This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
GLOBALLY acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design Crown Group’s $500 million residential resort development at West End, Brisbane.
The development will be Kengo Kuma & Associates’ first residential project in Brisbane and Crown Group’s first development in Queensland. The design is already underway in collaboration with Australian firm, Plus Architecture.
The apartments will be located on 1.25 hectares of prime waterfront land at 117 Victoria St in Brisbane’s West End. It will feature not only apartments but terrace homes and penthouses and will feature resort style facilities including a pool, barbeque, gym, community room and tropical gardens.
Kuma has offices in Tokyo and Paris and is known for his use of cedar, melding timber with contemporary urban structures. Amongst his most notable works are the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo, Bamboo Wall House in China, LVMH Group’s Japan headquarters and Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium for the postponed 2020 games.
“Brisbane to me is a very beautiful city with rich culture and natural heritage. In general, I think there is a strong connection between people and nature in Australia. The rich natural environment there is special, and people’s lifestyle and culture has evolved around embracing and integrating nature into their everyday lives.
“I think Australians are looking for a hardware that fits this kind of lifestyle, more so than people living in other countries, so the design will seek to embrace that.” Kuma said.
Danny Juric, Plus Architecture’s Brisbane director, proposed this project “represented a new era in architecture”.
“Kuma’s iconic style will be a great addition to West End and we will work closely with him to ensure the localisation of the design is exceptional,” Juric said. “It’s a very special collaboration for us, one which will enhance the cultural fibre of the city and create a valuable and rare piece of local history.” Juric said.
“This design is going to set a new benchmark for residential living in the locality. It will become the most sought-after development Brisbane has seen in decades,” said Trent MacLauchlan, Crown Group’s new Queensland development director.
A design concept is expected to be completed by early 2021, with design revisions to be lodged with the Brisbane City Council in mid-2021.
