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Three out of four development applications were supported by the City of Melbourne at a recent Future Melbourne Committee meeting, including one each from Elenberg Fraser, Denton Corker Marshall (DCM) and Hayball architects.

If the architects meet their conditions of approval then Melbournians can expect to see a 210-metre tower by Elenberg Fraser and a two-tower project by DCM developed in the CBD and a three-tower residential project by Hayball architects at the Fishermans Bend precinct.

Of the proposals, Elenberg Fraser’s curvaceous tower at 111-125 A’Beckett Street is the tallest, but by no means the most expensive. The owners of Hayball development at 850-868 Lorimer Street, are forking out $500 million for their three-tower project which has been proposed to be delivered in two stages.

Looking likely: 111-125 A’Beckett Street by Elenberg Fraser and 850-868 Lorimer Street by Hayball. Images: Elenberg Fraser & Hayball/Urban Melbourne

DCM has taken the reigns from Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB) as the architects for 212-222 La Trobe Street and 17-25 Little La Trobe Street which was approved back in July 2016. DCM proposed a slightly altered version of JCB’s building envelope including changes to the setbacks, angles and shape of the towers as well as changing the internal floor layout to accommodate 827 student dwellings in lieu of the approved 413 dwellings.

The approved building (left) and DCM’s new ‘squared off’ version. Images: JCB and DCM/Urban Melbourne

Both of DCM’s towers still appear like a stack of four boxes created by varying the setback of the tower sections, however the angled floor plates proposed by JCB have been ‘squared off’.

Elenberg Fraser’s proposal for 111-125 A’Beckett features a 56-storey residential tower on top of a commercial, retail and carparking podium that also incorporates the façade of the existing heritage-listed Commonwealth Motors Building at the site. The built form from Level 8 onwards generally forms a ‘bow-tie’ shape, not too dissimilar to the parametric curves they adopted for their nearby project at the old Savoy Tavern site.

Hayball’s project is for a triangular site at the intersection of Ingles and Lorimer Streets at the Fishermans Bend. It has three towers on two podiums which are demarcated at ground level by a pedestrian through-site link. Towers 1 and 2 share a podium which has a pool and other amenity for residences while Tower 3 will have its own podium and will be developed at a later stage.

A 208 metre tower proposal for 478-488 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne was not supported by the City of Melbourne so it will be back to the drawing board for Elenberg Fraser who are also the architects for that project.

THE SUPPORTED THREE:

111-125 A’Beckett Street

Architect: Elenberg Fraser
Est. Cost: $50,000,000
Height: 65 storeys/210 metres excluding plant
Apartments: 632 apartments
Commercial/retail: 1171sqm
Carparking: 130

212-222 La Trobe Street and 17-25 Little La Trobe Street

Architect: Denton Corker Marshall
Est. Cost: $80,000,000
Height: Tower 1 - 27 storeys/195 metres, Tower 2 - 40 storeys/148 metres
Student dwellings: 827
Carparking: none

850-868 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne

Architect: Hayball
Est. Cost: $500,000,000
Height: three towers: 28 storeys/97 metres, 42 storeys/140 metres and 44 storeys/145 metres Apartments: 1134
Carparking: 936

Nathan Johnson

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