Sydney developer scraps plans for futuristic Gold Coast ‘Blade Runner’ tower in favour of new Main Beach high-rise
A PROMINENT developer has scrapped plans for a giant beachside hotel and apartment complex with a design inspired by the science fiction film Blade Runner. But it has unveiled a new tower which it wants to erect on the site. This is what it will look like now.
Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
PLANS for a futuristic Main Beach tower inspired by a classic science fiction film set in the year 2019 have been scrapped in favour of a modern 2018-style building.
The stunning silver 47-storey tower was unveiled two years ago by the Winten Property Group to represent “a notion of a utopian city of the future”, with a design based on those featured in the iconic 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner.
Despite being approved by the council last year, the developer has filed a new application to replace the giant tower with one less than half its size.
Under plans filed with the council this week, Winten hopes to build a 21-storey tower on a site nestled between Peak and Woodroffe avenues, just a short walk from Tedder Ave.
The new design features 132 bedrooms, with seven units on each floor.
According to a report filed with the council, the new design features a “reduced visual impact” compared to the “sci-fi” design and would have less demand for inground services such as water and sewerage.
Real Estate Institute of Queensland board member John Newlands said the change in design potentially related to changes in the market.
“Trimming down the design could be a cost-saving measure as well as the results of the market being restudied,” he said.
GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS FOR 50C A DAY
“Something like this would offer a bigger unit with lower density and be more suited to the owner-occupier market.
“There is a solid market for that sort of thing where people are coming out of waterfront homes and wanting something in a great location.”
Blade Runner starred Harrison Ford and was set in 2019 Los Angeles, where the director envisaged the city’s skyline featuring giant towers and pyramid-like buildings.
The story followed Ford’s character, a special police officer known as a blade runner, who would hunt robots — known as replicants — that appeared human.
At Main Beach, the early design of the futuristic tower had also been inspired by the work of famed early 20th century architect Hugh Ferriss.
Its design intent was to capture the “metropolis of tomorrow” and a “futuristic city”.
Under the original proposal, the mixed-use project would have had four levels of basement parking, a six-level hotel, 10 floors of serviced apartments and 30 storeys of residential offerings for a total of 250 units.
Council planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell said the project would be thoroughly assessed when it went before the planning committee later this year.
How big tech is recalibrating around the DeepSeek threat
Silicon Valley owes its longevity to its ability to pivot and China’s new AI start-up could set it moving in a new direction.
Court told lawyer lost $3m selling family home
An unregistered Gold Coast lawyer has told a court he lost more than $3m selling his family home because of the Global Financial Crisis. Read the latest from court.