower's adverse affect upon the heritage listed existing building and its Queen Street neighbours at the forefront.

<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/queen_street_elevation_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Queen Street frontage. Image © K2LD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="338" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/queen_street_elevation_0.png?itok=La4Ptqug" title="Proposed Queen Street frontage. Image © K2LD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Queen Street frontage. Image © K2LD</figcaption></figure>Seen above was the intended Queen Street facade which was to have replaced the 1970's augmented frontage, which up until that point matched the Flinders Street frontage. A modern interpretation of what once was there, the facade would have employed stone and metal.

As with most developers Creative Wealth (Aust) Pty Ltd would now seemingly have two options at hand. A trip to VCAT may be on the cards as could be a new planning application that better addresses the concerns outlined by City of Melbourne.
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1-5 Queen Street rejected by City of Melbourne

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What began as a super-skinny office tower lodged for assessment during March 2014 recently progressed to a VCAT hearing in order to determine its worth. Designed to replace Queen Street's former Ironworkers Building, the commercial tower recently fell foul of City of Melbourne with notices of refusal posted both on September 17th and October 10th according to their online platform.

Last week Fairfax reported on the VCAT hearing in which City of Melbourne was shown to have concerns regarding the proposals lack of setbacks and excessive height.

<h2>Project 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/4512_7095163_5_1354687700.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="338-344 Queen Street as is. Image courtesy Mulcahy &amp; Co"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="433" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/4512_7095163_5_1354687700.jpg?itok=Cbphwmd7" title="338-344 Queen Street as is. Image courtesy Mulcahy &amp; Co" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>338-344 Queen Street as is. Image courtesy Mulcahy &amp; Co</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>338-344 Queen Street, Melbourne</li>
	<li>Current use: four level office building</li>
	<li>36L tower at 130 metres</li>
	<li>Developer: 338 Queen Street Pty Ltd</li>
	<li>Architect: (understood to be) JAM Architects</li>
	<li>Value: approximately $100 million</li>
	<li>Site area: 290sqm</li>
	<li>11.000sqm office space</li>
	<li>Typical floor plate: approximately 220sqm</li>
	<li>VCAT decision pending</li>
</ul>
<h2>Slender does it</h2>

Given the tight dimensions of the tower floor plate, essential design requirements such as lift, stair and service core are located along the eastern boundary in order to maximise leasable/sellable space. Even so the tight dimensions suggest the tower if approved would be pitched toward strata owner/occupiers, as larger corporations have drifted toward larger open-plan office layouts in years gone by.

A tree motif has been designed into the eastern facade which predominantly consists of concrete. The tall, thin perimeter boundary is not the first design to employ such a method in order to provide a degree interest to a non-active wall; Most recently <a href="http://www.bh-architects.com/projects/selected/24-168-lonsdale-street-melbourne">168 Lonsdale Street</a> and <a href="/buildings/swanston-square-551-swanston-street-carlton">Swanston Square</a> have received similar treatments to their exterior.

<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.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Images courtesy Approval Systems"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="498" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image40.jpg?itok=mvUGQdYs" title="Images courtesy Approval Systems" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Images courtesy Approval Systems</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

Of most interest are the <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cbd-office-towers-dont-have-to-be-as-attractive-as-residential-developments-tribunal-hears-20141028-11d0wk#ixzz3HQ5t9rEY">comments</a> reported on by The Age last week quoting David Lock Associates Principal Mark Sheppard during his presentation to VCAT. "This is an office building, not a residential building. I think it is really important that we don't expect it to look like the Republic Tower."

The clear inference of the article was suggesting that CBD office towers don't have to be as attractive as residential developments. Without being at the hearing it's hard to determine the exact context in which Mark Sheppard's comments were delivered, but it's hard to swallow these comments as they were presented in The Age.

When in doubt I assume the truth always lies in the middle: a highly experienced urban design expert using every trick to gain ascendancy on behalf of his client and a media outlet doing what they do best, maximising the most out of a non-issue to garner an emotional response.

Does anyone actually think 338 Queen Street is aesthetically a terrible design? The design carries enough articulation to place it on par with many other Melbourne office projects such as <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">405 Bourke Street</a>, 727 Collins Street and <a href="http://www.apngroup.com.au/apn/funds/WPF/150CollinsStreet.aspx">150 Collins Street</a>; or are we just conditioned to the office tower being a glass box?

If there is an issue it's not 338 Queen Street or Mark Sheppard's comments per se, but the overall quality of all office towers within the city centre. And just like residential towers there are varying degrees of what individuals consider to be poor, good or excellent design.

