Fragrance Group's Beyonce inspired tower emerges on Spencer Street
No curves yet but the facade of the new Melbourne apartment development Premier Tower is beginning to emerge.
Its distinctly curved architectural design was advised as being inspired by US pop singer Beyonce.
It had secured 60% off the plan pre-sales in its 2015 stage one launch with a selection of one bedroom, one bedroom-plus-study and two bedroom configurations.
Around half went to offshore buyers seemingly galvanised by the new Victorian Government stamp duty on foreign buyers that began July 1.
The Singaporean property magnate Koh Wee Meng and his family will keep a suite of apartments at the very top of the high-rise CBD tower that his Fragrance Group is developing.
Premier Tower is a mixed-use tower located at the corner of Spencer Street and Bourke Streets, opposite Southern Cross Station consisting of 780 residential apartments over 68 levels.
It replaces the Savoy Tavern on Spencer Street.
There will also be a boutique hotel housed in the podium levels hosting 175 rooms.
“We are excited to be launching our first Melbourne development project and are thrilled with the strong response from the market in these early stages,” Fragrance Group's Adrian Lim said in a press release issued by Colliers International.
The Elenberg Fraser-designed project is being marketed by Colliers International.
Residential amenities will include grand ground level entry foyer, swimming pool, gym, residential lounges, concierge services, a garden lounge, outdoor fitness zone, sauna and steam room, games and golf area and fully equipped catering kitchens.
Premier apartment residents will also have access to the Premier Club and other exclusive amenities such as a library, private dining rooms and kitchen facilities, a theatre, billiard room and karaoke and media room.
The company media release officially said: "For those more on the art than science side, we will reveal that the form does pay homage to something more aesthetic – we're going to trust you've seen the music video for Beyonce's Ghost."
Since the headline grabbing press release unveiling its curvaceous computer-generated image in 2015, the developer made a significant admission.
Koh Wee Meng, the executive chairman of Singapore-listed Fragrance Group, is not a Beyonce fan.
In fact, Singapore’s 26th richest person, hadn’t even seen Ghost, the video clip with a stocking-clad, writhing superstar that inspired the bootylicious building design.
“No,” Dr Koh said starkly, when asked by Nine Entertainment if he was a fan of the US singer.
Reade Dixon, the lead architect on the project also said at its 2015 sod turning that the building did not set out to mimic the former Destiny’s Child lead singer.
“It’s not conceptually conceived out of the Beyonce position,” said Mr Dixon, a principal of architecture firm Elenberg Fraser.
“It uses the fluid curves in the corners of the building to disseminate the wind. That’s the key challenge to build height in such small sites. It’s just that there’s been lots of carry forward with that relationship to Beyonce.”