The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Rothelowman

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As the cost of land in premium suburbs continues to rise and planning controls limit development heights, providing high quality housing and retail spaces at an affordable price is an increasingly common problem for councils. Concurrently we are witnessing an increased need for greater density projects driven by the population growth and the rising demand for inner city and middle-ring living.

The response from architects and developers to this situation involves mixing residences and retail in low-rise integrated developments, which see residential apartments built over retail precincts. These mixed-use developments are providing positive outcomes for councils, residents, planners, developers and retailers alike.

Mixed-use projects are actively driving an urban model that delivers economic, social and environmental sustainability. This vertical mixed-use development trend may not be new, but the emphasis on residential quality of living and advancement in apartment standards is.

Previously, designs of this nature centred on the retail aspect and saw the addition of apartments merely as a means of off setting the cost of the space below. Now vertical mixed-use is a deliberate exercise in strategic planning, the apartments are considered and the retail mix chosen to reflect the needs of residents and selected in response to the needs of the broader community.

Higher-density living is becoming both more popular with residents and more necessary for planners who anticipate the pressure a growing population will put on their communities. There is also a noticeable change in buyer behaviour and the opinion of apartment living. We are moving away from the belief that apartments are merely an alternative to a block of land or a house; instead they are emerging as a favoured housing model.

The renaissance of this trend has come as a variety of residents reconsider the maintenance requirements and logistics of their current living arrangements and instead opt for mixed-use living. In both capital cities and regional centres, downsizers are more frequently surrendering their backyard in suburbia in favour of an apartment closer to amenities. This is also true of young singles, couples and families who are also realising that they do not need as much space as once thought and settle on smaller, well-located apartments instead of freestanding homes.

Now developers and architects are taking the vertical mixed-use concept a step further with their evolution of “super basements”, which allow for the extension of retail and amenities deep underneath new residences.

<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/ROTHELOWMAN_380%20Degrees_Exterior%201.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="380 Degrees in Brighton"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ROTHELOWMAN_380%20Degrees_Exterior%201.jpg?itok=Rii2Q7jX" style="height:327px; width:580px" title="380 Degrees in Brighton"></a>

ROTHELOWMAN's design for the 380 Degrees project in Bay Street, Brighton, is a case in point. Completed in December last year, the development includes 95 six-star apartments above a ground floor retail precinct, which features a full-line 4,200 square meter Coles supermarket. Four levels down are all the amenities that the supermarket needs to run smoothly – storage, air-conditioning, loading and delivery bays as well as accommodating car parking for residents.

These are interesting developments both in terms of their design and functional complexity. From a practical perspective, the application of vertical mixed-use models is dependent on the separation of its mixed uses and the division of access points, exits and servicing features. Simply put, facilities in vertical mixed-use projects need to be designed in a manner that ensures retailers and residents don't get in each other's way.

380 Degrees has achieved harmony with its creation of a symbiotic relationship between the retail and the residential in which each has its own place. The development is indicative of well-designed, low-rise residential developments with ground floor retail and amenities delivering viable solutions for local councils, retailers and developers. The appeal of this design is evident, with all apartments at 380 Degrees having sold prior to construction.

Thus the success of vertical mixed-use projects can be understood as contingent upon the quality of their design and their ability to deliver convenience and value. Consumers, whether they are retail tenants, customers or potential apartment owners, will make their choice based on these attributes.

Ultimately it can be said that vertical mixed-use projects allow for increased population density, while keeping building heights to acceptable levels and improving amenity for existing residents. As of yet, there is little data on this trend; however, I suspect there soon will be.

We are seeing interest in this urban development strategy peak amongst town planners and councils, who are tasked with intensifying development around activity centres. I believe this need for density is elevating vertical mixed-use as a viable solution that is sensitive and respectful of council and community opinions.

Shane Rothe is a founding partner and managing principal of <a href="http://www.rothelowman.com.au/">ROTHELOWMAN</a>.

