First look: Meriton's full plans for first Brisbane apartment development revealed
Harry Triguboff's apartment giant Meriton has revealed the full plans for its debut apartment development in Brisbane.
Having bought the Gardens Apartments building at 204 Alice Street last year, Meriton has filed plans for two massive skyscrapers with 795 apartments designed by their go-to architect in Queensland DBI, who has designed Meriton's recent Gold Coast portfolio.
The $1.3 billion development on the 5,485 sqm site directly across the road from the City Botanic Gardens from the Alice Street frontage, will also include a childcare centre, retail and food and beverage spaces, and communal open space facilities like swimming pools, an outdoor gym and play space on the level five podium level, before it gives way to the main tower structure.
The majority of apartments are two-beds (521), while every one-bedroom apartment (208) has a study. There's 156 three-bedroom apartments and 32 four-bedders.
There's 913 parking spaces across the five basement levels and four podium levels.
DBI said in their Urban Design Context Report submitted to the Brisbane City Council that the two-tower development takes cues from the surrounding context including the city’s urban fabric as well as the Botanic Gardens and seeks to compliment the adjacent heritage and place character.
"The development is set to become a landmark Brisbane destination and provides a visable presence on the skyline of the city.
"The tower plates have been carefully shaped to maximise the amenity of future residents and visitors and provide generous balconies offering access to Brisbane’s outdoor lifestyle. The towers are strategically located to minimise overshadowing and over-dominating the Botanic Gardens. The sculpted subtropical podium conceals a multilevel carpark, sleeved by activated uses and features a double-height lobby framed by the backdrop of the Botanic Gardens."
They said 204 Alice Street is at "the centre of a critical mass of new activity, urban living and commerce."
"The area around 204 Alice Street is positioned for further dynamic growth in the years to come with a proposed transformation of the Eagle Street Pier Precinct into a world class mixed-use riverside destination, Waterfront Brisbane," DBI said.
"Another large-scale development within Brisbane’s CBD is the Queen’s Wharf project, set to transform the river’s edge into a cultural and entertainment precinct by April 2024, placing Brisbane on the international stage."
Tower A, positioned on the Alice Street frontage of the site, is the taller tower at 79 levels The slender tower is broken down into three golden beaks which reduces the built form's scale from podium to rooftop.
"The tower design draws inspiration from the neighbouring Botanical Gardens with a finer grain branch like pattern that invites a sense of movement and physically draws the eye away from the centre of the built form emphasising the towers articulated footprint and corners," DBI say.
The neighbouring tower, Tower M, references the Margaret Street frontage of the large site.
The upcoming design phases will include a Public Art Strategy to identify strategically located and integrated works of art that enhance and activate the site.
"The precinct has been designed to create a symbiotic relationship between the architecture and landscape," DBI added.
"Brisbane’s sub-tropical environment is reflected in the dense planting of the podium, outdoor terraces, and elevated green spaces, creating an ideal refuge for residents and visitors. Lush vegetation, natural stone and textured materials provide a sense of calm and tranquility that transitions the site towards the City Botanic Gardens."
Town Planning Report by Urban Planning Services said the proposed development will reinvigorate the subject site and its setting within the City Centre, delivering high-quality apartments in a well serviced centre of the City promising to improve the choice and availability of housing to meet the substantial demand presently being experienced in South-east Queensland.
The proposed redevelopment, providing new residential living opportunities in a location where residents will benefit from ease of access to all of the shops, services and attractions of the Brisbane CBD, including high frequency public transport services, and the greenspace and recreational opportunities afforded by the proximity to the City Botanical Gardens and river corridor, represents a logical and responsible approach to its renewal.
Overall, the proposed development will deliver a substantial investment in the rejuvenation of this centrally located site, securing efficient use of the site to provide much needed new housing opportunities, together with tourist accommodation and active commercial frontages, including a much sought pedestrian laneway through the site. The proposals will contribute positively to the economy and vitality of the City Centre.
In September Meriton was recognised as the busiest builder in Queensland for 2022-23, despite challenges in the construction sector.
The company has also been named Australia's top apartment builder in the HIA COLORBOND® Steel Housing Top 100 Report and has a 4.5 Gold Star iCIRT rating.