City of Port Phillip deal with the tall and the short of it
For differing reasons, City of Port Phillip's planning department is currently handling two highly interesting planning applications.
37-43 Park Street continues to gain height as it cycles through the planning process, with developer Milbex hoping an additional six floors can find favour with Council. 190-192 St Kilda Road on the other hand has stamped itself as one of 2016's more astute small-scale designs owing to its busy yet engaging design.
Both intended developments were lodged for assessment during the third quarter.
South Melbourne's 37-43 Park Street began its planning process during 2014, with a new design submitted during mid-2015. Elenberg Fraser have remained the project's lead throughout, with the latest design iteration lodged during September.
Relative to the previously approved scheme, the current taller submission seeks the approval of an 18 level tower yielding 201 apartments, or an increase of 49 over the previous design. Additionally the tower's car spaces would expand from 81 to 120, bicycles from 132 to 164 and the overall height from 35 metres to 60 metres.
Although a reduction in ground floor retail space from 453sqm to 410sqm is envisaged, the project's renders depict an activated frontage to Park Street; something which is currently sorely missed. Ground floor will also see the elimination of car parking, with resident's amenities such as a gym, lounge and dining space installed.
Milbex has dubbed the project 39W, and it shapes as their largest residential development to date, nominally superseding the nearby Essence South Melbourne which holds 182 apartments and was completed during 2013.
190-192 St Kilda Road on the other hand is certainly one of the smaller planning applications to be covered by Urban.com.au over the course of 2016.
A six storey mixed use development is called for, with three levels of office space amounting to 675sqm. Set above the commercial floors is a penthouse which carries 218sqm of internal space, including four bedrooms.
Designed by Peddle Thorp, 190-192 St Kilda Road also includes provisions for 22 vehicles across basement and ground levels.
It is the application's ground level and exterior skin which make it a tantalising design prospect.
The ground floor cafe is the design highlight, with Peddle Thorp extending the curving interior outward. According to submitted documents, the project's brief was to emulate the project's name through form, and the result is a highly impressive street level activation.
Directly above the arcing and transparent ground level, Peddle Thorp have employed an angular mesh veil across the main commercial levels, with an eye toward distinguishing the project from others in the immediate vicinity. A green wall element will also be introduced across the building's rear.
A curving floor plate rounds out the highly meritorious application. All in all an eye-catching design.
