Mirvac forges a new chapter within Yarra's Edge
Mirvac has ushered in the completion of another tower within its long-running Yarra's Edge enclave.
Forge Tower is the latest building to welcome residents to Docklands; it along with a series of low-rise townhouses represent Mirvac's first gesture within the final Wharf’s Entrance sub-precinct. The continued push by Mirvac westward within Yarra's Edge and into the final Wharf’s Entrance stage comes 17 years after the developer began formulating the precinct that holds well over one kilometre of Yarra River frontage.
Valued at $200 million, Forge includes 228 apartments within the 30 storey, 100 metre tower and was built over a two year period.
Aiding Forge's apartments are 302 parking spaces, 84 bicycle spaces and 229sqm of retail space at ground level, which interfaces with the new Wharf's Landing park.
Mirvac's in-house design team were responsible for the tower's overall design, and have included a broad selection of apartments within. The spread of apartment options includes five one and two-bedroom artist studios, 10 one-bedroom lofts, 56 one-bedroom apartments, two two-bedroom maisonettes, 111 two-bedroom apartments, five three-bedroom terraces and 39 three-bedroom apartments ranging up to 151sqm in size.
Artist and sculptor Ned Kahn had a hand in the design process, contributing ’Fluid Lines’ to the tower's podium. The kinetic urban art installation to the corner of Lorimer Street and Regatta Way relies upon the wind to drive ripple-like movements across the podium facade.
In a media release marking Forge's completion, Mirvac’s General Manager of Residential Victoria, Elysa Anderson provided the following:
Wharf’s Entrance transforms what was once an old wharf, and follows the success of Yarra’s Edge to date in creating one of Melbourne’s most culturally vibrant and liveable communities with unparalleled waterfront access, a realisation of Mirvac’s purpose to reimagine urban life.
The completion of Forge is a momentous event for Yarra’s Edge, which is now home to a lively community of more than 3,000 people.
We are proud to be one step closer to realising our vision for the precinct – which has been more than 17 years in the making - of a well-connected neighbourhood of diverse residents who enjoy an enviable waterfront lifestyle, while being just a stone’s throw away from the best of what Melbourne’s CBD has to offer.
Comment
As recently as last week, negative media reports continue to dog Docklands.
And the negative commentary in some regards is justified - Docklands for the most is by no means the design and urban Shangri-La that many had hoped for.
Yet it is highly successful in certain regards. The flood of residents and white-collar workers to the 'new' suburb that effectively doubled Melbourne's CBD is an undisputed success and is evidenced by the 3,000 odd residents that choose to call Brighton East home.
As precinct's such as Yarra's Edge continue to add new residents, its will be intriguing to see if this 'critical mass' of people goes some way to creating more of a '24 hour' feel within Docklands, rather than the '9 to 5' moniker it has attracted.
