Instead of giving each and every single tower its own thread, which really would be a waste, I thought I'd just lump em all in one thread.

CE do a monthly pictorial update of all their towers U/C (mainly as they have a huge amount of overseas investors so they can check on progress)

anyhow

here's their latest

Recently completed Yarra's Crest - now renting (been HEAPS of CE ads for this - rent starts at 290 a week!)

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/yc_2.jpg

The nearing completion CityPoint, won't be long til this is on the market (rentals):

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/city_3.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/city_2.jpg

Southpoint, this is the tower we always see in the background of Eureka's construction, so some up close ones :D

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/south_1.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/south_2.jpghttp://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/south_3.jpg

Southbank Central Towers:

Sentinell:
http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sent_1.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sent_3.jpg

Victoria:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic_1.jpg

Melbourne & City Towers:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/city_melb_2.jpg

;)

tays

jesus, hardly anything they build isn't "sold out" already! renting at 290 a week isn't too bad, don't dislike Yarra's Crest either considering it's CE.

Citypoint has gotta be one of the best additions to the skyline for a while, really stands proud and looks great from Docklands!

I really can't wait until Melbourne & City Towers are both completed, those are really gonna be stunners...

The best thing about those photos is the last pic which you can see the paper thing 'heritage' wall that runs along City Rd that they obviously had to keep - anyone know exactly what the building was and why they had to keep it?

Anyway its being held up by sticks at the moment! Amazing it doesnt fall over.. also the 2nd and 3rd last looking into Victoria & Sentinal cores are cool.. Sentinal also has a more interesting top-down profile than the rendering makes it appear.

"Heritage Wall" my foot!

There is no way that, that wall is of any significance. Its just a stupid wall that they thought they would keep just to make the building look remotly interesting, even though all their projects are CRAP!

from what I recall, that wall was not part of the models. I think its just a cheaper way of keeping everything in and everyone out.

I'm really looking forward to see the Facades of these two go up:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/images/mm_southp.gifhttp://www.centralequity.com.au/images_projects/mm_sentinel.jpg

That's Southpoint left and Sentinell right....

tays

Originally posted by tayser
I'm really looking forward to see the Facades of these two go up:
tays
Why? They both look crapy and not very interesting at all. They look like the rest of CE's crap on Southbank.

Originally posted by Aussie Steve

Why? They both look crapy and not very interesting at all. They look like the rest of CE's crap on Southbank.

Not really - at least these renderings are glossy... and stuff.....

. lol

tays

i think aussie steve cant get enough of Central Equity's brilliance

Southpoint's a disgrace.

Haha.. what more can I say?

They're all crap but yet we're fascinated..

Really though.. that wall.. there *has* to be some significance because I cant believe CE would go to the trouble of propping it up and saving it when they could easily knock it over and build their lovely pre-fab painted wall-of-indifference that they usually do on these sort of projects...

Oh well.. standing on Crown promeade tonight these buildiings will only serve nicely as back filler to the magnificence of E & FWP.. so it really dont matter..

is Aussie Steve saying Yarra's Crest and the Centurion are crap? they are pretty good designs, unless you're talking about the interiors, of course

but I must admit, Southpoint looks a little boring, a big white box... can't get more dull.

obviously some people love them though, who else is filling up these towers?

They are all boxes or variations of boxes. They are all crap. The people who live in them have come into the city from the middle and outer suburbs and think that living in the city is like living in CE, well I hate to tell them, but CE is like living in the outer suburbs.

They are pretty lame. They remind me of earlier Meriton in Sydney!

There are plenty of far superior designs happening and on the way in Melbourne.

These buildings are nothing more than 'cheap gap-fillers'

From what I have been told and from what I have seen, Meriton in Sydney is the same as Central Equity in Melbourne, CRAP!

Originally posted by Aussie Steve
From what I have been told and from what I have seen, Meriton in Sydney is the same as Central Equity in Melbourne, CRAP!

but we dont see CE doing a tower like World do we ? hello MEtiron COME TO VICTORIA!
;)

tays

Early Meriton were crap, the Meriton stuff as of the last couple of years has actually been great. They are finally employing class architects. CE is shite and you can only hope they improve over time like Meriton. Hopefully too many horrors dont pop up in prominent places.

..............

Originally posted by SinCity
CE is shite and you can only hope they improve over time like Meriton. Hopefully too many horrors dont pop up in prominent places.

Problem is...it already has!

Melbourne has excellent architecture, too much CE and especially clumped together may end up looking like the southern section of the Sydney CBD ........ Meritonia! - Fuglyville

Yer southpoint and the sentinell have been rocketing along lately - esp. Sentinell!

good pics

whats the building on the left of that first pic called again?

how much taller will southpoint be?

CE rubbish is what is known in the construction industry as 'filler garbage' no redeeming features and only good for density.
These multi storey storage warehouses for people are a blight on our skyline and as we say, they are the new 'housing commission flats' of Melbourne.

