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.
The Acting Minister for Planning Jill Hennessy said, “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 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.”
The building’s Victorian developer Landream said, “We are very thankful for the support of Melbourne City Council, the Victorian Government’s Planning Department and the many other stakeholders. The approval is in keeping with our application. This is an inspired project that will enrich the city, creating a new public plaza and amenities as well as improve connectivity for all pedestrians.
“We are proud to be delivering Zaha Hadid’s design for Melbourne and will continue to work closely with her team to make it a reality.”
Zaha Hadid Architects are partnering with Plus Architecture to bring one of Dame Zaha Hadid’s last projects to Melbourne.