<h2>Benefiting buyers and developers</h2>

Vertical mixed-use developments are a win-win proposition for developers and buyers, says Adam Brick of Gillon Group, the firm behind Brighton's 380 Degrees project. The inclusion of retail space in an otherwise residential tower means buyers get the convenience of shopping facilities on their doorstep and developers have a hand in getting their projects off the ground.

"From the developer's point of view, often the value of these sites makes it cost prohibitive to do stand alone retail or residential developments," Brick says. "By bringing the two uses together often makes the development more financially viable."

Buyers at 380 Degrees, in Brighton, were a mix of downsizers, singles, investors and residents from elsewhere in Victoria who were looking for a city base. Buyers were attracted to the Bay Street location, its proximity to transport and the convenience of having the full-service ground-floor supermarket, he says.

"The majority of buyers were attracted to the mixed-use element, rather than put off by it. Buyers tastes are definitely changing, as well as a functional well designed apartment and residential building buyers want the convenience of shops and services on their doorstep."

The one, two and three bedroom apartments range from 55 square metres to 125 square metres and were all sold off the plan. This is an attractive result and one that has prompted the Gillon Group to consider repeating this vertical mixed-use strategy elsewhere.

<h2>Downsizing in the City</h2>

Project manager Peter Gascard, 58, and his wife bought at 380 Degrees as a means to downsizing from their former residence. The apartment lifestyle is a big shift from their former five-bedroom home on an acre of land at Devon Meadows, 50km from Melbourne's CBD.

The absence of their two children from the family home and the increased burden of maintaining a house that size, saw the pair contemplating apartment living. The initially hesitant couple did not hesitate to dive upon viewing 380 Degrees, looking at only one other development before buying their new home in Brighton. The convenience, size and location of the development were all factors in their choice.

Concerned that living so close to the city would prove noisy, busy and hectic, Gascard now reflects on his relocation to Bay Street as a solution that has positively influenced his lifestyle. The full-service Coles downstairs at 380 Degrees was a drawcard for Gascard, who says it is like "having a giant pantry downstairs”. The work commute has been dramatically reduced and the proximity to North Brighton station has caused Peter to consider relinquishing his car once he retires.

With shops, restaurants, cinemas and other amenities close at hand he need look no further than his new backyard for entertainment. A drastic change from country living, Bay Street is providing Peter with an atmosphere and sense of community in a way his previous home could not. He believes more people will embrace apartment living as they too, realise the benefits of a lower-upkeep lifestyle.
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shanerothe

Shane Rothe on the vertical mixed-use solution

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Height is perhaps the most contentious of all issues when discussing new building proposals.

Maybe because it is readily quantifiable relative to the surroundings, or because fear of height has become a default response to any new development, it is often debated as a singular issue. Many ignore the other factors that contribute to the appropriateness of building’s design. Such simplistic quarantining of the height debate is often to the detriment of our urban environment.

At its worst, and as highlighted by recent proposed changes to the Victorian planning zones, height becomes a crude and unsophisticated metric by which to measure the merit of development proposals.

In good design the individual parameters that define a proposal are intrinsically related to each other. <a href="/news">Design</a> should be a holistic response that works intelligently and sensitively in the macro and micro context, fulfilling key, site-specific objectives, of which height is only one.

<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/Sanctuary_V04_Acacia_Place.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Acacia Place - image © ROTHELOWMAN"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Sanctuary_V04_Acacia_Place.jpg?itok=a6zS7aJ4" style="height:387px; width:580px" title="Acacia Place - image © ROTHELOWMAN"></a>

As we seek a more sustainable, multi-centred and mixed-use urban environment, limiting density through blanket height controls makes little sense. In doing so, we risk strangling the opportunities to develop more sophisticated and engaging cities.

This is not to say the capacity for any given site to accommodate height is unlimited but that there is greater potential to deliver high-quality urban design and <a href="/architects">architecture</a> if the designer has flexibility in the distribution of built form across the site.

Height needs to be carefully considered and dealt with sensitively. However, absolute height should not be the arbiter of whether  a design is appropriate or not. Instead the judgment should be made on the quality and appropriateness of the proposal as a whole.