IHCE member

Originally posted by AZCOR
CE rubbish is what is known in the construction industry as 'filler garbage' no redeeming features and only good for density.
These multi storey storage warehouses for people are a blight on our skyline and as we say, they are the new 'housing commission flats' of Melbourne.

IHCE member

At least they look better then the current ones...

CE website update:

Melbourne / City tower construction:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/city_melb_1.jpg

tays

Latest pics from their site:

Southpoint:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sp6.jpg

Sentinnel:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sent7.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sent10.jpg

Melbourne / City:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct13.jpg


I'm starting to see TOO MANY blank walls on Sentinnel :(

tays

The blank walls on Sentinel will mainly face the other buildings on the site so shouldn't be that much of a problem. The sides facing the street look like they will be nice and glassy, looking very different from the standard CE crap.

Originally posted by Grollo
The blank walls on Sentinel will mainly face the other buildings on the site so shouldn't be that much of a problem. The sides facing the street look like they will be nice and glassy, looking very different from the standard CE crap.

here's hoping....

*crosses fingers*

tays

I have no problem in saying Sentinel will be sensational. Go have a good look at the materials used. Impressive for a change.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbcentralup.JPG


I also have no problem in saying Southpoint will be a vertical turd
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/ceback.JPG

lol @ vertical turd.

ya can start to see the similarities in the rendering of Sentinell and the actual thing now - not bad.

is Sentinell going to be taller than Summit ???

I'll say one thing for Southpoint - I noticed today that's it's an extremely "Noticable presence" next to Century now - oh well, not for long :D

tays

Sentinal?? Classy?? Puh-leeez!! It has the same comission home design as those two god-awful 'Southbank Condo' towers that sit anonymously between Eureka and the Blood Bank site..

AT least it will be tallish.. something like 110m so yes very definately taller than Summit and also neighbouring Victoria Tower.. but not as tall as Melbourne/City

Seeing as I am near speechless with rage, I shall use the local emoticons to summate what I think of CE Architecture:
:bleep: :rant: :devil: :evil: :fart: :mad2: :no: :puke: :skull:

Southbank condos (the taller of the two existing towers halfway between and behind Eureka and FWP) and Rivergarden condos the first of the trio behind the exhibition centre) are the most abominable hunks of overgrown space-faeces ever to grace our fair city.
Word has it that a group called SPAN - that's an architecture firm - is responsible for the majority of CE's southbank work. Does anybody have any more info about them...and what we can do to them? :borg:

Blue

lol!

I think I'll be paying Southbank Central a visit tomorrow. Was speaking to grollo and he thinks that The Sentinnel is quite possibly CE's best thus far - apparently it's really taking shape!

And CE's site are saying the next construction update (Their own pics) isn't until late january, well, still waiting CE :)

tays

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/southpoint300103.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sentinnel300103.jpg

tays

thanks for the pics tayser,
but noooooo! those larger detailed pics really show the true ugliness of the buildings!

i dont care what colour they paint the cement on the buiding on the right of the first pic, its still going to look shit!

lol, there are only really 3 towers worth chundering over (the two Vancouver-style pastelly boxes and Summit)

I was gonna get up close to Sentinnel and take some pics, but there was a large "cbf" factor :)

tays

a few new contruction pics from the central equity website...

SOUTHPOINT

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sp_03.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sp_04.jpg

SENTINEL

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen_05.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen_06.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen_07.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen_08.jpg

VICTORIA TOWER

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vt_09.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vt_10.jpg

CITY/MELBOURE TOWERS

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ctmt_12.jpg

hrmmmm!

Southpoint and Sentinnel are certainly looking better than their fugly neighbours, that's for sure!

tays

Do you think these buildings are going to look extremely ugly in 10-20 years time? like the housing commision flats?

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by kasperluke </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Do you think these buildings are going to look extremely ugly in 10-20 years time? like the housing commision flats?</td></tr>
</table>
Don't know if anything will ever be that ugly... but if they're not pretty now they won't be in 20 yrs time.

...and that's when the crusty Heritage crabs will step in and classify it all. "How not not to cram 5000 suckers into a row of precast concrete filing cabinets, circa 1997-2003.

Down with Central Equity.

Blue

Here is a panorama from the central equity... they say it is the views you can expect from their towers in Southbank..

http://www.centralequity.com.au/projects/citytower/images/views/view2.jpg

lol, only City and Victoria Towers will have that view, the others won't!

tays

Southpoint and Sentinel certainly may be a nice surprise!

might get some closeup pics soon!

tays

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by tayser </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Southpoint and Sentinel certainly may be a nice surprise!

might get some closeup pics soon!

tays</td></tr>
</table>

sentinel....maybe

but not southpoint! theres no turning back for it now i dont think hehe

Victoria tower is certainly rocketing along!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sthbnkce2302031.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sthbnkce2302032.jpg

tays

They just removed the corebox a couple of days ago. <img src="images/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" alt="">

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I thought Southpoint'd topped out ;)

the one I am going to hold my breath for is definitely the Sentinnel & Victoria Towers.

