Chicago-style tower to revitalise seedy CBD strip
It’s part of the city often known for its sleazy reputation but now a $500 million 40-storey skyscraper is set to breath new life into Melbourne’s King St.
VIC News
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A Chicago inspired skyscraper will tower over Melbourne’s CBD and help tranform part of the city with a previously seedy reputation.
The $500 million, 40-storey “stacked tower’’ to be built on the corner of Lonsdale and King streets will breathe new life into a part of town known better for strip clubs than architecture.
New images show what the new precinct at 600 Lonsdale St will look like, after recently gaining development approval.
It has been designed by Chicago-based achitecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill — the brains behind Yew York’s One World Trade Centre and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai — and Fender Katsalidis.
Once complete, the building will boast a boutique hotel, about 24,400 sqm of office space and four landscaped terraces.
Fender Katsalidis director James Pearce said combining hotel and office use would help rejuvinate the area.
“It’s an excellent way for the lower levels of the building to be activated given the distinct
times that each use has its peak — office being during the week and hotel on the weekends,” he said.
Outdoor spaces and balconies will be accessible from offices on every level of the building.
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill design partner Scott Duncan said it was “an exciting time to bring this project to the West End of Melbourne’s diverse and rapidly transforming CBD”
“Our concept for a ‘fine grain’ tower respects the historic scale of the neighbourhood and
introduces a vertical network of ‘laneway-like’ outdoor spaces throughout,’’ he said.
Developer V-Leader will build and retain ownership of the tower, which will also include retail space including ground level shops.
Lonsdale Court, a three-storey, 1918 sqm building will make way for the development.
V-Leader managing director Andy Zhang said: “We are aligning 600 Lonsdale Street with the surge in development in this particular precinct of the CBD.”
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