_ICONIC APARTMENT BUILDING AND CENTRAL PARK APPROVED IN DOCKLANDS

Collie congratulates MAB Corporation Pty Ltd on obtaining a planning permit for a new apartment building and urban park in the New Quay Central precinct of Docklands.

Located between Docklands Drive and New Quay Promenade, the seventeen-storey building features a range of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments targeted towards the owner-occupier market.  Two penthouses, each with four bedrooms are located on the top level of the building and a rooftop amenities area which includes lounge and dining areas, a kitchen and a pool will be available for use by residents.

Building C 2Active ground floor uses have been incorporated into the design with a kiosk overlooking Central Park and a cafe overlooking New Quay Promenade.  Car and bicycle parking is provided in a basement car park below Central Park.

The apartment building was designed by archit   ects McBride Charles Ryan to be a landmark building in a prominent location in Docklands.  The egg-shaped building and Central Park will become a focal point in the precinct due to its stand-out, well resolved design.

Building C 3The ‘egg’ shape of the building was driven by a wind assessment and seeks to alleviate impacts by enabling wind to move around the building rather than being deflected down towards ground level.  The shape of the building also maximises outlook and ensures that no living areas or bedrooms rely on borrowed light.  Each apartment is provided with one of the large balconies that wrap around each level of the building.  The elliptical treatment applied to the facade on the outer edges of the balconies provides an active and engaging interface to the public realm which is continued around the rooftop plant area to create a crowning element that also acts as a screen.

Central Park, a new public park, extends south from Docklands Drive and wraps around the apartment building through a series of terraces to connect to the waterfront.  It ties together surrounding buildings and streetscapes to create a park for residents, visitors and employees.  Central Park will feature art installations, rain gardens, garden beds with native and indigenous plant species and a large lawn area, an element that is currently lacking in Docklands.  The space has been designed to accommodate community events and art exhibitions with the ability to cater for up to 2,200 people.  The flexible nature of the park allows for a variety of passive and active recreational uses.

Building C 4The planning process involved extensive pre-application discussions with Council and Places Victoria.  Issues relating to public and private ownership, consistency with the approved development plan, wind mitigation and the form of the building, were all discussed rigorously before the planning permit application was lodged.

Following the submission of the planning permit application at the end of October last year, the project team worked with Council to resolve matters that arose from internal referral responses.  A number of these matters were able to be addressed via planning permit conditions.

Central Park 1The application was considered at a Future Melbourne Committee meeting on 21 April 2015. The Committee was unanimous in resolving to grant a planning permit and commended the design of the building and the way in which the applicant worked with Council and other stakeholders throughout the process.

We look forward to seeing construction of this landmark building commence as it will certainly enhance the urban realm of New Quay.  We hope that Central Park becomes a highly used space, holding frequent community events that draw residents and visitors to Docklands.