Can't wait for Melbourne and City as well actually, they'll look awesome, blue & 37 levels mmmmm, please god, let Central Equity build some gems !

:)

tays

i seem to be the messenger from the central equity site as usual...
and heres some newer pics:

SENTINEL

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1-mar.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2-mar.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3-mar.jpg

VICTORIA TOWER

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1-mar.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic2-mar.jpg

SOUTHPOINT

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint1-mar.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint2-mar.jpg

A lot of 'sold outs'

Re Tays, as long as SPAN is on the job, CE will continue to spout crap. (In fairness, Melbourne and City are somewhat of an improvement, if for nothing else than their slenderness.

Blue

I think CE centurion looks quite nice! One of their better ones!

How is Melbourne going? Is there a core to see yet?

yeah, Melbourne and City are the only ones I'm eagerly awaiting, although I'm starting to like what I see on this:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sthbnkcntl1103033.jpg

d'oh with this pic:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sthbnkcntl1103034.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sthbnkcntl1103031.jpg

Victoria's coming along:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sthbnkcntl1103032.jpg

Mojo ? ;)

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/southpoint1103031.jpg

tays

That MOJO building was designed by Synman Justin Bialek - Clarendon Towers designers and collaborators on MAB site in docklands. They've advanced somewhat!

Centurion is ok, yes. What I particularly DON'T like about what we've seen to this point is the sense of 'flimsiness' about CE's works...I think its the long, thin horizontal empasis, with the balconies mainly. It gives the impression that they're just prefabricated houses-of-cards just waiting to tumble in the first decent earthquake. *UGH!*

<Blue narrowly avoids a rant session>:bleep:

CE site has updated:

Sen.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1_apr.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_apr.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3_apr.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen4_apr.jpg

Look out, here comes Vic!

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_apr.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic2_apr.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3-apr.jpg

The twins are on their way well and truly now too eh :D

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt-ct2_apr.jpg

Southpoint

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint1_apr.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint2_apr.jpg

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Bluestar </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>That MOJO building was designed by Synman Justin Bialek - Clarendon Towers designers and collaborators on MAB site in docklands. They've advanced somewhat!

Centurion is ok, yes. What I particularly DON'T like about what we've seen to this point is the sense of 'flimsiness' about CE's works...I think its the long, thin horizontal empasis, with the balconies mainly. It gives the impression that they're just prefabricated houses-of-cards just waiting to tumble in the first decent earthquake. *UGH!*

<Blue narrowly avoids a rant session>:bleep:</td></tr>
</table>

DITTO 100% COMPLETELY TWO-FOLD your comments on Centurion's 'flimsiness'. Those white fins look ready to snap off at any breeze.

Ahh well, I've knocked CE a plenty and still will but at least they got this entire block developed in about 2.5 years flat .. and Melbourne & City are both definately underway ..

Considering Sentinals impact already the terrible twins are definately gonna be CE's finest hour .. and give that whole strip Melbourne's answer to Hong Kong !!

melbourne and city will rise simultaneously, fitting really, being twins and all as Tays pointed out

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/southbankcentral_20030331=4.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/southbankcentral_20030331=6.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/southbankcentral_20030403=7.JPG

Crane for City Tower was assembled over the weekend ... adding *another* one to Southbank !! Still got to more to go at the Freshwater site and Southbank will have proably the greatest density of cranes in one precinct even seen in Melbourne if not Australia. ..

Right now coming in off the westgate and over Kings Way it already looks like an incredible jungle of cranes..

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce0904031.jpg

Sentinel's getting considerably taller than Summit!

how many more core floors to go you reckon ?

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1704041.jpg

Exactly four more floor levels to go !!! Which means the core is about 2 levels from topping out!

Very impressive height compared to what I was expecting.. I guess we can actually be thankful for Summit only being 22 odd stories, making Sentinal look even taller..

And Melbourne & City will be taller still!! Didn't think I'd ever say this but :rock:

Still pissed about this lot probably helping to ruin Imperium but better than nothing..

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by A-brain </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>

And Melbourne & City will be taller still!! Didn't think I'd ever say this but :rock:

</td></tr>
</table>

freaking AY:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/melbourneandcitytowerssmall.jpg

:rock:

they're almost double the height of Summit! cant wait for them to start making their mark!

:banana: :guns1: :banana:

tays

Collins Street is fast becoming a great point where you can now see a few high-rises "rise" from across the other side of the river ;)

Looking down William:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce2904031.jpg

there's a great angular shot that, when it's above 50 floors, will be a great point to watch Eureka from within the CBD - old banking corner (Collins and Queen!)

tays

Hey guys,

Some friends of mine have recently moved into the Centurian and I was there on Sunday night. I must say, the place was absolutely amazing! The quality of the apartments looked damn good and so did the entrance foyer, lifts and other facilities like the gym, swimming pool and spa.

