Waterfront lifestyle

It's not often that a company gets an opportunity to shape a city, but that is precisely what's happening at the Yarra's Edge precinct in Docklands. Mirvac's development of the 1.5km-long river bank site in the centre of Melbourne is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, says John Eckert, design director for Mirvac Design.

"This is an absolutely unique site there is quite simply no more land available along the city river front," he says. "That uniqueness warrants an architectural response that is as good as we can make it."

Already, Mirvac has developed five residential towers on site the latest being T5, completed last year. In keeping with the company's masterplan, T5 responds to the existing city grid. Its 40-storey height, dramatic architecture and prominent position at one end of the Flinders Street axis make it an urban marker for the rest of the city.

Design director Anthony Pie says right from the outset, Mirvac determined that the tower needed to have an urban form, scale and orientation that would acknowledge this context and the site's relationship to the Yarra River.

"Its highly articulated, sculptural form is a response to both the urban and waterfront elements."

Pie says Mirvac's next residential tower, which is currently in the design phase, will also make a strong design statement. Positioned at the end of the Collins Street axis, it will be a highly visible landmark.

"This tower will bookend the high-density Marina Precinct and will be the pinnacle of the cluster of towers around Point Park," he says.

"Each residential tower at Mirvac's Yarra's Edge is designed to have its own identity. This rich landscape encourages a strong sense of belonging for residents, who can clearly identify their tower as home."

Pie says the next tower, to be released later this year, will be an evolution in design from its predecessors, and promises to be another landmark on the Melbourne skyline.

But Yarra's Edge is not just about apartment-style living. Mirvac has diversified its development to include low-rise, luxury houses on the waterfront, terrace housing, and home-office accommodation. Eckert says Mirvac has ensured there is a visual consistency across all the houses in the River Precinct.

"All the residences have a distinctly Melbourne vernacular," he says. "The textures, colours and materials reference traditional bluestone buildings, which are generally quite dark. Lighter accents ensure the effect is not too sombre."

The Riverfront homes feature large balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows that maximise the north-facing location and extensive city views. The southern elevations have a more solid, imposing presence.

"The high, solid-to-void relationship provides a sense of permanence and security," says Eckert. "We have also ensured each house has its own identity, so people walking past experience the individuality of each facade. On the river side, we took a more consistent design approach. As these houses are usually viewed from across the river, there is strength in the uniformity and consistency when seen from a distance."

Eckert says although the terrace housing and home-office development are not on the river front, the neighbourhood is designed to provide visual corridors through to the river and waterfront promenades.

"There is a transparency to the development the river front is not privatised, but is accessible to the whole community," he says.

To further enhance the village-style ambience, the designers have positioned four-storey houses on the street corners. These larger buildings can be seen as urban markers that identify the major intersections.

The home-office development, located on the main Lorimer Street thoroughfare, features townhouses with offices on the lower levels. Side walls flank the road to create urban screens that minimise traffic noise.

Further Mirvac developments planned for the Docklands site include additional residential towers and a variety of commercial buildings.

For further information, contact Mirvac, phone (03) 9645 9400. Website: www.yarrasedge.com.au.

Story by: Trendsideas