Abode 318 - 318 Russell Street, Melbourne

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With highly prized land parcels in Melbourne's CBD becoming smaller and scarcer, how do you maximise their development values and are skyscrapers viable on these compact sites? As well as sites getting smaller, so are apartments. But do they need to? How do we maximise floorspace to improve returns without compromising design and comfort?

Incredible shifts are happening in technology and building practices; we have a new generation of technology pushing the limits of concrete and steel like never before. But for engineers to continue to lead, they must provide compelling answers to the question: ‘Can we take what you want, and give you more?’

For developers, it’s more sellable area. For architects, it’s more space with less structure. For builders, it’s increased speed of construction, while at the same time ensuring health and safety.

At their very core, structural solutions for skyscrapers have to be simple, innovative and cost competitive. Melbourne is in the midst of a skyscraper construction explosion with three of the five tallest under construction benefiting from Meinhardt's expertise. They are the 72-storey Prima Pearl on the South Bank, the 68-storey 568 Collins Street; and the 58-storey Abode 318 on Russell Street.

Abode 318 and 568 Collins Street both sit on compact sites.

<h2>Abode 318</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/c8d4f3d67f050b21b492e71d270434cb.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Abode 318's unique facade. Image © Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/c8d4f3d67f050b21b492e71d270434cb.jpg?itok=MiL-VG2g" title="Abode 318's unique facade. Image © Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Abode 318's unique facade. Image courtesy Ryan Seychell</figcaption></figure>With a height to depth ratio of 9:1, Abode 318 on Russell Street in Melbourne’s CBD, could almost be classified as super skinny or pencil thin skyscraper (this is usually defined at a ratio of 11:1)

To achieve the requirements for 58-storeys on such a small site, optimising the building’s stability solution was critical. Wind tunnel testing and Finite Element Analysis were therefore conducted early in the project. This early analysis highlighted the challenges associated with wind acceleration and revealed an overall building natural frequency on the borderline for occupancy comfort.

<blockquote>
We incorporated provision for a tuned mass damper to be located at the top of the building, while at the same time optimising all of the building’s primary elements and lateral mechanisms, including car park ramps, lift cores and shear walls, in a computer model. When the structure was 80% complete the actual building frequency was measured using a ‘drop test’. One of the building cranes safely swung a weight above the structure and the building response was measured.

It was also important to not underestimate the importance of floor systems. When you have literally acres of the same footprint, it’s a significant cost to the overall project.
<cite>Vincent Amato, Senior Structural Engineer, Meinhardt</cite>
</blockquote>

This test revealed the dynamic response of the building to be acceptable without the need of the costly tuned mass damper, which could have cost the client $100k-$150k. The horizontal and vertical wave form of the Abode façade meant that every floor had a different geometry to the floor below and the floor above.

An economic floor plate design was achieved by seeking order in the waves and adopting a 10 floor repetition of the floor plate with the majority of the floor plate remaining consistent and variation being limited to the edge. This allowed the contractor to achieve economies of repetitive design with a bespoke outcome.

<h2>568 Collins Street</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/img_1290.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="568 Collins Street. Image courtesy Mark Baljak"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_1290.jpg?itok=tXoMtYrl" title="568 Collins Street. Image courtesy Mark Baljak" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>568 Collins Street. Image courtesy Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure>The 68-storey, mixed-use tower at 568 Collins Street meanwhile is set on a plan dimension of only 30m x 40m, which is very small for a building of this height. Traditionally in the Melbourne market high rise towers get their lateral stability solely by the central service core.

On this site, however with the limited space the client wished to maximise the sellable floor space while not impeding the views with bulky structure. By working closely with the architects and client in the early stages of the project a transfer-free structure has been created. This is rarely achieved in a mixed-use tower due to the floor plates requiring different functional grids for various uses.