Also the apartments were a good size. My friends are renting out a three bedder and it has an entry hall, a nice sized kitchen, a bathroom with bath and shower, a dining room and a living room. The three bedrooms are very spacious and the master has a study. But I think the best bit is the balcony - it wraps around the corner of the building so even though the place is only on the fourth floor (which really is about 8 stories or more up) I got views of the entire western end of the CBD, alot of Docklands, and alot of St Kilda Road including the melburnian. The only downside was the smaller apartment building that blocked out views of the eastern and southbank skyline.

MG2

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by MG2 </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Hey guys,

Some friends of mine have recently moved into the Centurian and I was there on Sunday night. I must say, the place was absolutely amazing! The quality of the apartments looked damn good and so did the entrance foyer, lifts and other facilities like the gym, swimming pool and spa.

Also the apartments were a good size. My friends are renting out a three bedder and it has an entry hall, a nice sized kitchen, a bathroom with bath and shower, a dining room and a living room. The three bedrooms are very spacious and the master has a study. But I think the best bit is the balcony - it wraps around the corner of the building so even though the place is only on the fourth floor (which really is about 8 stories or more up) I got views of the entire western end of the CBD, alot of Docklands, and alot of St Kilda Road including the melburnian. The only downside was the smaller apartment building that blocked out views of the eastern and southbank skyline.

MG2</td></tr>
</table>
Yeah, wait till the door knobs start falling off! :D
CE has SUCH a BAD reputation...all the taxi drivers warn ppl arriving here not to get a CE place! They build cheap and nasty, but fast and plentiful. If ONLY they'd spend some effort and money on an Imperium-style development with some height and class! What they've got now are nearly in the "slums of the future" category. It's a class about Singaporean-standard condos, but it's still scary. No wonder they buy like there's no tomorrow. Sell one apartment there, buy two larger, better quality CE apartment here! Ugh.

On another note, I'm not so annoyed about Imperium sinking now, since it wasn't as tall as I'd expected...I mean, it's no FWP or Prima!

Yeah, that's what I've been told blabby, but from what I saw at their place it didn't look half as bad as what people had made it out to be.

We'll just have to wait and see I guess

MG2

Re MG2: Cosmetics can go a long way. I can go out and buy a pair of jeans from Target and fob them off as Levis, but the charade ends when the arse rips after 4 months.
:D I suppose the tests will come if and when the first claims on the building warranty start coming through - such things aren't normally publicised, but if there was to be a rush of them, then the fears about the quality of CE's product will have been borne out.
That, or those wafer-thin fins on the Centurian could snap off during a gale. ;)

Blue

You got to remember CE apartments are priced differently from Eureka, Mirvac and FWP. What you paid for, is what you get. Note: some of more expensive Mirvac apartments in Post Melbourne had sound proof problems. That's why my friend's mother sold her apartment off, though the place looks good. Personally, the newer CE apartment are furnished and look much better, than a few years ago.

bumped so as thread wont get deleted

new construction pics from CE website:

Sentinel:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1_may.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_may.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3_may.jpg

Victoria Tower:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_may.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic2_may.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3_may.jpg

Victoria and Sentinel:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vicsen_may.jpg

City & Melbourne Towers:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mtct1_may.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mtct2_may.jpg

Southpoint:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint1_may.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint2_may.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/southbankcentral_20030428=1.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/southbankcentral_20030428=5.JPG

bloody posers, gotta love the glass, its everywhere. Much better than previous CE designs
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/southbankcentral_20030428=6.JPG

I agree CE seem to be getting better they must be doing something right if they sellout!
Maybe they just know their market dynamics better.

Sentinel is looking pretty big in that pic, the core only has one or two levels before it is topped out. Melbourne and City towers will be 17m higher than Sentinel, so it will be a very impressive cluster when it's finished.

Compare Victoria & Sentinel to Summit and you can see how much the basic CE design has improved.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Grollo </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Sentinel is looking pretty big in that pic, the core only has one or two levels before it is topped out. Melbourne and City towers will be 17m higher than Sentinel, so it will be a very impressive cluster when it's finished.

Compare Victoria & Sentinel to Summit and you can see how much the basic CE design has improved.</td></tr>
</table>

Erm you reckon ???

But yes I agree the complex is going to be very impressive - giving Melbourne it's answer to a Hong Kong style tall apartment precinct..

Sentinal has about 3 floor levels to go, I'd say the core has already reached its topping out level or maybe 1 more .. but yes when you size up Melbourne & City knowing they will be another 5 odd stories higher.. it will make for an impressive albeit boxy precinct..

Well I must admit CE has improved so much with their last couple of towers which are currently under construction. I went for a walk on Saturday and checked out their new towers. You can see the difference now. Particulary with the windows.
They are now floor to ceiling windows, not those boxy small windows on previous buildings, and they have much more interesting features.
While they are still not the greatest looking towers going around at the moment, they are improving each time.

