Planning Application: 65-71 Haig Street, Southbank
Haig Street continues to prove popular with developers, with the latest application in the area seeking permission for a substantial residential tower against the West Gate Freeway. Sunvale Development is behind the proposal which would see a 170 metre structure replace what is for the most an open air car park.
Perhaps in a sign that Sunvale Development intends to proceed with the project should planning approval be gained, construction firm Built has been nominated within the planning documents as an early project team member.
65-71 Haig Street, Southbank application summary
- Lodged October 2014, updated February 2015
- Current site use: double storey commercial building and vacant at grade car park
- Proposed 55 storey tower @ 169.2m
- 361 apartments: 134*1BR, 227*2BR
- 376sqm resident common area atop the podium
- 118sqm retail space fronting Haig Street
- 93 car park allocation via stackers plus 268 bicycle spaces
- GFA: 32,262.7sqm
On the design
The design of the proposed development has evolved through an iterative process and responds to the opportunities and constrains identified through investigation of site, urban context and planning context. The development supports and shares the objectives identified in the Southbank Structure Plan 2010 in shaping the suburb with attractive, connected and livable places.
The tower form has been sculpted to appear as a slender form - in particular when viewed from along the West Gate Freeway. The proposed tower height is set at 169.2 metres which is comparable to the heights of neighbouring proposed and approved buildings.
Fender Katsalidis - Urban Context Report
Apartment breakdown
Split between one and two bedroom apartment options, 65-71 Haig Street's living areas begin within the podium where they provide an active frontage to Haig Street. Beyond the podium a mostly generic floor plan is employed which sees a typical floor carry 5 two bedroom and 2 one bedroom apartments, with balconies designed into a solitary two bedroom dwelling.
According to planning documents the 134 single bedroom apartments sum to 6,334.4sqm which equates to an average area of 47.3sqm per apartment. With a total of 14,917.6sqm between all dual bedroom dwellings, the average sees 65.7sqm allocated to each dual bedroom apartment within the proposal.
Up against it
65-71 Haig Street is not alone in seeking a piece of the Southbank apartment sector with three projects in the immediate vicinity also yet to be realised. 334-344 City Road at 190 metres is the tallest proposal in the Haig Street pocket and also fronts the West Gate Freeway, while 57 Haig Street is also at planning. A forthcoming Meydan Group project, 57 Haig Street has been resubmitted in order to increase in height to 155 metres.
Yet to be seen is 61-63 Haig Street which in the Fender Katsalidis Urban Context Report is listed as approved. Reportedly bought by Melbourne-based Blue Earth Group during 2014, the only imagery for the 865sqm site looks to be CHT's proposal for a Haig Street residential tower, although this is not a firm indicator of the project. Regardless a distance of 10 metres is shown to separate 61-63 Haig Street 65-71 Haig Street's apartments.
Comment
65-71 Haig Street conjures parallels to New York's United Nations Headquarters by way of sheer precast elements running the height of the tower. Some will consider this strong design while others will think it altogether very simple… or worse.
One can only assume Fender Katsalidis have designed the above proposal to meet the brief delivered by the developer; for a firm with such a rich history in producing exceptional design outcomes 65-71 Haig Street is run-of-the-mill.
65-71 Haig Street, Southbank development team
- Developer: Sunvale Development
- Development manager: Loi Projects
- Architect: Fender Katsalidis Architects
- Early contractor: Built
- ESD & Building Services: Cundall
- Planning: URBIS
- Structural Engineer: 4D Workshop
- Traffic Engineering: Traffix Group
- Waste Management: Leigh Design
- Wind Assessment: MEL Consultants