<blockquote>
We were able to achieve this feat by use of advanced long term shortening and shrinkage modelling to predict and compensate for an uneven loading pattern to the structure. We called on our experience in the Middle East and Asia and adopted an outrigger system, which alleviated the core of all the work and kept the façade free of bulky structure.

With an outrigger system in two locations (top and bottom), we were able to shrink the core and give more sellable space back to the client. In addition, a retention system without temporary ground anchors accelerated construction and avoided potential damage to surrounding services.
<cite>Vincent Amato, Senior Structural Engineer, Meinhardt</cite>
</blockquote>

The whole approach also reduced the building’s overall height while keeping the desired number of floors and reduced the cost to the developer.

<h2>Prima Pearl Tower</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/rb9ci5.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The sky high Prima Pearl. Image courtesy Paul D"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="393" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/rb9ci5.jpg?itok=VnGMK4K5" title="The sky high Prima Pearl. Image courtesy Paul D" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The sky high Prima Pearl. Image courtesy Paul D</figcaption></figure>Located opposite Crown Casino, the prestigious 72-storey Prima Pearl apartment tower is nearing completion. The mixed-use building includes an indoor swimming pool, sauna, spa and gymnasium, private cinema, lounge and library, 8 –level podium car park, virtual golf driving range and level-67 sky lounge.

Unlike 568 Collins Street, this tower has the core doing all the work. Nevertheless, there are still opportunities to optimise space.

<blockquote>
We considered the impact of small internal core walls on the overall building stiffness. Despite receiving calls from the contractor’s steel scheduler to check what we had submitted was correct, we were able to reduce the required reinforcement and wall thickness of the main external core walls.

We have changed the shape of the floor plates above level 30 from concave to convex, which has created larger floor plates for the premium apartments. This structural floor plate design, which we developed, easily accommodated the changing building footprint without compromising a typical design philosophy for fast construction.
<cite>Vincent Amato, Senior Structural Engineer, Meinhardt</cite>
</blockquote>

This is clearly where the benefit to the project translates to added value back to the client.

It is literally possible to grab real estate out of the sky.
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vincentamato

Skyscraper trends: Optimising sites and maximising floor plates

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The flow of development to Melbourne CBD's East End began as a trickle relative to surrounding inner city precincts, but the 'Paris End' of late has come into its own. 'Paris End' of course is an ill-fitting moniker (some would also say crass) with current development within the CBD's eastern flank well spread, as opposed to being centralised around Collins Street's historic grandeur.

Bound by Flinders, Elizabeth, Spring and Victoria, Urban.com.au's Project Database shows a mass of East End developments looking to make their mark. Historically the domain of commercial development, East End was bereft of residential projects as developers favoured proven areas such as Southbank and Docklands, although this trend his has now changed sharply!

Spurred on in part by the phenomenal influx of Asian-based property entities, East End proposals have steadily increased over the last two years as the insatiable push to secure prized sites in the current market shows no signs of slowing; an arms race of property development for lack of a better analogy.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image8ep.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="All shapes and sizes of proposals within East End"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="402" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image8ep.jpg?itok=n5TgfwMI" title="All shapes and sizes of proposals within East End" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>All shapes and sizes of proposals within East End</figcaption></figure><h2>Apartment development leading the charge</h2>