I think you guys are way too kind.. they are still all boxes built by the cheapest builders .. the day I see even a single curved balcony or edge on of their buildings - a few token efforts on Yarra Crest excluded - I'll eat my hat ..

But yes.. compared to a couple of earlier disgraces (those black and white boxes in Southbank near the ABC centre) they are slightly better than earlier.. some features on the entrances of Sentinal are ok..

Yessir ... today the core box was being dissassembled on the Sentinal, much as expected ..

With about 2 or 3 floors to lay .. its looking very nice towering over Summit .. with the promise of the best yet to come with Melbourne & City Towers rising now to surpass it ..

It's still an ugly piece of sh*t .. but at least Sentinal adds some more height to Southbank ..

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by A-brain </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>

It's still an ugly piece of sh*t .. but at least Sentinal adds some more height to Southbank ..</td></tr>
</table>

that can't be any closer to the truth.

It's extremely visible (i.e it's "not just another tower on the horizon") from the S.E. Approach to the City / coming into Richmond!

Concur with you Abrain, I've maintained from the beginning the CE jobs are little more than glorified human filing cabinets, but City and Melbourne are somewhat of an improvement.

Blue

I got an email this morning from CE inviting me to the 6th June launch of their Market Square Condos development, which is presumably their site in Dudley Street. Couldn't tell much from the sketch but it looked to be mid-rise - IIRC there is a height restriction in this area

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Bluestar </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Concur with you Abrain, I've maintained from the beginning the CE jobs are little more than glorified human filing cabinets, but City and Melbourne are somewhat of an improvement.

Blue</td></tr>
</table>

"Glorified Human Filing Cabinets" ..

:laugh:

I like that one .. :D

104-126 Dudley Street, next to Royal Flagstaff and due to height restrictions should be between 10 and 15 levels. CE midrises are even worse their the tall timber, so the design for this building will tell us where CE is really at. Hopefully not a square and a bit of glass?

126 Dudley Street is 7 stories high, 25 metres high :-) about as high as they could go on that site and it has only just been approved. It's a pretty standard Span design, looks like the podium of Victoria Tower.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Grollo </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>126 Dudley Street is 7 stories high, 25 metres high :-) about as high as they could go on that site and it has only just been approved. It's a pretty standard Span design, looks like the podium of Victoria Tower.</td></tr>
</table>

Flagstaff Gardens area is CE's -original- stomping ground isn't it ?

I'd sort of forgotten that: since I've taken an interest in these things everything they've built except City Point has been on their 3 big Southbank sites. For myself I'd rather live in the Flagstaff Gardens area than on Southbank which except for the developments right up near the river leaves me cold.

It seems like yesterday.. but I remember looking at this render of The Sentinel when it was first released a couple of years ago and thinking 'Hmmm.. I wonder what it will really look like ??'

http://users.bigpond.net.au/speckled10/sentinel[1].jpg

Well... today I got my answer!!

http://users.bigpond.net.au/speckled10/DSC00508.jpg

I'm pinching myself by saying this but from this angle with the sunlight it could this actaully be a decent looking CE tower ??!! :sly:

Like I said.. I'm pinching myself hard..

:eek2:

one thing's for sure - it's a very nice height!

woha, I hope they add some -other- colours to the podium though!

tays

Hrrmmrrmrm...
<Blue ponders thoughtfully>
...Its...ok.

Bloody hell I strained a few muscle groups there.

Blue

.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/sentinnel3105031.jpg

.

From Ce's site:

Sen:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1_june.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_june.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3_june.jpg

Vic:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_june.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic2_june.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3_june.jpg

Melb / City:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mtct1_june.jpg

South:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint1_june.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint2_june.jpg

..................blip...............

looking good, Sentinal looks taller than I expected. The podium on Southpoint is different, but the westen wall is, um, crap. But the site next to it is just wating for another 30 storey tower so hopefully it will be covered up sooner or later.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Grollo </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>looking good, Sentinal looks taller than I expected. The podium on Southpoint is different, but the westen wall is, um, crap. But the site next to it is just wating for another 30 storey tower so hopefully it will be covered up sooner or later.</td></tr>
</table>

dont you think CE took a real big gamble, not that they might care about this, however, the vast majority of windows / balconies are on the East and West sides of the building, and there's another site as you said for another 30 or so level. right frigging there...

Duh or a-freaking-duh CE ?

*shakes head*

carry on....

shite pic, but look how high the Sentinell and Vic towers appear, considering Melbourne and City are going to be -taller-!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce2406031.jpg

:rock: @ the size of these mommas!

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce2506031.jpg

Hello there:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce2506032.jpg

I'm genuinely impressed at how tall Victoria Tower has become - I didn't think it would be nearly that tall.. more like Summit!

With all this + the action going on closer to the River..

