Toowong in Brisbane's inner West will be the site of a landmark $430 million, three-tower residential development following approval by Brisbane City Council today.
The "Grace on Coronation" development, designed by famous British-Iraqi architect Dame Zaha Hadid, features a trio of towers shaped like champagne flutes on the site of the former ABC studios on Coronation Drive.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the Sunland development would allow for extensive public access.
"Grace on Coronation proposes a striking design, which is certainly different in terms of its style to what this city has experienced before and there are differing views, but it is certainly a one-off design and a unique feature for our city," he said.
"The project provides public access to the river's edge and includes a riverfront café and shaded elevated terrace seating along the pedestrian spine connecting Middenbury House, the central plaza and the river's edge for people to enjoy the urban common areas.
"The site will be landscaped with a line of large jacaranda trees and shallow risers along the pedestrian spine to provide views to the river and reinforce a direct, tangible and visual connection from a series of urban common areas and riverside on what has been an eyesore site for almost a decade since the ABC left in 2006."
Construction on the project is expected to commence before the end of the year.
Two of the towers will be 24 storeys and the other 27, and in total they will offer 555 units, as well as parkland and retail.
"The three-building project has enabled almost 60 per cent of the site, (8,868 square metres) to be publicly accessible with landscaped pathways, a connection to the Brisbane River frontage as well as protecting two heritage sited fig trees," Cr Quirk said.
"The project will provide an extension of the Bicentennial Bikeway along Coronation Drive to Archer Street through the site to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
"The local community wanted more open space and permanent public access to this site and that has been achieved by limiting it to three as opposed to five buildings that retain a total of 75 levels of residential accommodation that the applicant is entitled to under planning laws."Grace on Coronation will have 714 residential and 86 visitor basement car parks and include 555 secured residential and 125 visitor bicycle spaces.
