Two towers of 30 and 28 storeys will be built adjacent to Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium after councillors gave the green light to Cox Architecture’s amended proposal.
The $400 million project includes the provision of 676 build-to-rent apartments across both towers, along with 3,382 square metres of retail and associated uses within a three-level podium.
Build-to-rent tower proposed adjacent to Docklands Stadium
Located on the south side of La Trobe Street, the towers will front between Wurundjeri Way to the east, Harbour Esplanade to the west and the concourse of Docklands Stadium to the south.
Although the increased height of the towers – from 23 and 21 storeys – will result in some shadowing of the Docklands Stadium playing field in winter, City of Melbourne planners note that given the lighting technology now employed by the Australian Football League “this will not detrimentally impact the playing surface.”
The podium level will also include a large function space, which could potentially be used by the AFL.
Also located within the podium, at level two, will be communal facilities for the towers’ apartments, including a 25-metre pool, gym, change facilities, lounge and dining, laundry, working hub, resident lounge, pet centre, treatment rooms, kitchen, cinema and a rooftop outdoor terrace area.
Cox Architecture’s design seeks to emphasize the breakup of two towers and the podium, with diverse façade materials and articulation breaking up the building mass to create a “building of buildings.”
With City of Melbourne councillors in support of the proposal, the application will now go before the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