Southbank = Hong Kong

In terms of mass construction everywhere you turn !! The whole precinct of E + FWP + This = construction fans paradise ..

latest CE site pics:

sen.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1_july.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_july.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3_july.jpg

vic.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_july.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic2_july.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3_july.jpg

melb.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt1_july.jpg

city.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct1_july.jpg

both of them.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mtct1_july.jpg

south.

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint1_july.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/southpoint2_july.jpg

on a side note: any "enthusiast" (:D) should get out to richmond station. and catch a train from Platform 10, 8 or 6 back to Flinders Street in the afternoon, and look to the left - you wont be disappointed :D

two worthy additions to the skyline, pics from recent times

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc_20030708=2.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc_20030708=3.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc_20030708=1.JPG

the last piece of Vic's core box lowered down
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc630.JPG

hard to see but glass already in place, black though. different look to Southbank really if M/C Tower are both black instead of blue
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc_20030708=9.JPG

view down market st, Freshwater will dominate this view soon enough
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc703.JPG

At last Central Equity actually make a positive contribution to the skyine. Southbank Central is VERY dense, so much so that they have now changed the planning controls so that towers have to be spaced out more :-)

Are the density controls primarily involved with the actual population density or more the actual structure density ?

Meaning you could be flexible with a maximum residential density if you varied building heights / apartment sizes etc, or it's just a strict black and white "this building cannot be too close to this building" type thing ?

great pics silvermb!

tays

Here are the controls:

Tower setback up to 6 metres from
all major streets.

For towers up to 40 metres, a
setback from the side and rear
boundary of at least 6 metres. *

For towers above 40 metres, a
setback of 24 metres from an
adjoining tower of similar height. *

* Side, rear and tower separation
setbacks may be reduced where it
can be demonstrated that towers
are offset and habitable room
windows do not directly face one
another.

hrmm thanks.

chyeah, they're certainly not 24 metres from each other!

I spose those controls are influencing the gateway plan on Clarendon / City ?

"CE Alley"

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1607031.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1607032.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1607033.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1607034.jpg

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1607035.jpg

I dunno bout Southpoint, one minute it was grey, the next black ?

http://members.iinet.net.au/~tayser/ce1607036.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic2_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic4_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt1_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt2_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct1_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp1_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp2_aug.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp3_aug.jpg

Tays, I HATE to admit it, but I could almost live with the tower in the first pic of the last post. I know, I know, my standards are slipping... :D

Originally posted by Blabbyboy
Tays, I HATE to admit it, but I could almost live with the tower in the first pic of the last post. I know, I know, my standards are slipping... :D

I agree there - Sentinel is definitely the best of a fairly mediocre bunch at Southbank Central! Melbourne and City Towers might look okay...but they are just too boxy!

Yes, I'd go for a CE apartment, by the looks of these: http://www.shortstayapartments.com.au/apartments.asp (if you have quicktime installed, look at the 360 degree interior panos.)

if this is the level of design that Melbourne's worst developer now hangs its hat on I can live with that

compare to one of their first slums to the right. check out Melbourne and City Tower's cores to the left...a wall of glass.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc8031.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc803.JPG

So glad other people can be bothered going that far out to get pics, nice one. You need to fix your light settings mark, the sky wasn't that colour grey today! :cool:

These towers are somewhat improved, yes. I might also go so far as to say Sentinel is a worthy addition to the skyline. It has a nice rounding out effect on the cluster and the wider skyline. Still praying that CE doesn't get its miserable mass-producing mitts on The Age site though. mad2:

Blue:

Sentinel's going white on its northern facade!

http://metropolis.tayser.net/misc/sthbnkcentral1808031.jpg

They're good bulk-adders, as long as the river side is ringed by TALLS!!! PrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitePrimaFwPEurekaImperiumsitev

does anyone think that some of these CE buildings might have looked a bit better if they'd used slightly more tinted and reflective glass? I think this would have been the case with Victoria tower for sure. A nice mirror-like blue reflective glass all over it mmmm.

I think we will have to wait a couple of years now for a new proposal on the Imperium Site but since it's now one of the last big sites left in the Southbank Core it will almost definately get something the size of Prima.

Watch Melb and City Towers over the coming months - silvermb remarked on the speed at these things are rising, and I didn't really notice until today:

http://metropolis.tayser.net/misc/southbankcentral2808031.jpg

Looks like all Central Equity buildings are cloned. They all look the same or have very similar features.

They certainly were turning out new towers like a Ford assembly line, but have presumably decided that the lower price investment-driven market is saturated: instead of a new tower being released every 3 months this year they've only released their small 6-storey Dudley street block (just over 100 units) and plot/house schemes at Narre Warren and Bundoora, both way out in the sticks (I tried riding an 86 tram to the end of the line but after more than a hour had had enough!).