Below is a summary of East End residential projects currently found within the Urban.com.au Project Database. Given the ever dynamic nature of development and planning at the moment, these may require refreshing in a few weeks time. Regardless, this is the current state of play concerning residential projects within East End.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%;">
<thead><tr>
<th>Address</th>
			<th>Apartments</th>
			<th>Developer</th>
			<th>Levels</th>
			<th>Staus</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/empire-melbourne-398-elizabeth-street-melbourne">398 Elizabeth Street</a></td>
			<td>474</td>
			<td>Mammoth Empire</td>
			<td>55</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/abode-318-318-russell-street-melbourne">318 Russell Street</a></td>
			<td>433</td>
			<td>PDG &amp; Schiavello</td>
			<td>57</td>
			<td>Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/crystal-gardens-276-russell-street-melbourne">276 Russell Street</a></td>
			<td>154</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>36</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>500 Elizabeth Street</td>
			<td>524</td>
			<td>Brady Group</td>
			<td>72</td>
			<td>Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/309-325-bourke-street-melbourne">309 Bourke Street</a></td>
			<td>466</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>&gt;10</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/35-spring-street-melbourne">35 Spring Street</a></td>
			<td>270</td>
			<td>CBUS</td>
			<td>43</td>
			<td>Construction</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a></td>
			<td>367</td>
			<td>Artemis Group</td>
			<td>62</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">63 Exhibition Street</a></td>
			<td>328</td>
			<td>Asia One</td>
			<td>67</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/the-trillium-36-la-trobe-street-melbourne">36 La Trobe Street</a></td>
			<td>224</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>39</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/metrolitan-melbourne-137-bourke-street-melbourne">137 Bourke Street</a></td>
			<td>104</td>
			<td>VIMG</td>
			<td>19</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">85 Spring Street</a></td>
			<td>303</td>
			<td>Grocon</td>
			<td>46</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/buildings/avant-60-abeckett-street-melbourne">54 A'Beckett Street</a></td>
			<td>750</td>
			<td>Aspial - WCL</td>
			<td>81</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">224 La Trobe Street</a></td>
			<td>1,206</td>
			<td>UEM Sunrise</td>
			<td>88</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">452 Elizabeth Street</a></td>
			<td>622</td>
			<td>Golden Age</td>
			<td>75</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/new-apartments/9-11-exploration-lane-melbourne">9 Exploration Lane</a></td>
			<td>89</td>
			<td>Balfour</td>
			<td>33</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">180 Russell Street</a></td>
			<td>506</td>
			<td>AXF Group</td>
			<td>70</td>
			<td>Planning</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/48-50-abeckett-street-melbourne">48 A'Beckett Street</a></td>
			<td>235</td>
			<td>Austwin</td>
			<td>45</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">22 Bennetts Lane</a></td>
			<td>25</td>
			<td>Unknown</td>
			<td>12</td>
			<td>Approved</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">450 Elizabeth Street</a></td>
			<td>607</td>
			<td>Hengyi</td>
			<td>69</td>
			<td>Registration &amp; Sales</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
There are 19 projects are listed above, six of which are at planning assessment. These six have a total unit count similar to that of the remaining 13 in the list. 3,490 apartments are at planning, with the largest project being UEM Sunrise's 224 La Trobe Street carrying 1,206 dwellings, followed by 54 A'Beckett Street with 750.

A total of 4,247 apartments are counted within the remaining 13 projects which have either been approved or are at registration and sales. 1,227 units are under construction. Those apartments under construction represent 16% of the total 7,737 apartments slated for East End according to the Urban.com.au Project Database, hinting that East End is heading toward a development surge the likes of which have not been seen before within the precinct.

<h2>Other uses in high demand</h2>

82 Collins Street and the forthcoming Telstra building adjacent to their current Exhibition Street headquarters headline the large commercial projects slated for East End, adding in the vicinity of a combined 150,000sqm of premium office space. Commercial space aside, the surge of hotel suites is something to behold.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image7e.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="80 Collins Street, QT hotel and Hotel Forum"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image7e.jpg?itok=d42RLtJb" title="80 Collins Street, QT hotel and Hotel Forum" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>80 Collins Street, QT hotel and Hotel Forum</figcaption></figure>In part dragged along by a raft of mixed-use, high-rise proposals, the number of expected hotel suites for East End is robust, even with the scrapping of the <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-operators-hope-to-resurrect-1980s-yuppie-haven-in-flinders-lane-20140721-zv8od">Rosati hotel proposal</a> mid 2014.

