NewsPerri Projects and Woods Bagot seek a new northern CBD focal point
Perri Projects and Woods Bagot seek a new northern CBD focal point
Mark BaljakAugust 13, 2017
One of Melbourne's diminishing number of larger-scale planning applications has broken cover.
Local developer Perri Projects is seeking to push through a substantial apartment tower on a prominent site at the northern tip of the CBD. 23-29 Victoria Street is currently a service station, but under plans conceived by Woods Bagot a 25 storey predominantly residential would take its place.
The site finds itself in a mixed-use zone with a wide discrepancy of heights on show. Over recent years a high degree of development has taken place immediately south of 23-29 Victoria Street, with dual 38 storey buildings currently at construction.
North-facing apartments within the prospective tower would command imposing views down the Drummond Street axis, with little prospect of being built out. Perhaps this potential selling point along with current market trends has seen the majority of apartments within the proposal holding three bedrooms.
23-29 Victoria Street application summary
23-29 Victoria Street as rendered from Drummond Street. Planning image: Woods Bagot
Application lodged June 2017
Site area: 894sqm with two street frontages
Proposed: 25 storey tower at 86.2m to roof line
Apartment mix: 27 x 1BR, 26 x 2BR, 37 x 3BR
2 retail tenancies of 117sqm and 86sqm
539sqm of office accommodation within the podium
79 vehicles and 88 bicycles within 4 basement levels
2 amenities levels: pool, gym, lounge, dining area
Estimated development cost: $50 million
NSA: 10,400sqm
Speaking the Carlton language
The building speaks two languages, one to its cultural heritage neighbours (both the building and Carlton’s Victorian terrace housing) and another, towards its younger and taller companions for centralised, city living. The geometric facade is conceived as an analogy of Carlton’s architectural typology.
A cascading diagonal motif set at the scale of an apartment integrates the balcony condition into the envelope. A brick podium provides an anchor point whilst subtly referencing its context.
Seeking a new CBD-Carlton nexus. Planning image: Woods Bagot
The tower form along the northern elevation is highly agitated, synonymous with the Carlton verandah depth, however, the south facade is flattened reflecting the city’s restrained geometric qualities.
Urban context Report
Ground plane activation
The application seeks to do its part in overhauling the currently poor street level experience along McKenzie Street.
23-29 Victoria Street's podium toward the west utilises white flemishbond brick, referencing the adjoining Horticultural Hall’s red-brick facades. The balance of the design's ground floor is clear glazed and expressive toward the streetscape, whilst mature trees will sit atop the terraced western podium.
Landscaping plays a key part across the tower's lower levels, with four separate design aspects proposed to enhance the pedestrian network. MacKenzie Street's pavement would be widened in order to introduce planterboxes whilst the MacKenzie and Victoria Street intersection is earmarked for overhaul by way of a pocket urban forest.
A new string of trees to Victoria Street and an upgrade to Bell Place's connectivity are also on the cards as part of the development team's bid to gain approval.
McKenzie Street perspective. Planning image: Woods Bagot
Mark Baljak was a co-founder of Urban.com.au. He passed away on Thursday 8th of November 2018 after a battle with cancer. He was 37.
Mark was a keen traveller, having visited all six permanently-inhabited continents and had a love of craft beer.
One of his biggest passions was observing the change that has occurred in Melbourne over the past two decades. In that time he built an enormous library of photos, all taken by him, which tracked the progress of construction on building sites from across metropolitan Melbourne.