To me, as an outsider, the economics of these high rise schemes are pretty scary: because they (unlike most UK developers) insist on virtually selling the whole development before getting tenders, they are 100% reliant on being able to get the building built for what they estimated or are in big trouble - or so ISTM. Tender opening day must be seriously nerve-wracking.

a few pics taken on 29th August from the CE website...

Sentinel:
http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen3_sept.jpg

Victoria Tower:
http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3_sept.jpg

Melbourne and City:
http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct1_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt1_sept.jpg

Southpoint (Completed):
http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp-complete.jpg

Southpoint interior:
http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp-pool.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp-foyer.jpg

doesnt look too bad inside!

yeah, CE tower's have pretty good foyers ;)

Melbourne & City are now clearly visible from the rail viaducts too... steaming along! :D

Inside looks much better than the Meriton developments. However, no inside shots of the apartments.

Such uninspiring vertical vomit.



:toilet:

Originally posted by jag
Such uninspiring vertical vomit.



:toilet:
LOL! But still better than some of the vertical vomit in GC, Sydney and most Asian cities.

CE's towers *do* generally have good foyers - that is one thing I will pay them..

But vertical vomit is pretty bloody appropriate.. despite their fervsh activity all these new buildings are complete shite - yes even Sentinal and Melbourne & City Tower ..

I wouldn't be so hasty condemning Meriton as worse than CE. At least some Meriton buildings I've seen have *curves* - even if they are Sydney style curves ..

I could say I'm at least happy about the densification they are bringing to Southbank - and I am - but then remember while these guys get crap built with their ruthless marketing - poor developers with good intentions i.e Imperium get shafted ..

A-brain have been inside of Meriton development? In June I stayed at the newly developed Bondi Junction service apartment (The Tiffany) .

One bedroom unit: The workmanship and finishing was terrible. You couldn't comfortably put a double bed inside that one room, with room to move. (less than 50cm on each side). Though outside looks great, inside was a let down. I hoping the standard was better than CE. Let's World Tower inside is up to standard.

CE and SPAN architects are all about responding to market forces with saturation of a design product that looks great for investors hoping to make a quick buck, who don't give a fat rat's crack about quality aesthetic, or urban planning strategy, or other qualities which distinguish 'Old Melbourne' from many other Western cities. CE saw its opening, said 'you ripper, lets dominate the market, (and to hell with good design.) '
Southbank was intended as something so much more than what CE has contributed. They're a bloody abomination.

Apart from that, no problems.

Blue

Originally posted by Bluestar


Apart from that, no problems.

Blue
:rotf:

Is Span an actual architectural practice or just the name under which CE's in-house design department works. One wonders what they are all now doing with (unless someone knows better) very little on the drawing board.

Well, at least Devine are building a tower that was designed for another developer....or the docklands would be getting a fat 40 storey concrete wall on the waterfront, just like Brisbane

And you guys complain about CE;)

I do agree though..... the CE towers seem to be spreading like a virus through Southbank, sucking the life out of what could be a varied and interesting precinct.

Yeh

I think its a disgrace and sad that these atrocious housing commission slums where permitted to denegrate Melbournes skyline. They are just plain ugly, space filling filth.

Its quite obvious the CE have a policy of quantity over quality which for many years will hang over Melbourne, like a giant fart.

CE would not dare take on a quality site like at FWP or at E.
Thank God.

If there is any saving grace from these monsters is that thy're only a limited height and mostly set back in the former old tips of southbank where they belong.

Stuff density if thats all they can do.

Now that I have calmed down Ill get back to work.

:bash:

Oh yes, and pray to whatever deity you subscribe to that CE does not get its miserable mits on the Sharpe Towers site...or the neighbouring Age. They could send Melbourne's west angles to the crapper if they did.

Blue

heh:

http://www.centralequity.com/news-articles/images/citypoint_award.jpg

;)

site update

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen1_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/sen2_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic1_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/vic3_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt1_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt3_sept.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct1_sept.jpg

Southpoint open for business

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp-foyer.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/stp-complete.jpg

Southbank's burgeoning skyline looks really good from Sturt st. Grollo said it, the black glass of M/C Tower will be imposing
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/483sbc20031008_2.jpg


ill say it again, if this is the design standards CE/Span have now set as the cheapest developer in town, i can live with it!
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/483sbc20031008.jpg

Those "cluster bombs" don't look too bad - much better than the similar-market crap that gets built on the GC or even Sydney. And the IRONY is that I may even prefer CE to Harry the concreter!

very nice pics silvermb!

was just thinking today that I prefer Victoria to Sentinel nowadays - although Melb and City still to come, looking promising!

The newer glasser towers, look heaps better than the previous development. Melbourne we are a bit spolit, though CE ranks sd lower end of developer, they far better than the ones in Sydney and GC.

eh come on, stop tryin to make yourselves feel better by telling yourselves that CE is better than Sydneys Meriton, Harry S etc.... Cove and World Tower shit all over this CE stuff, and you know it!

