New 3D video offers a futuristic view of Adelaide’s transforming skyline
Ever wondered what Adelaide’s skyline will look like in the future? A new 3D model of the CBD reveals how the current pipeline of development activity is set to transform the city. VIDEO + map and before and after images.
SA Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Mapped: 44 major developments to help kickstart SA economy
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser subscription
Adelaide’s skyline has soared to new heights amid the COVID-19 storm, and the city’s transformation is set to continue with high rise towers taking shape across the CBD.
About 20 major projects are currently in various stages of construction, while close to 40 more have secured planning approval.
Using data from the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, local company Aerometrex has developed a 3D model revealing how the current pipeline of developments will transform the city.
The model reveals developers have their eyes on all four quadrants of the CBD.
APPROVED PROJECTS / PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
In the east end, the finishing touches are being put on the city’s two new tallest buildings - Realm and Adelaidean/Crowne Plaza - while construction of two student accommodation towers are underway on North Terrace, each scaling more than 100m.
SAHMRI 2 will continue the evolution of Adelaide’s burgeoning biomedical precinct, which has stimulated development activity in the city’s northwestern corner.
Nearby projects under construction include a new Sofitel hotel on Currie St, Wee Hur’s $90m student accommodation building on Waymouth St and the adjacent Wingfold Tower apartments project.
Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon is calling for more investment in “social infrastructure” in the city as it emerges from COVID-19 crisis.
“We need to unashamedly put cranes across Adelaide’s skyline and undertake the biggest construction boom South Australia has ever seen,” he says.
“If we do it properly, there’ll be hard hats and steel caps across the state, and we’ll re-emerge with physical infrastructure that attracts investment, people and world-leading activities.
“Social infrastructure is a massive opportunity for job creation and for putting South Australia on the global infrastructure map.”
Mr Gannon points to a FIFA-compliant CBD stadium, new Women’s and Children’s Hospital, dedicated concert hall and educational facilities as examples of social infrastructure that will help the state bounce back from the economic slump.
“From a strategic viewpoint, we need to prioritise projects that connect Lot Fourteen with Bowden and create a riverbank environment that leaves Southbank in Melbourne and Brisbane in our wake,” he says.
Adelaide’s riverbank is currently at the centre of several major developments, including the Oval Hotel and SkyCity’s $330 million expansion of Adelaide Casino, which are both nearing completion.
The transformation of Festival Plaza, including a revamped public square and new office tower, will follow.
Meanwhile, stamp duty cuts and other incentives offered to off-the-plan purchasers of apartments have underpinned residential projects, which comprise close to half of the major projects currently under construction in the CBD.
Forme Projex is creating a residential hub around Hurtle Square through its staged development of apartment buildings dotted around the square, while Flagship Property expects to complete 152 apartments at its Penny Place project by the middle of next year.
Urban Development Institute of Australia SA chief executive Pat Gerace says while the continuation of construction throughout the lockdown period supported jobs and projects across the city, developers face “worsening economic conditions that we haven’t seen in a generation”.
“The apartment market is generally more sensitive to economic conditions and it will be important for the (State) Government to have a definitive plan to encourage the next round of investment to maintain some of that momentum,” he says.
“A challenge for the (Adelaide City) Council and (State) Government will also be how to work on ways in which the CBD can be an attractive and vibrant place as a destination, particularly with more people choosing to live in larger dwellings as a result of COVID-19.”
Flagship Property’s Penny Place development is located adjacent to the developer’s Kodo apartment project, which opened its doors to residents last September.
Flagship Property chief executive Mark Jarman says the local apartment market has remained resilient, but expects construction of major projects to slow as demand falls in the wake of COVID-19.
“With minimal off-the-plan apartments being delivered for completion in the CBD in 2021, Penny Place will be one of a few projects offering new product to the CBD apartment market,” he says.
“The State Government and people in general have managed the COVID-19 crisis extremely well. Hence it’s (Adelaide) seen as a safer environment, similar to Canberra and Brisbane, for investors, while they defer away from the more traditional investor markets of Sydney and Melbourne.”
Glynde-based aerial mapping company Aerometrex produces 3D digital models for local councils, state and federal government agencies, engineering firms and property companies.
Aerometrex geospatial innovation manager Fabrice Marre says the models - described as “digital replicas of a city in the real world” - are created using a technique known as photogrammetry.
“Photogrammetry is the art and science of extracting measurements from photographs,” he says.
“To produce a 3D city model, many aerial photographs must be taken from multiple angles. Using powerful algorithms, the geometry and texture of all the objects visible in the photographs, such as buildings, trees, roads and street furniture, are automatically extracted to produce realistic, location-accurate, and high resolution 3D city models.
“It is in town planning and urban design that 3D city models offer the most direct applications - architects, planners, and decision makers can better understand new building design in context, assess their impact, anticipate urban developments and communicate information to the community and stakeholders.”