The current batch of intended hotel locations includes 150 Flinders Street, <a href="/buildings/97-franklin-street-melbourne">97 Franklin Street</a>, <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">180 Russell Street</a>, <a href="/new-apartments/63-exhibition-street-melbourne">63 Exhibition Street</a>, Windsor Hotel and 80 Collins Street's 19 level, 252-room hotel tower. Yielding roughly 1,200 hotel suites, these six projects may be joined by the nearly complete 146-room Brady Hotels tower at 22-32 Little La Trobe and the proposed yet troubled W Hotel development at 20-30 Bourke Street.

<h2>Future impositions?</h2>

It can be argued that as long as strong overseas sales underpin the local apartment market, then the current upward development trend will continue as developers seek new site acquisitions. A prime case in point sees the recent listing of <a href="http://www.realcommercial.com.au/property-land+development-vic-melbourne-501229863">168 Exhibition Street</a> by CBRE as offered for sale with a Peddle Thorp development scheme, including a 54 level mixed-use development. 168 Exhibition is symptomatic of the current East End dynamic where bigger is better, but what price for heritage considerations?

The question must be asked: will the influx of many thousands of new residents place too great a burden upon existing infrastructure? Certainly East End has inherent street level qualities and character devoid in areas such as Southbank, and finds itself closer to essential services, amenity and the general 'buzz' of Melbourne. Could existing transport infrastructure be the area most imposed upon by a surging East End population?

A clear positive of Melbourne's East End development surge would be the influx of people, particularly in the commercial dominated areas of Collins &amp; Bourke Street. The resultant surge of residents would serve to activate many after-hour 'dead' spots and encourage new retail/entertainment opportunities to flourish where there were previously none; in effect bolstering and expanding City of Melbourne's <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/COMMUNITYSERVICES/COMMUNITYSAFETY/Pages/24HourCitypolicy.aspx">24 Hour City</a> policy into the eastern reaches of the CBD.

If only a crystal ball were handy to assess whether eastern promises would translate into East End realities!

Lead image courtesy Ryan Seychell.
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silvermb

Eastern promises - an overview of Melbourne CBD's East End developments

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Hot on the heels of articles by <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/the-fahrenheit-tower-a-closer-look-at-127-141-abeckett-street">Ryan</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/talking-the-talk-386-412-william-street-melbourne">Mark</a> in recent days, today's article continues the focus on Melbourne's in-demand architecture firm, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/architects/fraser-partners-0">Elenberg Fraser</a>. Before I continue however, I'd like to start off by apologising. The name Elenberg Fraser doesn't really lend itself to the sort of witty article names everyone has probably become accustomed to me providing. 'Tip of the Elenberg', 'Set Frasers to Stun' and even 'Set Frasers to stun, this is just the tip of the Elenberg' were considered but ultimately didn't make a hell of a lot of sense.

As some readers would already know Malaysian-based property heavyweight <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/uem-sunrise">UEM Sunrise</a> recently ran a limited design competition, inviting three local architects to produce schemes for their two flagship Melbourne projects at <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/the-answer-224-252-la-trobe-street-melbourne">224-252 LaTrobe St</a> and <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/conservatory-9-23-mackenzie-street-melbourne">9-23 Mackenzie Street</a>. It came as little surprise that one of the firms invited to submit designs for the sites, and ultimately the architect of choice for the LaTrobe Street project was of course Elenberg Fraser. Accustomed to producing designs for high-rise residential towers throughout Melbourne, the firm roughly accounts for an incredible <a href="http://elenbergfraser.com/#!/about/services">10% of all apartments going up in Melbourne</a>.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/EF%20towers%20render%202.png" rel="gallery-all" title="A selection of Elenberg Fraser projects sees 386-412 William Street, 452 Elizabeth Street, Abode 318 and Tower Melbourne depicted together. Image © Blockhead "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/EF%20towers%20render%202.png?itok=mka61VNi" title="A selection of Elenberg Fraser projects sees 386-412 William Street, 452 Elizabeth Street, Abode 318 and Tower Melbourne depicted together. Image © Blockhead " typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