Where skilled designers and planning officers work with an assessment process that uses a holistic, merit-based assessment system, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the outcome will be beneficial to all. <a href="/developers">Developers</a> can achieve improved yields, delivering a dynamic, multi layered living environment; planning authorities can have greater confidence, having guaranteed the objectives for specific sites and the city benefits from high quality architecture and urban design.

<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/rl_fish_bend_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="0-82 Johnson Street - image © ROTHELOWMAN"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/rl_fish_bend_1.jpg?itok=p-qcuzU9" style="height:309px; width:580px" title="0-82 Johnson Street - image © ROTHELOWMAN"></a>

The great caveat on all of this is design quality.

Our experience suggests that once the designer can demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the planning control objectives for a site or precinct, planning officers are willing to entertain a more liberal interpretation of the preferred outcomes so  long as the proposal achieves those underlying objectives. 

In recent examples, working with the City of Yarra and the  City of Stonnington, <a href="/architects/rothelowman">ROTHELOWMAN</a> obtained permits for developments that had envelops greater than those suggested by the planning controls because of a demonstrated quality of design. In short, these proposals were entertained because they will make our cities better places to live.

The successful cities of the future will be those that embrace  and facilitate high quality urban design. Australian cities need to evolve if they are to retain their “liveability” in a competitive global market.

In a world where city demographics are increasingly defined by where an individual chooses to go, as opposed to where they need to be, this search for a high-quality urban environment has become paramount.

Chris Hayton is a principal at ROTHELOWMAN with 20 years of experience working on major projects in Australia and Europe.
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chrishayton

Chris Hayton on the height debate

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La Trobe Tower, the jazzed up 42-storey residential creation of Rothelowman architects and developer LongRiver Group, will bring 205 new apartments to the city.
The apartments in <a href="https://latrobetower.com.au/" target="_blank">La Trobe Towe</a><a href="https://latrobetower.com.au/" target="_blank">r</a>, ranging from 40 square metres to 55.5 square metres, are priced from $351,000 to $530,000, with a penthouse priced at $2.5 million. It includes one- and two-bedroom apartments, with floor-to-ceiling windows and CBD views, at 323 La Trobe Street.
Expected to be completed by 2016, the design has been inspired by the jazz precinct in Melbourne, said Rothelowman senior associate Belinda Nincevic.
“Melbourne’s rich art and music culture influenced the design process,” Nincevic said, with the development located between Queen Street and Elizabeth Street.
“The history of music and the local jazz precinct, specifically a tuning fork and piano keys, provided the inspiration for the façade design.”
LongRiver Group’s managing director, Andrew Yu, said that it has been striking a note with buyers.
At present, 70% of the 205 apartments are sold on the 374 square metre site, with piano-key styled façade. It appears to have been launched in early-2014.
Common areas, located on level 15 of the building, include a lounge, outdoor terrace, dining areas, kitchenette, private cinema, enclosed winter garden and gymnasium. The ground floor contains retail.
This is one in a number of towers, including some much larger proposals, for the area, such as 279 La Trobe Street’s 50-floor Eporo Tower.
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jduke-EHk3XBmHkn

Jazzed up residential tower strikes key with Melburnians

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60-82 Johnston Street South Melbourne was <a href="/news/fishermans-bends-tallest-proposal-unveiled" target="_blank">reported on</a> by Apartments.com.au during August last year and at the time we thought it to be Fishermans Bend's tallest proposed development. Indeed dual 181 metre residential towers headline the massive development, which is in excess of City of Port Phillip's <a href="http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/en/montague-precinct-structure-plan.htm" target="_blank">Montague Precinct Structure Plan</a> preferred height of 100m.

Final planning approval lies with the State Government however and as this project falls within an area of no prescribed height limit, it's considered to meet the State's <a href="http://www.portphillip.vic.gov.au/Draft_Vision.pdf" target="_blank">Urban Renewal Area Draft Vision</a>. Therefore City of Port Phillip's planning department earlier in the year handed down their decision on the project.

