Gamuda Land seeks further Melbourne development opportunities as 661 Chapel reaches completion

Gamuda Land has overseen 661 Chapel Street's delivery and will this month welcome the tower's first residents.

The developer's first foray into the Australian market has seen 661 Chapel Street positioned as one of Melbourne's elite residential developments. The flagship project caters specifically for the owner-occupier market, with a pared-back number of apartments plus expansive communal facilities reflective of this.

Sales figures for the project reflect Gamuda Land's positioning of the project; owner-occupier overwhelmingly account for the majority of buyers with 15% of purchasers flowing from New South Wales.

Gamuda Land initiated its maiden Melbourne project by securing the site along with a permitted Bird de la Coeur Architects-designed scheme, and went about rejigging the internal spaces within the design. In the process, the development's permitted 169 apartments were amalgamated and expanded to yield a final figure of 116.

With the financial weight of parent company Gamuda Berhad behind the project, construction was initiated during April 2016 prior to development's sales campaign; head contractor Crema Constructions and project manager/superintendent PDS Group guided the project to completion one month ahead of schedule.

Gamuda Land's willingness to begin the physical delivery of the project early is now bearing fruit, racking up a string of sales in recent weeks as buyers now have the luxury of inspecting the final product.

Sales for 661 Chapel Street have now surpassed 70%.

Urban.com.au toured the completed project last week just prior to the initiation of settlements.

A grand porte-cochère leads into the concierge area and a string of communal facilities across the ground floor. In line with the project's stature, the finishes are elegant and spacious, with a collection of artworks curated by Mars Gallery soon to take their place.

Urban.com.au spoke with Mars Gallery Director Andy Dinan earlier in the year regarding the growing trend of collaborations within shared spaces which has in turn created a growing number of opportunities for artists to be brought on for commissioned work in a curatorial, or consulting role.  661 Chapel Street is very much active in this sense.

The Grand Library, in particular, is an area "designed to capture light and create a sense of calmness." 'The Relic' - a cardboard sculpture with an industrial aesthetic by acclaimed artist Daniel Agdag who works entirely in cardboard and is known for his attention to detail, will feature in this space.

According to Dinan, it was critical that the artworks selected were 'an appropriate fit for the spaces.' In the context of the Grand Library this extended beyond The Relic to the adjoining wall, which will feature a print of a photo by Agdag while a catalogue of his work will also sit within the space.

Beyond the statement Grand Library, further amenities include a meeting room, multiple dining areas, cinema, sauna and an outdoor barbeque area. Also present is an extensive wine cellar capable of holding thousands of bottles.

Most impressive though is the cantilevered pool which from below juts out above the project's entrance and frames the 30 level tower form above.

All communal areas and western-facing apartments will maintain unfettered view toward Melbourne's skyline, owing to the adjacent heritage-listed Melbourne High School and sporting oval. The apartments themselves are finished to a high quality and have extracted the most space from the tower's curving form which has resulted in almost triangular living areas.

Gamuda Land has flagged an announcement and further information regarding 661 Chapel Street's immense penthouse later this month. It is expected the crowning residence will be positioned as one of Melbourne's elite living spaces.

On the back of the success of 661 Chapel Street, Gamuda Land have confirmed they intend to seek out further Melbourne projects. Although no specific sites are in the developer's keep, they continue to run the ruler over prospective projects across Melbourne which would be in line with the standing of the completed South Yarra development.

A push into other Australian markets is also being considered.