97 Franklin Street simply mind boggling

97 Franklin Street simply mind boggling
Mark BaljakMarch 17, 2014

Days after being submitted for approval to state planning body DTPLI, the first image of what is believed to be the current design for 97 Franklin Street within Melbourne's northern CBD has surfaced. ML Traffic Engineers have recently added the below render of the mind boggling, almost whimsical mixed-use tower of near 200 metres to their website.

ML Traffic Engineers also anticipate a construction cost of approximately $200 million for the 60 level complex which is slated to hold a mixture of apartments, serviced apartments, retail and office space according to the state planning register.

Image courtesy Traffic Consulting

The site itself was sold by then land holder Banco Group to an unknown purchaser during mid 2013 according an article published online via the Sydney Morning Herald. Subsequently consulting firm Urbis has handled the pre-approval process, submitting an application last Friday on behalf of Artemis Hotel Group (Australia) Pty Ltd.

An online search shows Artemis Hotel Group (Australia) Pty Ltd to be based in Doncaster, with Artemis International Hotel the likely operating name for the serviced apartment component.

Working on the strong likelihood that the above image is in fact the submitted version of 97 Franklin Street, the design is unique to Melbourne and stupendously impressive. Atop the seven level podium sits a perpendicular mid-rise section, only for the high-rise section to once more shift 90 degrees in a fashion that seems to defy engineering common sense and gravity for that matter.

While the architect is unknown at this stage, Urban.com.au will soon enough cover this planning application in detail and I for one hope the incredible design (assuming it is the design submitted for approval) sees the light of day.

See our piece from May 2014: A Point of Difference > 97 Franklin Street.

Mark Baljak

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.

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