So how did Elenberg Fraser, once renowned (at least in the eyes of peers) for only sharing interest in the design of 'facades' rather than a holistic approach to a sum of parts, become the in-vogue Melbourne high-rise apartment specialists - the Asian developer's go to architect that we have come to know today? Well for one, it didn't happen overnight and is the result of some hard work and getting their foot in the door early by having and making the right connections. Established by Zahava Elenberg and Callum Fraser in 1998, following the successful commission of the $50m <a href="http://architectureau.com/articles/liberty-tower/">Liberty Tower</a> (with documentation services provided by <a href="http://www.designinc.com.au/">Design Inc</a>) on Spencer Street for Morry Schwartz's Pan Urban, the practice has since gone on to develop an impressive body of work in all sectors including apartments, interiors, ski resorts, restaurant fit-outs, master plans both locally and abroad and even a designer <a href="http://elenbergfraser.com/#!/project/design-o-pizza">pizza</a>.

Not bad considering Zahava and Callum designed Liberty Tower whilst in the midst of completing their studies at RMIT University - how many architectural graduates can lay claim to that? I certainly can't. The practice has continued to grow from around 18 employees in 2003 when the office was still based in <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/fitzroy-vic-3065">Fitzroy</a> to well over 50 following its move in to swanky new digs on Queen St, which bear all the hallmarks of an Elenberg Fraser designed interior. Visually and tactically stimulating - a black shell fitted with neon tube artwork, echo panel pinboard walls, an integrated reception desk and waiting seat plus latex covered counters which I may have been overly eager to get a feel for during an invited visit to the office some years ago - drawing a look of concern from practice manager Karen McWilliam.

Zahava has since gone on to establish <a href="http://www.move-in.com.au/">Move-In</a>, a home furnishing service for owner-occupiers and investors and claimed the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/25/1066974368674">Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year Award</a> in 2003 whilst in the process taking somewhat of a back seat in the general operation of the office. Callum, on the other hand has become the public face of the firm, appearing in marketing videos for the office's residential projects and spruiking the benefits of high-rise living in the media, in particular <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/tall-and-thin-the-new-fashion-for-city-developers-20120408-1wjp0">tall thin towers</a> - a "move (away) from the Mid-West USA city model to a new urban model of pencil thin skyscrapers".

The firm draws inspiration for their work from a number of sources, some best described as left of field, from Princess Leia's dress in Return of the Jedi to a <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/the-fahrenheit-tower-a-closer-look-at-127-141-abeckett-street">bottle of Dior Fahrenheit</a> to wind and solar modelling in deriving form, materiality and texturally - while producing site responsive design interventions, best summarised by the office's design process below:

<blockquote>
Invention excites us. We address the needs of our clients, building users and community by identifying the specific needs of each project. We ask the right questions without imposing pre-determined solutions and then we use our process to take us to the invention stage. This process has opened people's eyes to impossible realities. Who knew buildings could be both design-driven and market-driven?

Rather than applying a house style, our buildings are conceived in their own right, responding to their specific site, location and purpose. We don't generalise across projects either - our job is to uncover and express the unique identity of each project, through built form.
</blockquote>

