Future Melbourne 3D model show futures shape of city
GLITTERING glass skyscrapers taller than the Eureka Tower, skybridges, luxury hotels - the face of Melbourne’s skyline continues to reach for the clouds. We reveal the incredible new look for our city.
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AN online 3D model will reveal how central Melbourne’s skyline will look in the future.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle described the city council initiative as “like Google Earth, except some of the buildings don’t exist yet’’.
The modelling has been created with data from the city council’s Development Activity Monitor, to be used by council officers but also made available to the public.
Believed to be an Australian first, the model will show existing buildings and those that are approved, under construction or under application.
“It shows what Melbourne will look like through the windscreen, not through the rear-view mirror,” Cr Doyle explained.
The data reveals a boom in office space — the construction of 90,000sq m of office space has been completed in the first four months of the year, compared with 6000sq m for all of 2016.
“(It) reveals a large upswing in office construction in Melbourne as our reputation as a knowledge city and business hub continues to grow,’’ Cr Doyle said.
The demand for commercial space was expected to grow, he said.
“We’re going to need in the next seven to eight years something like 2.5 million sqm of office and retail space and there’s probably only 1.5 million in the pipeline.
“Even though it looks like office space is booming, if you look at the big picture, there’s a shortfall.’’
Cr Doyle compared the transformation of Southbank to expected growth in Fishermans Bend, E-Gate, the rest of Docklands, and the Arden-Macaulay precinct.
“If you add all that together there will be 650 hectares for development in the city of Melbourne.
“It will be an extension of the CBD into all those areas. That’s why these sorts of tools are so important for our city for the next 10 to 20 years.’’
Since the start of the year, 5300 residential dwellings, mostly apartments, were completed while a further 36,600 have been approved, and applications have been lodged for 18,300 more.
Demand for student and family accommodation was driving residential construction. More than 30,000 international students now live in the municipality.
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Three-bedroom apartments were being built at the fastest rate in five years, reflecting the desire of families to live in the inner city.
The project has been created through the city’s partnership with US-based mapping platform Mapbox.
The City of Melbourne has formally tracked residential and commercial growth through its Development Activity Monitor since 2002.
Standout towers that will change our skyline include:
1: The pantscraper at 447 Collins St
2: Australia’s tallest building, the 323m One Queensbridge.
3: Twin towers at the corner of Exhibition and La Trobe streets.
4: Queens Place, twin 79-storey skyscrapers.
5: Australia 108 in Southbank, Australia’s tallest building when constructed.
Visit developmentactivity.melbourne.vic.gov.au to see the 3D model.
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