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A new mixed-use project in Melbourne seeks to replicate the hospitality of the Ritz-Carlton brand by bringing luxury amenity-laden spaces to a residential setting. Far East Consortium's $2.6 billion AUD West Side Place development will anchor the corner of Lonsdale and Spencer Streets in the central business district with four skyscrapers designed and masterplanned by Cottee Parker Architects.
The upcoming precinct will boast the tallest hotel in the southern hemisphere and Melbourne's first taste of the Ritz-Carlton label. The 263-room hotel will occupy the upper 17 floors of an 81-storey tower which features a gently angled facade that incorporates terraced and "folding" elements. An expansive sky lobby on the 79th level is accompanied by a 500-seat grand ballroom and numerous guest amenities.
The residential component below the hotel offers an experience similar in style and class. Amenities span three floors and 4,500 square metres, including two pools, green spaces, a fitness centre, theatre, karaoke rooms, catering kitchen, business centre, study pods, library, wine bar, sauna, and steam room. Communal spaces have been designed in harmony with the eastern philosophies of solar 'yang' and lunar 'yin,' with soft honey tones, warm timbers, and gold ceilings heightening the sense of luxury.
One-, two-, and three-bedroom open-plan living areas coupled with large windows allow for every corner of each unit to be illuminated by natural sunlight. Caramel American oak flooring emphasizes the warm tones of the suites, while the bathrooms feature free-standing baths and emerald and bronze mirrors.
The project capitalizes on Melbourne's popular network of laneways by extending the system into the centre of the site, providing a new public space lined with restaurants, retail, and landscaping. The remaining towers on the property will contain the bulk of the planned 2,600 apartments spread across the development. West Side Place promises to revitalize an underutilized corner of the core as Melbourne experiences perhaps the largest building boom to date.
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