One person's Republic Tower is another's concrete jungle.
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The super-skinny 338 Queen Street 

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There has been a considerable amount of commentary recently revolving around tall towers, overshadowing and the subsequent impact on amenity in the public domain. With this in mind, Apartments.com.au takes a look at a proposed 25-storey mixed-use tower at 1-5 Queen Street.

Rising a height of 90.75 metres behind the retained facade of the 1872-dated Fletcher Jones building, the applicant is seeking a permit to overshadow Northbank between the hours of 11am and 2pm on the winter solstice. It is worth noting that unlike overshadowing of Southbank during that same time period, it is not strictly prohibited to overshadow Northbank.

The proposal also raises issues as how to best integrate a new architectural intervention with the fabric of a heritage structure. It can be argued that a number of recent high-rise proposals have failed to address this accordingly, with some very ordinary design responses being put forward.

<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/flinders_street_frontage.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Flinders Street frontage. © K2LD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/flinders_street_frontage.png?itok=WQu1Q9ee" title="Proposed Flinders Street frontage. © K2LD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Flinders Street frontage. Image © K2LD</figcaption></figure>Located on the corner of Queen Street and Flinders Street opposite the Banana Alley vaults, the existing building is covered by Heritage Overlay H01037. The existing building had initially being identified as a C-graded structure in a level 3 streetscape during the Central Activities District Conservation Study of 1984. This grading was confirmed in subsequent reviews and studies undertaken in 1993, 2002 and finally in the Central City Heritage Review of 2011 which resulted in the introduction of heritage controls.

The site heritage impact statement prepared by Lovell Chen goes on to describe why the Cobden Buildings are significant both historically and aesthetically to the Melbourne Capital City Zone:

<blockquote>
The Cobden Buildings are significant historically for their key role in early maritime commerce and governance of Melbourne's ports, with links via the James Jackson family ownership to the very beginnings of Melbourne town and Queens Wharf which once stood opposite these buildings.

Architecturally, although modified, the upper level Is a good and early Italianate Renaissance revival style as applied to an office building, then an uncommon building type in a City of warehouses, residences and shops.
<cite>Graeme Butler and Associates, Central City Heritage Review</cite>
</blockquote>

DD01-A2 (Active Street Frontages) also applies to the site with a particular focus to the Flinders Street frontage the intent of which is outlined below:

<blockquote>
The design objectives of this overlay are:

<ul>
<li>To ensure ground floor frontages are pedestrian oriented and add interest and vitality to city streets.</li>
	<li>To provide continuity of ground floor shops along streets and lanes within the retail core.</li>
	<li>To ensure ground floor frontages contribute to city safety by providing lighting and activity.</li>
</ul>
The requirements of this overlay are:

Buildings with ground-level street frontages to major pedestrian areas must present an attractive pedestrian oriented frontage to the satisfaction of the responsible authority, by providing:

<ul>
<li>At least 5 metres or 80% of the street frontage (whichever is the greater) as an entry or display window to a shop and/or a food and drink premises, or</li>
	<li>At least 5 metres or 80% of the street frontage (whichever is the greater) as other uses, customer service areas and activities, which provide pedestrian interest and interaction.</li>
	<li>Built scale appropriate to the street and pedestrians.</li>
	<li>Clear glazing (security grilles must be transparent).</li>
</ul>
<cite>Heritage Overlay H01037</cite>
</blockquote>

To this end the application attempts to address these considerations by providing a 207 square metre double height retail space which also acts as a buffer to the substation located at ground level. The main entrance for residents is via a new Queen Street lobby with a permeable lobby interface introduced.

<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/queen_street_elevation.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed Queen Street frontage. © K2LD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="338" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/queen_street_elevation.png?itok=D6B7s_K4" title="Proposed Queen Street frontage. © K2LD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed Queen Street frontage. Image © K2LD</figcaption></figure>Included within the planning application is the intended construction of a new two-storey facade along Queen Street which will include angled metal framed glazing to the ground level, with the upper level divided into bays to match those on the Flinders Street elevation. Additionally the elevation will involve a combination of reconstruction, references to window forms and contemporary interpretations of some of the original elements such as parapets.

The modified two storey building will act as a base or 'plinth' for the tower which like other proposals dealing with historically sensitive buildings has employed the strategy of a reflective veil which acts to give the tower a recessive quality by reflecting the immediate context and sky. The intent seems to be to produce the effect of an invisible building with the visually dominant element being the existing 2-storey building.