<blockquote>
It is recommended that Council advise the Minister for Planning that it supports the application in principle and that, in the event that the Minister determines to grant a permit for this application, some refinements are necessary and further details need to be provided in relation to dwelling ratios, car parking, building heights and setbacks, sustainable design, pedestrian paths, landscaping and bicycle parking.
</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/Image5_23.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Hero perspective. Image © Rothe Lowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="631" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image5_23.jpg?itok=JJhYXQzJ" title="Hero perspective. Image © Rothe Lowman" width="580"></a>

<h2>Project Overview</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer - MAXVIC (Vicland Property Group &amp; Maxcon)</li>
	<li>Builder - Maxcon</li>
	<li>Architect - Rothe Lowman</li>
	<li>Applicant/consultancy - Meinhardt</li>
	<li>Two 54L towers at 181m. One 28L tower at 95m. One 22L tower at 76m</li>
	<li>1600 apartments, 1067 car spaces, 51 motorcycle spaces and 500 bicycle spaces</li>
	<li>1,682.4 m2 of retail floorspace, 18 two-storey home-office apartments</li>
	<li>1,785.9 m² of community "Village Hall' facilities and a Supermarket at ground level</li>
</ul>
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image4_27.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Flowing lines of the podium. Image © Rothe Lowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image4_27.jpg?itok=obBgcaf3" title="Flowing lines of thye podium. Image © Rothe Lowman" width="580"></a>

<h2>COPP Amendments</h2>

Amongst the list of requested amendments, COPP planners have included the following:

<ul>
<li>Deletion of the Village Hall.</li>
	<li>Reduce the number of car parking spaces for residents to 0.5 spaces per dwelling</li>
	<li>Significantly decrease the percentage of single bedroom dwellings and significantly increase the percentage of three or more bedroom dwellings</li>
	<li>Specify and accommodate affordable (social) housing. Universally accessible dwellings suitable for persons with limited mobility, and adaptable dwellings.</li>
	<li>Expand the public realm at street level to create open space to adequately provide for pedestrian and bicycle movement, seating, landscape treatment, and passive recreational opportunity.</li>
	<li>Provide an Urban Art contribution</li>
	<li>Relocate bicycle facilities to ground level and increase the bicycle parking ratio in accordance with the Interim Fishermans Bend Design Guidelines</li>
	<li>Provide a car share scheme on the site.</li>
</ul>
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image6_18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Landscape plan. Image © ASPECT Studios"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="457" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image6_18.jpg?itok=6VsoWK-G" title="Landscape plan. Image © ASPECT Studios" width="580"></a>

<h2>Activated Podium</h2>

Images show the project's lower levels to be of the highest calibre. Whilst Rothe Lowman have designed a flowing structure that speaks well with its surrounds, ASPECT Studios have incorporated greenery over every level culminating in a multifaceted rooftop communal garden.

The result is a stunning podium design that is flowing, interesting, undulating and heavily activated over the initial few levels. If this podium quality is replicated elsewhere in Fishermans Bend, it will be one important step (albeit just one) in ensuring the built form environment is a quantum leap ahead of many parts of Docklands.

Those behind 60-82 Johnston Street, like all other Fishermans Bend development proponents have yet to learn the fate of their projects, as the State Government readies final structure plans for the area.
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silvermb

COPP's take on Fishermans Bend's tallest proposal

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News surfaced last week of another prime Southbank site slated for a major residential tower being snapped up by an Asian property firm intent on making an immediate impact in Melbourne. The Australian <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/chinese-firms-18m-berth-at-southbank/story-fniz9vg9-1226831987691#">reported</a> that Chinese group Financial Fook has purchased 84-88 Queensbridge Street for $18 million via its new subsidiary Starryland Melbourne.

While Starryland may be in its formative stages, parent company Financial Fook have pounced on the site and The Australian suggests they may also be running the ruler over a nearby site at 25 Queensbridge Street, which holds a planning permit for a 71 level, 586 apartment tower.

The subject of today's article however was submitted for consideration to DTPLI during December by <a href="http://www.contour.net.au/">Contour Consultants</a> on behalf of then site owners Shriar Nominees Pty Ltd and D&amp;L Harris Investment Pty Ltd.

