All images © Zaha Hadid Architects
At the end of last year, Zaha Hadid Architects unveiled their tower proposal for the city of Melbourne in Australia. The ‘582-606 Collins Street’ Tower – ZHA’s first project in Melbourne- is one step closer to receiving the go-ahead with construction as it has been announced that the scheme has been referred to Victoria’s Planning Minister for approval without consideration by the city of Melbourne’s Future Committee. Working with local-practice Plus Architecture and developed by Landream, the design of the 54-storey mixed-used tower features a façade composed of elegant colonnades of sculptural, curved columns. A delicate filigree gently envelops the building, with the scheme designed to use 50% less energy than a conventional mixed-use tower, this filigreed façade contributes to a reduction in the direct solar gain of the building and emissions.
Evolving from the city’s distinctive urban fabric, the organization of the form is influenced by its mixed-use program, converting the building’s overall volume into a series of smaller stacked ‘vases’. Central to the concept is the break-down of the vertical volume by the design team to establish a coherent relationship between tower, podium and surrounding streetscapes. Additionally, each ‘vase’ gently tapers inwards to offer additional open space at its base. Within the proposal there is a significant proportion of the ground plane given over to public realm, with external area dedicated to a plaza accessible 24 hours a day.
