Melbourne: The 2nd Most Exciting City in The World (2019)
According to this year’s Time Out Index, Melbourne has just been crowned the 2nd most exciting city in the world after New York City.
The survey conducted by tapestry Research interviewed 34,000 people across hundreds of different cities worldwide, with respondents claiming that happiness, creativity, food and live music were the key factors of why they loved Melbourne. Sydney also made the list, taking the 39th place following Moscow, Delhi and Seattle.
Check out some exciting apartments in Melbourne in 2019:
435 BOURKE STREET by Cbus Property
The 55-storey, highly sustainable project will serve as a vertical village for more than 5,500 city workers. Designed by Bates Smart, the $1 billion commercial project will introduce approximately 64,500 square metres of premium grade office space and create a new icon for Melbourne’s skyline on the corner of Queen and Bourke Streets. 435 Bourke Street will be a significant and pioneering project for the city that responds to a future Melbourne workforce, with sustainability, wellness, connection to nature and productivity emphasised in the building’s design and performance which includes multi-vertical villages, outdoor terraces and dedicated wellness hub. Read more here.
Architect: Bates Smart
SOUTHBANK by BEULAH/THE GREEN SPINE
Cox Architecture + UN Studio's Green Spine design has been planned to reach a towering height of 356m and if approval is granted, the tower is set to become Australia's tallest tower by 2020. A six-month global search involving six of the world’s best architectural firms; BIG, Coop Himmelb(l)au, MAD Architects, MVRDV, OMA and UN Studio took place, with Cox Architecture + UN Studio's Green Spine design winning overall.
Architect: Cox Architecture + UN Studio
YARRA POOL (Community project)
Yarra Pools is a community-led proposal which seeks to transform an under-utilised section of the Yarra River's Northbank into a 'swimmable river'.
“What I like about this [design] is the wetlands, the soft connection with our waterway. It turns an under-loved part of the river into a magnet for people (and wildlife) and celebrates our connection with water!”
- Andrew Kelly, Yarra Riverkeeper
Architect: WOWOWA
Check out the full list of Melbourne's headline acts here.
The extensive range of hotels opening throughout the next few years is also an indication of the growing tourism rates in Melbourne.
Here's a list of new hotels in the pipeline for the next few years:
The Bates Smart designed hotel features 308 hotel rooms and draws on the rhythm of the surrounding streetscape with a predominantly vertical expression.
A triple-tower development designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects will house Melbourne's new St Regis hotel, featuring 500 luxury apartments and 167 five-star hotel rooms.
Australia's first Marriott Hotel to be built in 20 years is planned to open its doors in 2020. DKO Architecture has worked with Marriott Group to redefine the traditional "hotel", and instead create a versatile, minimalist space where guests can relax. Gone are the clunky writing desks, large wardrobes and carpet – a fresh new look will feature wooden floors, modern bed frames and furniture and large windows.
The delicate filigree exterior and wave-like form are synonymous with Zaha Hadid's iconic style of sculptural opulence. Mandarin Oriental (also known as Mayfair) will be a pivotal feature of the Melbourne cityscape, the completion date is yet to be announced.
The $565 million Sapphire by The Gardens development will see a 5-star Shangri La hotel open by 2021. The hotel will contain 500 state-of-the-art hotel rooms, while the eastern tower will house 300 luxury residential apartments.
The new Ritz Carlton hotel will raise the bar for luxury hotels across Melbourne, claiming the title of the country's tallest hotel building. With a prolific global reputation for its luxury hospitality, Ritz Carlton Melbourne will tower 79 stories on Spencer Street and feature sky restaurants, a sky bar, a pool, a pool bar, a gym, a day spa and a ballroom.
The 1 Hotel brand is part of the award-winning hotel group SH Hotels & Resorts, which maintains an exemplary environmental responsibility and has already gained worldwide recognition since opening its first three hotels in the United States including, Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park in New York, and South Beach in Miami.
Late last year, Time Out also announced that Melbourne’s trendy Fitzroy won the 10th place on their list of '50 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the world'.
Check out these really cool Fitzroy apartments
Architect: Jackson Clements Burrows
Status: Approved
223 NAPIER STREET, Fitzroy by Milieu
Architect: Freadman White
Status: Under construction
108 LEICESTER STREET by FOURSQ
Architect: BKK Architects
Status: Registration and sales
Architect: Rothelowman
Status: Registration and sales
Architect: Warren and Mahoney
Status: Under construction
Header image credit: City of Melbourne