The crystalline, sculpted form is encased in a transparent grey glazing that also features operable louvres which interrupt the otherwise smooth finish of the facade and provide natural ventilation to create winter garden spaces. The form is derived as a formal and metaphorical translation of the site's address at 1 Queen Street; "One Queen" evoking connotations of jewellery and in this specific instance a diamond form.

<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/1-5_queen_street.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Various montages of the proposed development. © K2LD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="423" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1-5_queen_street.png?itok=AmRs1MjB" title="Various montages of the proposed development. © K2LD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Various montages of the proposed development. Image © K2LD</figcaption></figure>In response to contextual analysis of nearby buildings and the historical base building, the architects have employed setbacks to all three street frontages ranging from between 3.5 to 6 metres from Queen Street, 3 to 5 metres from Flinders Street and 2.7 metres from Tavistock Place. These setbacks all gradually taper out to the property boundaries at the upper levels.

The tower takes advantage of its location in a relatively low-rise area of the city adjacent to the rail lines and river, offering primary views along an expansive east-west axis.

From a pedestrian amenity perspective (as was mentioned earlier) towers are not prohibited from overshadow Northbank. While a permit may be required to do so, the shadow analysis studiy below illustrates the impact that the proposal's shadow will have on the public domain between 11am &amp; 2pm on (curiously) the 22nd June. The winter solstice actually falls on the 21st June.

<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/shadow_studies_22_june_12pm.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Shadow analysis studies 11am-2pm June 22. © K2LD"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="442" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/shadow_studies_22_june_12pm.png?itok=wkGIuJP_" title="Shadow analysis studies 11am-2pm June 22. © K2LD" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Shadow analysis studies 11am-2pm June 22. Image © K2LD</figcaption></figure>From 11am onwards the shadows moves from Enterprize Park along the promenade adjacent to the Banana Alley vaults, which themselves are not the most inviting and pleasant of spaces. Should the Banana Alley vaults eventually receive significant improvements, 1-5 Queen Street may well have a detrimental effect on pedestrian comfort and amenity, although this is a moot point for now.

Arguably the most impact is caused just before 2pm when a shadow is cast over Sandridge Bridge which while not ideal, although the bridge is more of a transient space than a space someone would dwell in for any extended period of time. Having been lodged for consideration with City of Melbourne during early July, a final decision is some time off.

<h2>1-5 Queen Street Project Team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Creative Wealth (Aust) Pty Ltd</li>
	<li>Design: K2LD Architects</li>
	<li>Planning consultant: Urbis</li>
	<li>Heritage consultant: Lovell Chen</li>
	<li>Traffic consultant: Cardno</li>
	<li>Wind consultant: MEL Consultants</li>
	<li>Waste consultant: Leigh Design</li>
	<li>ESD statement: WSP</li>
</ul>
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Laurence Dragomir

Jumping at Shadows > 1-5 Queen Street, Melbourne

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News is filtering through that CEL Australia's troubled <a href="/new-apartments/150-queen-street-melbourne">Tower Melbourne</a> project at 150 Queen Street may have moved closer to recommencing demolition and eventual construction following a recent Supreme Court sitting.

Displeased with perceived planning process improprieties involving 150 Queen Street (which holds Ministerial approval), owners of the adjoining 140 Queen Street had sought to challenge the Victorian Building Authority and independent statutory body the Building Appeals Board. For a detailed version of the fracas, The Age published <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/melbourne-skyscraper-wrangle-heads-for-the-courts-20140318-35075" target="_blank">this piece</a> recently.

Colonial Range Pty Ltd v Victorian Building Authority &amp; Colonial Range Pty Ltd v Building Appeals Board was slated for judgment on April 4th 2014 at the Supreme Court. It's understood Colonial Range was unsuccessful in its case, therefore removing a major obstacle in Tower Melbourne progressing. Whether this eliminates all legal impositions is unclear.

<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/2qta6au.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Tower Melbourne. Image © Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="302" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/2qta6au.jpg?itok=JpiLY4Gx" title="Tower Melbourne. Image © Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

With increased hopes that Tower Melbourne's state of flux will be broken, it may gain two neighbours within close proximity down the track. Colonial Range's 140 Queen Street development has been dormant for some time although a 27 level mixed-use proposal exists, which project architect <a href="http://www.kerstinthompson.com/" target="_blank">Kerstin Thompson</a> described as follows:

<blockquote>
This development occupies two sites in Melbourne’s CBD – one on Queen Street and the other on McKillop Street. Using air rights it bridges over Penfold Lane to link and consolidate them as a single development up to twenty seven floors. The proposed ambience of the design will build on the urban quality of Melbourne’s renown laneway precincts.

