- Published:
- Monday 11 July 2016
A new $300 million tower on Collins Street designed by world renowned architect Zaha Hadid has been given the green light by the Andrews Labor Government.
The 54 storey tower will include 420 apartments, more than 10,000 square metres of office and retail space and more than 600 square metres of public realm works - including a ground floor art space, a public plaza to Collins Street, a new pedestrian link and a publicly accessible terrace.
The building at 582-606 Collins Street will be Melbourne’s first designed by the late Zaha Hadid, who died in April this year, with its design presented as a trio of vases tapering inward at the base.
Hadid was an Iraqi-born British architect and was the first Arab woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, winning in 2004. Her works are renowned across the globe, including the Aquatic Center for the London 2012 Olympics and the Guangzhou Opera House in China.
The Collins Street development includes a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments, reflecting the growing demand for larger inner-city dwellings.
The proposal was assessed under the central city interim build form controls, with the public realm benefits offsetting the uplift allowing it to exceed plot ratio requirements.
Through the application process, the building height was reduced from 185.5 metres to 176 metres to avoid overshadowing of the Yarra’s north bank.
The design responds to Minister for Planning Richard Wynne’s push for a higher standard of inner city development and towers which contribute to the streetscape.
The approval was supported by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, the City of Melbourne and the Office of Victorian Government Architect.
Quotes attributable to Acting Minister for Planning Jill Hennessy
“This stand-out design will enhance the city’s skyline, deliver jobs during construction and additional housing for people wanting to live in the CBD.”
“The late Zaha Hadid has been described as an a starchitect, Melbourne will now have a piece of her artistic flare and I look forward to seeing it come together and provide new public space in the city.”