This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
DEVELOPER Beulah has acquired Hanover House in Melbourne’s Southbank, creating an island site to form the base of its future $2 billion tower that will be the tallest in the southern hemisphere.
The corner property at 158 City Road gives the Southbank by Beulah development, also known as the Green Spine tower, a total footprint of 7,706 sqm with four street frontages, to Power Street, City Road, Southbank Boulevard, Waterfall Lane and a new Melbourne laneway.
Approval for the 368-metre high dual-tower mixed use project was fast-tracked last year in response to the COVID pandemic by the Victorian government, hoping to simulate economic and construction activity.
Those plans included 789 apartments, a 322-room hotel, 27,000 sqm of office space and 32,000 sqm of retail space, but Cox Architecture and Amsterdam-based UNStudio are now in the process of preparing to submit a redesign to Melbourne City Council.
Among the changes include an extended retail podium, creating more space between the two towers – over 45 metres – increasing the public park on level seven to over 2,000sqm; increasing an auditorium to 3,000 seats, as well as increasing the hotel and office outlook with views across the city and to Port Phillip Bay.
COVID-influences workplace changes will see the commercial offering increased to 50,000 sqm, with office floorplates increasing to 2,000 sqm as a means of creating larger, more flexible and collaborative workspaces. Each floor will offer uninterrupted views towards Port Phillip Bay.
The Hanover House site will be added to the BMW dealership site Beulah bought for more than $101 million from the German car manufacturer at the end of 2017.
Beulah managing director Jiaheng Chan said the public benefit of the project would increase through larger public spaces, but the overall site density will decrease through the elimination of the proposed tower on the acquired land.
“The architectural principles which have won unanimous council support, support of the planning minister and international acclaim will not change,” he said.
“Acquiring Hanover House is a strategic move that will allow us to truly realise our vision for Southbank by Beulah and that is to create a cultural heart for the Southbank area and its surrounds; having a rare island site in this central location will provide us endless opportunities to create a state-of-the-art precinct, unlike anything Melbourne has seen.
Philip Rowe, director of Cox Architecture said the ability to consolidate Southbank by Beulah into the adjacent Hanover House site is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
By utilising the additional space, we can create a transformative and amenity-rich precinct that seamlessly transitions public realm, retail amenity, private residences and commercial spaces throughout, embedding a sense of spatial generosity, access to abundant natural light, ventilation and verdant green spaces,” he said.
Construction on Southbank by Beulah is forecast to commence early next year and will take approximately five years to complete.
