Southbank by Beulah, a proposed mixed-use development in Melbourne, Australia, is set to be the country’s tallest tower at 365m.
It will include private residences, retail areas, commercial offices, public spaces, a resort, as well as arts and culture space. Amenities will also include a childcare facility and a health and wellness centre.
The project is being developed by Beulah International with an investment of A$2bn ($1.28bn) and will generate a stimulus of over A$1.5bn ($966.67m) for the state economy.
It will provide jobs for around 4,700 people during the construction period, with 3,250 new direct jobs expected to be generated across multiple industries upon project completion.
The project received approval from the Victorian State Government in April 2020. Construction is set to begin in 2021 and will take approximately seven years to complete.
Location of Southbank by Beulah
Southbank by Beulah will be situated at 118 City Road in Southbank, Melbourne. The project will redevelop the existing BMW site.
Southbank by Beulah design
Southbank by Beulah will be formed by splitting open the single structure at its core to create two separate skyscrapers. The taller tower will be for residential use, while the other will provide 270,000m² of mixed-use space.
The towers will twist towards each other with their facing glass façades accentuated by planted terraces and balconies. This design will enable towers on either side to provide open views.
The project will house 36,000m² of A-Grade office space, a 220-room five-star urban resort, a multi-functional conference and entertainment centre with a seating capacity of 2,000, a health and wellness area spanning 5,000m², and 13,500m² of space dedicated to arts and culture programmes. Public green spaces will be created throughout the property, along with a sky garden 100 levels above ground.
Extending across 30,000m², the experiential retail section will include a BMW experience centre. The retail spaces will also have dedicated ways to access balconies and terraces.
The Marketplace Entrance at Southbank by Beulah will be an open space for the public.
A public park framed by tall trees and low fern gardens will be created on top of the public podium. Smaller-scale shrub planting will be used for lower and mid-story levels, while winter gardens will adorn the upper levels.
The green spine
The Green Spine design for the Southbank by Beulah project features a series of vertically networked platforms, terraces and verandas. It will allow public flows and circulation, linking all the amenities and programmes within the property.
It will be directly connected with the Southbank Boulevard and will welcome people up and into the building while providing an extension of the public realm on the podium. The design also comprises a publicly accessible Future Botanic Garden at the top of the residential tower.
In addition, it will used as a shared cultural platform for the Southbank Arts Precinct. The podium terraces will serve as spaces for temporary performance art, light installations, sculptures and exhibitions. The terraces are also proposed to serve as host for events such as Melbourne Art Fair and the National Gallery of Victoria Triennial.
The spine will be constructed using natural and native materials and textures.
Southbank by Beulah façade
Both the Green Spine façade and the glass façade allow optimisation of architectural parameters, including overshadowing, planting types, and screen density, throughout the height of the towers.
The superior passive design of the façade is reflected in the self-shading features of the Green Spine oriented toward northward and westward directions on the upper exposed faces of the towers. The architectural parameters considered for the Spine façade will ensure optimum air quality, thermal comfort, noise absorption and promote the concept of biophilia.
The glass façade is designed to enable balanced window-to-wall ratios, recessed balconies and external shading fins to regulate heat loss and solar gain.
Contractors involved
The project was collaboratively designed by UNStudio and COX.
Grant Associates served as the landscape architects, while Future City was contracted for cultural placemaking.
Studio Drift was the lead artist. Environmental design consultancy firm Atelier Ten was selected to provide services for sustainability and well-being.
GTA Consultants provided consulting services for traffic and accessibility, while Arup was responsible for engineering services.
The team also includes Norm Li, which provided project visualisations and public relations manager Greenpoint Media.
AECOM and the Future Laboratory are also involved in the project.
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