Tower Wars Episode V: The Office Strikes Back
Amidst an apartment boom the likes of which has not been seen before in Melbourne, one could be forgiven for thinking that the humble office tower of yesteryear is all but a distant memory in this city. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has also weighed in on the topic lamenting the lack of office buildings being developed in the city.
This could however not be further from the truth, it would appear the demise of the office tower in Melbourne has been greatly exaggerated. As construction of soaring apartment towers has taken centre stage in the Melbourne CBD over the last 5 or so years the next cycle of office tower construction has slowly yet surely been getting underway in the shadows of the apartment boom.
As illustrated in the development summary below, a number of significant projects are set to add well over 500,000 sqm to Melbourne's office market over the next 5 years with most having achieved significant pre-commitments from tenants to allow them to proceed to construction.
SITE WORKS / UNDER CONSTRUCTION
271 Spring Street - ISPT | John Wardle Architects
A point of contention during the planning phase, ISPT received approval for its $110 million office tower which is being developed as the new headquarters for Australian Unity.
The development seeks to "integrate historical elements into the new boutique office tower." Demolition has commenced on site with the 16 level office building of 15,600 square metres is due for completion in mid 2019.
Olderfleet / 477 Collins Street - Mirvac | Grimshaw
Construction on the 40-storey tower now known as Olderfleet has officially commenced with Mirvac breaking ground on site earlier in the week. Anchor tenant Deloitte will occupy 22,000 sqm of office space upon completion in June 2020.
Olderfleet, designed by Grimshaw, has undergone a number of design changes including the flipping of the core from the eastern side to the west and the consolidation of four vertical village modules into three with 'client floors' between each.
The building will feature a 30m high atrium connecting the heritage-listed Olderfleet Buildings to the new office tower while also providing sufficient separation between them. This space will include a café and a flexible business centre with meeting rooms on the lower ground floor.
The building brings together the latest thinking from our studios around the globe, with an internal design competition held with our London, New York, Melbourne and Sydney studios, each contributing a design for the new building. A single coherent response was developed providing the ideal site-specific design, which celebrates Olderfleet’s significant historic context while supporting Mirvac’s ambition to deliver a leading-edge workplace.
- Neil Stonell, Partner Grimshaw
Collins Arch / 447 Collins Street - Cbus Property | Woods Bagot + SHoP
Representing one of Australia’s largest mixed-use developments, Collins Arch is located on a 6,000 sqm site at 447 Collins Street just down the street from Olderfleet. Upon completion in 2019 Collins Arch will become the new home for legal eagles Gadens, King & Wood Mallesons and HWL Ebsworth, who combined will occupy 20,000 sqm or just over 40% of the 49,000 sqm NLA office space.
They will be joined in the 'Pantscraper' by Melbourne's first W brand hotel and 202 luxury residences all set amongst a 1,500 sqm park.
Collins Arch was designed to be a signifier of leading design and instantly recognisable as a statement of Melbourne’s premier status globally. We are pleased to welcome Gadens to Collins Street’s new pinnacle address and, as a law firm committed to positioning itself as a best practice organisation and employer of choice, we are confident Collins Arch will offer the best place to grow and demonstrate these commitments.
- Adrian Pozzo, Chief Executive Officer, Cbus Property
80 Collins Street - QIC | Woods Bagot
After a number of false starts, work has finally commenced on QIC's 80 Collins Street project after it signed Macquarie for 6,000 sqm in the 39-storey tower. Contractor Multiplex has commenced demolition on site to allow for construction of the tower in addition to 5,800 sqm of retail space and a 250-room SilverNeedle hotel.
Wesley Place / 130 Lonsdale Street - Charter Hall | Cox Architecture
Works have commenced on site with the Princess Mary Club currently being demolished to make way for Charter Hall's 34-storey A-Grade tower injecting 53,000 sqm of office space into the CBD's eastern core. The Uniting Church will occupy 5,000 sqm in the tower
Wesley Place, 130 Lonsdale Street will be a catalyst for the reinvigoration of Melbourne’s North East CBD, creating a green, active, connected and welcoming urban environment that retains the best aspects of calm sanctuary in the urban realm.
Centrally focused on the Wesley Church, it will maintain the celebrated church forecourt to the south and creates a sunlit public courtyard to the north that will become the community hub, shaded by the significant historic trees. It will be immediately identifiable with qualities of respite and reflection and will provide diversity of scales of space that will encourage inclusive social interactions and also act as an events platform for the church, civic, arts and community.
All valuable heritage buildings will be restored and adaptively re-used to ensure that their historic value is appreciated by all. The verdant trees and gardens are to be maintained and reinforced to create spaces both for public interaction and quiet contemplation.
664 Collins Street - Mirvac | Grimshaw
The new premises for Pitcher Partners recently had both its cores top out with works now progressing on the steel roof structure and facade installation almost complete, with attention now turning to interior fit-out of office spaces.