<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/Imagegfh1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Hero image. Image © Rothe Lowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="346" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Imagegfh1.jpg?itok=Ns9_14ge" title="Hero image. Image © Rothe Lowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Hero image. Image © Rothe Lowman</figcaption></figure>Conceived by <a href="http://www.rothelowman.com.au/">Rothe Lowman</a>, the architect envisages replacing the modest existing low rise office block at the junction of the Kings Way overpass with a 55 level predominantly residential tower reaching 183 metres in height.

Rothe Lowman state "The proposed development will make a major contribution to the surrounding public realm and will be defined by high-quality architecture. The contemporary architectural expression will create a beneficial bookend to Queensbridge Street and provide a natural Gateway to and from the City when experienced from Kings Way overpass."

The above assertion may have credence, yet when viewed with the <a href="/buildings/bella-248-city-road-southbank">Verge</a> and <a href="/buildings/home-southbank-256-260-city-road-southbank">256 City Road</a> combination on the opposite flank of Kings Way, the proposal gains a new dimension. Laurence Dragomir has produced a render visualising what the area surrounding Kings Way may resemble in a few years time, as seen below.

In addition to being a bookend to towers situated closer to the Yarra, it seems 84-88 Queensbridge Street coupled with 256 City Road would act more as a twin gateway to Southbank for those heading in a northerly direction, owing the the fact they're the tallest structures in the immediate area and of a similar height.

<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/88_queensbridge%20street_and%20friends%203.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The handy work of Laurence Dragomir aka Blockhead visualising a new Kings Way entry to Southbank."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="302" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/88_queensbridge%20street_and%20friends%203.jpg?itok=o3-fJPIm" title="The handy work of Laurence Dragomir aka Blockhead visualising a new Kings Way entry to Southbank." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The handy work of Laurence Dragomir aka Blockhead visualising a new Kings Way entry to Southbank.</figcaption></figure>As for the tower itself the immediate eight levels constitutes the podium, with retail spaces and a distinctive lobby fronting Queensbridge Street. Broken by black bands, two fractal elements protruding from the podium represent a 151 sqm commercial space and 108 sqm gym, activating what for the most is an above ground car park.

Included within the podium are 108 car parking spaces and 92 bicycle bays while the podium top sees a green common area and dining hall. Thereafter the slender tower hosts 295 apartments with options slated to include 1 Bed/1 Bath, 2 Bed/1 Bath and 2 Bed/2 Bath layouts. Generally each level will carry six dwellings with apartments sizes ranging between 50 sqm and 75 sqm.

Breaking the tower's form at level 42 is a recessed floor plate which features a mix of apartments and residential amenity, chief of which is a 23-seat cinema room which when not in use acts as a viewing deck with sweeping views toward the CBD.

<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/Image5_21.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Podium aspect. Image © Rothe Lowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="426" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image5_21.jpg?itok=k15eBI0N" title="Podium aspect. Image © Rothe Lowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Podium aspect. Image © Rothe Lowman</figcaption></figure>Of the design quality, Rothe Lowman states "The proposed building is a sophisticated response to the brief and context where the complexities inherent in the project are confronted through a solution that belies its simplicity. Delivering the requisite apartment amenity, responding effectively to the urban context and ensuring an inherently efficient solution are all resolved through a carefully considered and orchestrated tower plan.

The architectural expression in turn translates the plan into a beautifully elegant, timeless building. At the grandest scale the building is designed to fulfil its role as an important addition to the city yet on approach the building reveals a fine scale and level of detail appropriate to its use as a residential building." Basically it's an articulated, visually pleasing building.

What will be of interest is the speed at which the project will advance to sales, assuming the tower receives approval. Fellow Asian developers have wasted no time in marketing their projects, with the <a href="http://marcomelbourne.com.au/#header">Marco Melbourne</a> project close to 84-88 Queensbridge Street a prime example. Expectations are that upon approval 84-88 Queensbridge Street will join the throng of residential towers seeking their place on the skyline.
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