The tower and the podiums accommodate serviced apartments and office suites. The ground floors and level 1 of both podiums accommodate retail. The hotel lobby will occupy the western end of the McKillop Street podium and will open out to the newly created pedestrian lane at the corner of Penfold Lane. In support of the residential and hotel use the development also allows for meeting rooms and a gymnasium. It includes private and common landscape areas such as balconies and generous roof gardens.

The layout and detail of the building envelope provides many opportunities for passive environmental design including a good quality of natural light and ventilation to the residential/office suites. The design assumes operable windows which in combination with the balconies and breezeways will facilitate cross flow ventilation. The various facade treatments include shading, thermal and tinted glazing for improved thermal performance.
<cite>Kerstin Thompson, project architect</cite>
</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/Image2queen.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="140 Queen Street and 405 Bourke. Images © Kerstin Thompson &amp; Brookfield"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="499" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image2queen.jpg?itok=-dk4DuN1" title="140 Queen Street and 405 Bourke. Images © Kerstin Thompson &amp; Brookfield" width="580"></a>

Abutting Tower Melbourne to the east is <a href="http://www.405bourkestreet.com.au/" target="_blank">405 Bourke Street</a> which stands at the ready to attract a large commercial tenant. The 160 metre tower has the capacity to supply Melbourne with over 61,000 sq.m of additional premium office space and near 4000 sq.m of additional retail space, adding to the existing Foundry retail centre onsite. Designed by Woods Bagot and developed/built by Brookfield Australia/Brookfield Multiplex, the development would also feature an all new Gills Alley.

There it is, three towers within a stones throw of one another. All or none may be built; that's the nature of the development game.
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Tower Melbourne moves ahead?

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It seemed implausible at the time and that has proven to be the case. Last year Apartments.com.au covered <a href="/news/272-queen-street-in-depth" target="_blank">in detail</a> the near pencil-thin office tower proposed at 272 Queen Street which ultimately gained approval, yet had not advanced beyond that point.

Implausible in that an office tower of 205 metres in height carried a typical floor plate of only 832 sqm. The commercial trend of recent years has drifted toward larger, more economically favourable open-plan floor plates with ANZ Docklands, 720 Bourke Street and 121 Exhibition Street prime examples. In this light it was speculated that 272 Queen Street would go back to project architect <a href="http://www.pta.com.au/" target="_blank">Peddle Thorp</a> for reworking.

<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/Image27272.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="272 Queen Street design progression. Images © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="419" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image27272.jpg?itok=rZ-1mH2Z" title="272 Queen Street design progression. Images © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

That has proven to be the case with the third and most recent site design (above right) now holding approval. The mixed-use site and permit which incidentally has been listed by <a href="http://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-melbourne-500975255" target="_blank">Paragon Real Estate</a> as for sale via an EOI campaign closing May 9th 2014, would now see a mixed-use development of 210 metres grace the 1288 square metre site. Somewhat odd given <a href="http://www.afr.com/p/business/property/chinese_developer_wins_huge_permit_qxFyYvPida8d1eNmcl6OdL" target="_blank">AFR</a> reported in December 2013 the site was purchased by a mainland Chinese developer for $23.9 million.

Nonetheless where previously 35,561 sqm of office space was available, that number has dropped to 10,000 sqm contained within the lower levels. Consequently 624 apartments have been added with total levels numbering 62, an increase of 12. Assuming there are 50 levels of residential use and floor plates remain at 832 sqm, average apartment size for the complex would equate to over 60sqm, likely indicating a healthy proportion of two bedroom dwellings.

Externally the tower maintains its feature faceted facade addressing Queen Street and Little Lonsdale Street. Gone is the blue facade and mid tower plant level, in their place a glazed, black curtain wall with recessed balconies running the height of the tower component.

<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/image2%20%281%29.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="399 Little Lonsdale approved scheme. Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image2%20%281%29.jpg?itok=L9MhBLQm" title="399 Little Lonsdale approved scheme. Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

272 Queen Street is not alone with the adjoining easterly property at 399 Little Lonsdale Street (above) also currently on the market with <a href="http://cbre.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-melbourne-500871539" target="_blank">CBRE</a>. Another Peddle Thorp design, the prospective tower of 39 levels would carry 219 apartments, although there is scope to increase both density and height.

It'll be interesting to see who purchases either site, particularly in the case of 272 Queen Street given its perceived level of stature in the eyes of potential overseas buyers. Early days yet but together these projects have the potential to deliver well over 1000 permanent residences to a generally placid part of Melbourne's CBD.
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