The second paragraph in particular is worth exploring. It could be argued that since their jump up in scale with <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/abode-318-318-russell-street-melbourne">Abode318</a>, the practice's projects seem to have developed a DNA based on scale and location, but with multiple permutations, parameters and possibilities - the larger city towers in particular feature variations of a fluid rippling or wave - a metamorphosis across their facades driven by a desire to mitigate the forces of wind (working together with <a href="http://www.vipac.com.au/">Vipac</a>) while simultaneously setting the scene for the firm's <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/high-rise-by-assembly-line-20121007-2777r">leap into modular construction</a> with the <a href="http://klikaustralia.com.au/">Klik</a> building system. This continuing theme is evident in <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/150-queen-street-melbourne">Tower Melbourne</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/victoria-one-452-472-elizabeth-street-melbourne">Victoria Tower</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/light-house-450-elizabeth-street-melbourne">450 Elizabeth Street</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/southbank-vic-3006">Hanover House development</a>, King Tower Southbank, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">378-412 William Street</a> and to a lesser extent <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/eq-tower-127-abeckett-street-melbourne">127 A'beckett Street</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/EF%20Towers_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="191" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/EF%20Towers_0.jpg?itok=tHpBacuL" width="580"></a></figure>The mid-rise stock of buildings produced by Elenberg Fraser in <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/docklands-vic-3008">Docklands</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/south-yarra-vic-3141">South Yarra</a> and St Kilda Road offer a more varied building form and facade strategy - still for the most part maintaining a sinuous visual language but with a simpler articulation, whether in the form of a fluid balustrade wrap treatment or a vertical screening element across the elevation of the building - with a focus on reduction of solar gain, glare to apartments and privacy for residents.

It has to be said that while Elenberg Fraser's taller buildings have become variations of the one idea or theme, I question whether that is a) necessarily a bad thing or b) any different to any other architectural practice working at this scale. Is the city at risk of becoming known for bronze pencil thin, wavy towers? I don't think so. They have identified that one of the most important factors when designing tall towers on sites that don't allow for a podium with setback tower typology is comfort to residents and pedestrians, and consequently have developed responses in building form which disperse the wind and negate downbursts to the street. The by-product of this is tall, striking towers.

Take a moment, to consider the alternative. Where other architects (who shan't be named) produce generic 'cookie-cutter' buildings which appear void of any real design nous or intent beside making their client a quick buck, Elenberg Fraser, in my opinion, at least provide visually engaging buildings that whilst static have very kinetic qualities about them. They are sculptural, masculine, feminine and have a real character about them beyond 'just another apartment building'.

Together with the growing trend toward high-rise living and a saturated apartment market, quality, location and amenity are becoming more and more important. Considering the influx of foreign investment as giant Asian developers jostle for prime Melbourne sites, this new wave of Elenberg Fraser designed high-rises seems likely to endure for quite some time. With return clients such as Morry Schwartz (so what if he's Zahava's step-father), <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/cel-australia">CEL Australia</a> (with 170 Victoria Street), and a new Asian-based client almost every other week (or so it seems), those who head and work for this firm are seemingly at the height of their powers.

I for one welcome the invasion of Elenberg Fraser buildings across the cityscape as their buildings don't just occupy the site, they engage the site and make it noteworthy. They are also strong believers "in embracing our new urban destiny". We at Urban.com.au couldn't agree more and always look forward to what they'll come up with next.

<h2>My pick of Elenberg Fraser projects to watch out for</h2>

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">386-412 William Street - 50 &amp; 30-storeys</a> (client: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/mit-australia">MIT Australia</a>).</li>
	<li>
<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/aurora-melbourne-central-224-la-trobe-street-melbourne">224-252 La Trobe Street - 78 &amp; 50-storeys</a> (client: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/uem-sunrise">UEM Sunrise</a>).</li>
	<li>
<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/380-melbourne-380-lonsdale-street-melbourne">380 Lonsdale Street - 56 &amp; 52-storeys</a> (client: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/hiap-hoe">Hiap Hoe</a>).</li>
	<li>
<a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news">170 Victoria Street - 66-storeys</a> (client: <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/cel-australia">CEL Australia</a>).</li>
</ul>
In due course I'll also be producing a host of renders focusing on Melbourne's northern CBD highlighting the above and other projects in the development pipeline, naturally dependent upon when planning applications are lodged. In the meantime enjoy the Elenberg Fraser projects below.
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Skyscraper trends: Optimising sites and maximising floor plates

Eastern promises - an overview of Melbourne CBD's East End developments

EF'ing spectacular! Elenberg Fraser make their mark

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