664 Collins Street provides a through-link from Collins Street to Bourke Street via a public laneway which was built as part of sister building 699 Bourke Street.
Collins Square Tower 5 - Walker Corp. | Woods Bagot
Walker Corporation has brought forward construction of Tower 5, due to strong demand from a number of blue chip corporate tenants including Transurban. Although the name would seem to suggest otherwise the 40,000 sqm building will be the sixth tower and the final stage of the $2.5 billion Collins Square development.
Originally completed up to podium level to round out the retail component, construction has now resumed on the faceted tower with completion anticipated for 2018.
One Melbourne Quarter / 695 Collins Street - Lendlease | DCM
The new home of Arup in Melbourne, One Melbourne Quarter is progressing at a rapid pace with the core now rising above Collins Street. The 13-storey building comprises 25,543sqm NLA of office accommodation in addition to ground floor retail and has been designed by DCM) with typical floorplates of 1,970sqm.
One Melbourne Quarter is targeting completion for Q3 2018 and will deliver stage one of the elevated Skypark to Collins Street.
839 Collins Street - Lendlease | DCM
Lendlease's new $430m office building for ANZ is flying along with crane base installed and core formwork not too far off.
The site at 839 Collins Street will become a 21-storey office tower featuring 38,000 square metres of A-grade commercial space. And depending on how it fares at planning, the project may also include a skybridge linking the new building to the existing ANZ global HQ at 833 Collins Street, although the bridge has thus far been met with stiff opposition from the City of Melbourne.
405 Bourke Street - Brookfield | Woods Bagot
Another one of those projects that has been around for what seems like forever, work is finally set to get underway on Brookfield Property Partners' $800m 405 Bourke Street development after it signed National Australia Bank as the anchor tenant.
NAB will occupy all 29 office levels in the 66,000 sqm development, which will rise above above three levels of retail. 405 Bourke will employ a side core configuration allowing for open-plan workspace ranging up to 2,350 sqm.
The project is due for completion in 2021.
311 Spencer Street - Cbus Property | Woods Bagot
Cbus Property has appointed Probuild as the Preferred Contractor to construct a purpose built facility to accommodate Victoria Police's new headquarters at 311 Spencer Street.
The 39 -storey, 65,000sqm commercial tower will include a purpose built fit-out to Victoria Police requirements that will increase efficiency and improve law enforcement in Victoria.
The development is a joint venture between Cbus Property and Australia Post.
The tender process was extremely competitive. Probuild was chosen because we have the technical capability and resource capacity to successfully deliver major projects in Victoria.This construction is of major significance to Victoria and the commercial building industry. We are thrilled to be working with Cbus Property and Victoria Police to deliver such an important project.
- Probuild Victorian Managing Director Luke Stamboli
Probuild expects to begin site works mid-May 2017, with work expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
ON THE HORIZON
140 Lonsdale Street - Charter Hall | Cox Architecture
The future stage of Charter Hall's Wesley Place development known as Wesley Upper Lonsdale Tower which is planned for a later date at 22-storeys 15,000 sqm. 140 Lonsdale Street is awaiting planning approval.
55 King Street - Charter Hall
Charter Hall purchased this future development site which currently houses the offices of VCAT in 2016 for $78.5 million. The site neighbours the vacant 22,000-square-metre 555 Collins Street and early renders suggest that Charter Hall are considering a 27-storey tower office tower of NLA 27,700 sqm.
Urban.com.au has previously covered this site as part of a study in consolidating 55 King Street with the adjoining 555 Collins Street. You can read about it here.
Architecture firm Gray Puksand has previously devised a concept for a much larger tower on the site, seen below;
Melbourne Quarter Tower - Lendlease | DCM
Approved by Planning Minister Richard Wynne in March, Melbourne Quarter Tower will be located at 693 Collins Street, injecting almost 55,000 sqm of office space into the precinct across its 28 floors, in addition to approximately 2,500 sqm of retail space.
It is one of three DCM designed office buildings within Lendlease's Melbourne Quarter development.
Two Melbourne Quarter - Lendlease | DCM
From the Warren Smith and Partners site:
Warren Smith and Partners have been awarded the Hydraulic and Fire Services consultancy role by Lendlease for Two MQ, the second stage of Melbourne Quarter. We are pleased to continue the long relationship enjoyed between ourselves and Lendlease on this Melbourne based project.
Two MQ is a 29 level commercial tower above ground, which includes 4 levels of basements and retail, main lobby level, 2 levels of plant space and 23 levels of commercial space.
Two Melbourne Quarter will be the third of a total of three "next-generation commercial towers" to be built at Melbourne Quarter, joining the already under construction One Melbourne Quarter at 695 Collins Street and the recently approved Melbourne Quarter Tower.
Combined these three will deliver around 130,000 sqm of office space into Docklands and help better connect it to the CBD.
