The Capitol of South Yarra

Covered briefly earlier in the week, Urban.com.au today takes an in depth look at the latest and greatest proposal for The Capitol in South Yarra. Acquired by former Dodo founder Larry Kestelman's LK Property Group it becomes the seventh incarnation in a long list of development proposals for the 5,600sqm former Capitol Bakeries site on the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street.

Located within the rapidly evolving Forrest Hill precinct the project has been designed as a gateway development and an iconic landmark for the area, with an increase in height from 41-storeys to 58-storeys. As a result a subsequent refinement was undertaken resulting in more fluid forms articulated as a series of flowing horizontal ribbons across both masses before becoming more solid with an almost gill-like expression running up the face of the tallest tower.

Summary of changes

Changes to Toorak Road Tower

There is an opportunity to bring the energy and curves created in the retail experience to the facade/balcony expression of the Toorak Road building.

Project Architect - Bates Smart

A series of changes have occurred since the previously endorsed VCAT scheme:

• The removal of the return in plan with the intention to improve views and increase the separation between the two towers.
• An increase of the floorplate width of 1.5m while still maintaining a 20m separation from the Chapel Street tower.
• A reduction in the amount of balcony area to the Toorak Road frontage
• A relocation of the core
• Standardisation of all one bedroom apartments which can also be configured as a one bed + study

Changes to Chapel Street

The tower now presents as three ellipses not unlike Bates Smart's Queensbridge Tower proposal but with a tapering in mass as the tower rises, becoming increasingly slender towards its summit. This results in a more dynamic skyline silhouette than the previous scheme which presented as a uniform mass. One of the key changes is the reduction of the building mass at street level with an aim towards greatly improving the pedestrian experience.

We investigated an architectural language that creates a more distinctive sculptural object that celebrates the beauty of form and geometry. A form that might allow gradual slimming of the tower to create a unique landmark that has authenticity and identity. It would be an iconic contemporary destination in South Yarra. We tested the form of the tower to create a softer, more crafted quality which is in keeping with the new retail concept.

Bates Smart

Retail podium

Major design changes have also been made to the retail podiums since the approved VCAT scheme, with a new retail brief being implemented encouraging pedestrians through the site by way of curved retail frontages. These design strategies are as follows:

• The relocation of all car parking to below ground
• An increase in retail areas and circulation which takes advantage of level changes
• Decreased podium down to two-levels, providing a more human scale to the street
• Rooftop garden and amenities level
• The removal of the central retail component to open up the development to the street
• The introduction of more retail to Toorak Road to reflect its prominence
• The resolution of tower geometries and interface with amenities and retail
• A target NLA of 4,600sqm (over two floors)

According to the planning application the retail has been peeled back to allow the street to extend into the heart of the retail podium with a welcoming entry to Chapel Street.

Comment

Just how high is considered too high? At 193m to LMR The Capitol development would easily surpass Royal Domain Towers on St Kilda road as the tallest high-rise outside of the Melbourne CBD/Southbank and provide a visual landmark and focal point to the South Yarra skyline. It would also set a precedent for more towers of similar height and scale particularly if it can be argued that South Yarra as part of the Plan Melbourne blueprint must facilitate the expected influx of residents to Melbourne via concentrated high-rise development.

Height in particular shouldn't be the core reason for a development's refusal unless it comes at the detriment to the amenity of the street and pedestrian particularly along busy retail strips such as Toorak Road and Chapel Streets. The planning report indicates that "sunlight penetration to footpaths and public open spaces is maintained as per the approved scheme, with cut-outs at the podium level (Level 1) ensuring solar access through to the retail levels below."

I don't believe I'm alone in suggesting that this could prove to be a game changer for the way activity centres such as South Yarra develop and Urban.com.au will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the planning process.

A slideshow of earlier schemes is included below.

Project team

• Developer: LK Property Group
• Architect: Bates Smart
• Planning Consultant: Ratio Consultants
• Traffic Consultant: Traffix
• ESD Consultant: Norman Disney & Young
• Wind Consultant: MEL Consult
• Waste Consultant: Leigh Design