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A Melbourne development proposal submitted by Cbus Property has been trimmed by Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne to ease shadowing concerns. The previous application for 447 Collins Street called for a 47-storey complex at 164 metres in height that earned the playful moniker 'Pantscraper' for its aerial block connection which spanned the two elongated volumes.
The revised scheme chops off six storeys, representing a 21.6-metre drop in height. Shadowing on the Yarra River — planning's primary concern — will now be limited to the northern bank of the river at mid-winter. The proposed $1.3 billion AUD development will sit on a city block bounded by Collins, Williams, and Market Streets and Flinders Lane. One of the towers will host office and hotel uses, while the other will house about 300 residential units. A skybridge connecting the two buildings will contain amenities for residents. Approximately 2,000 square metres of public space, an amphitheatre, and a retail component will also be included.
After an international design competition for the site, SHoP Architects and Woods Bagot emerged as the winners in May 2014. Their original vision saw a 100-storey building rising to 295 metres, but this plan was quickly discarded by Matthew Guy, the Planning Minister at the time. The latest iteration will not be subject to Melbourne's strict interim planning controls — introduced in September 2015 to curb the scale of new developments — as the final design was to be submitted just days after the regulations were launched.
A 22-storey 1960s office tower was the previous occupant of the site. It was closed in 2012 and subsequently demolished, and the land became a public park while planning considers the new proposal. If all goes smoothly, final approval should be granted within the next three months and construction could begin before the end of 2016.
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