WMK Architects have altered the façade treatment of their approved 15-storey Brisbane riverside apartment project to align it with the traditional Queenslander vernacular and the engineering of the nearby river bridges.

Banc is a boutique 15-storey building situated at 527 Coronation Drive in Toowong, Brisbane and compromises 33 apartments and attractions for high end buyers like wine cellars, an infinity-edge pool and a residents’ lounge.

The DA for the project, which was submitted back in November 2014, has received approval and the building’s developer, Ideal Property Australia is now busy selling off its apartments. But WMK have made a few changes to the original plan, most noticeably the addition of a skeletal concrete frame to the north-east and south-west elevations.

As it was, the building’s north-east elevation featured a large charcoal cladding form with punctured windows. However the revised plans show that a glazed curtain has replaced the cladding and a sinuous skeletal frame has been added to the façade. The same framing has been added to the south-west elevation.

Renders (left to right) original versus ammended plans

North east elevation (left to right) original versus ammended plans

South east elevation (left to right) original versus ammended plans

Other alterations to the plans were the infill of the penthouse’s deck and pool space which is now a second penthouse, and a reconfiguration of balconies to make them wrap around the building.

The building has been interior designed by SJB who played a hand in the design of the world’s most impressive mixed-use development of 2015, ‘Casba’ in Sydney which won the 2015 World Architecture Festival Award for Mixed Use Completed Buildings.

ABOUT THE PROJECT (courtesy of WMK Architecture)

“The proposed residential development at 525A, 527 & 527A Coronation Drive is an elegant, modern luxury residential tower designed to appeal to the owner occupier market. This boutique development is designed with broad and generous living spaces and balconies to take an uncompromised aspect to the river.

“The nature of the site being the last infill sit in the precinct has a number of multi-residential buildings to its surrounds. With this in mind, the site has been purposefully, ‘under develop’ both to appeal to its own exclusive market but also to lessen any loss of amenity to its neighbours. The sleek design will minimise impact on view and breeze conditions and also help to minimise over shadowing.

“Further to the sleek design of the tower, the design has also intentionally forgone a four-level podium base to the tower, opting instead to incorporate just a single level entry and basement car park podium to tie in with the existing height of the neighbouring retaining walls to present a homogenous and consistent street frontage to Coronation Drive. This frontage, to be stone faced will also incorporate the entry foyer to provide visitors and residents a residential address while providing security to all levels of the development.

“The Tower itself is separated from the podium by a higher level ground floor with predominantly glazed frontage and provides lower level balconies with an articulated balustrade to play on a more of a podium and tower approach.

“The mass of the tower proper is split in two shifted blocks to accommodate and articulate the unit layout of the floor plates being two per floor. The stepped mass helps all units to access northern sun light and the city and river views. The stepping also provides relief to the building mass to both Coronation Drive and units to the rear.

“The external treatment will be clad in a combination of sleek and tactile materials to add a sense of luxury to the development and to provide a human scale and feel to the communal podium base akin to a resort facility. The fine crafting of the material and details will be built to reflect the exclusive market and has been articulated with an external skeletal frame to help dialogue with both the traditional Queenslander Vernacular and to the engineering of the river bridges.”

Images: WMK

Nathan Johnson

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