Anyway, if you have somethin to say regarding this matter, say it in the below thread i have created as to not pollute this thread:

The ULTIMATE battle:

MERITON VS CE

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=64616

do continue....

Another beautiful day another CE

City and Melbourne

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/Southbank/DSC00077.JPG

Originally posted by Blabbyboy
Those "cluster bombs" don't look too bad - much better than the similar-market crap that gets built on the GC or even Sydney. And the IRONY is that I may even prefer CE to Harry the concreter! Oh Blabby, your continual type of these comments are really, really, reeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllyyyyyyyyy getting tiresome. Have you ever actually seen the structures you're referring to in reall life on either The Gold Coast or in Sydney? Hope so!

I 'm coming around to the newer CE works via pic posts only. Seems like some interesting glasswork happening. Hopefully when I see them in real life, they will look just as great or even better. I've only seen the ones up to early 2002 in person.

http://metropolis.tayser.net/misc/sentinel3010031.jpg

http://metropolis.tayser.net/misc/sentinel3010032.jpg

http://metropolis.tayser.net/misc/sentinel3010033.jpg

Thank God CE have finally started using glass!!!!

These buildings are 100% better than the old concrete slabs with squares cut out. They actually remind me of a lot of the apartment towers in Vancouver and Seattle. Anyone got any pics of them to demonstrate similarities?

As someone said earlier, if this is the worst we can expect I'm happy!

MG2

Originally posted by Muse
Oh Blabby, your continual type of these comments are really, really, reeeeeeeaaaaaaaallllllyyyyyyyyy getting tiresome. Have you ever actually seen the structures you're referring to in reall life on either The Gold Coast or in Sydney? Hope so!

I 'm coming around to the newer CE works via pic posts only. Seems like some interesting glasswork happening. Hopefully when I see them in real life, they will look just as great or even better. I've only seen the ones up to early 2002 in person.
Good. I'm glad you're enjoying the show. It's been a while since my last post, but I'm glad to be back! :D

For the record, yes, I have seen the structures I refer to in real life.

Glad to know Blabbyboy. Stamp of approval NOT :D

Yeah, I'm really impressed with Sentinel and Victoria Tower! Especially Victoria Tower, considering the initial renderings which looked absolutely abysmal with that horrible use of reflective glass!

http://www.centralequity.com.au/images_projects/mm_victoriatower.jpg

The actual tower looks 1000% better, with some nice colour variation and stepped effect! :D

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/483sbc20031008_2.jpg

I agree with MG2 - they remind me a bit of the Seattle/Vancouver towers...maybe because of the similarity in climate between the cities (grey and drizzly ;))!

"I agree with MG2 - they remind me a bit of the Seattle/Vancouver towers...maybe because of the similarity in climate between the cities (grey and drizzly )!'






You guys from Sydney just cant help yourself can you?Just the cheap shots as usual.
Melbourne is nothing like those cities, for starters we have a very mild winter in comparison.

Originally posted by Billy the Kid
"I agree with MG2 - they remind me a bit of the Seattle/Vancouver towers...maybe because of the similarity in climate between the cities (grey and drizzly )!'






You guys from Sydney just cant help yourself can you?Just the cheap shots as usual.
Melbourne is nothing like those cities, for starters we have a very mild winter in comparison.

Whatever :| I was kidding mate...don't take everything so seriously! Besides, I'm from Melbourne, just living in Sydney.

I reckon Im just like the rest of the Melbourne forumers in that we get sick and tired of all the snide remarks coming form other States.
I dont know wether it is an inferority complex,jealosy or just plain ignorance of Melbourne that leads to some of the more inane and bitter comments but it still gives me the shits.
It wears a bit thin after a while.

could CE pick up this southbank site with a approved 33 level project?....
http://www.propertylook.com.au/listing/default.asp?ctryCode=AU&dispTypeCode=T&pcde=2000&propTypeCode=O&saleTypeCodes=%27A%27%2C%27E%27%2C%27S%27%2C%27T%27&srchRefKey=1708056&lstKey=21983&pageNo=1

I don't think central equity would be looking at aquiring any more southbank site at the moment. They already have three more towers on Southbank to be released (two more at Southbank Central and Whiteman Tower). There two latest projects are in the northern CBD.

Originally posted by Billy the Kid
I reckon Im just like the rest of the Melbourne forumers in that we get sick and tired of all the snide remarks coming form other States.
I dont know wether it is an inferority complex,jealosy or just plain ignorance of Melbourne that leads to some of the more inane and bitter comments but it still gives me the shits.
It wears a bit thin after a while.

you reckoned wrong - seriously, go post about whatever the hell you like in the Skybar.

The skybar's there for you to unleash all your own insecurites there too.

and take all your generalised opinions with you to the skybar as well and keep these threads project related.

Chrisaus & SydneyDude: take note, the skybar's there for you to utilise & pounce on further remarks as well, not here.

Originally posted by tayser
you reckoned wrong - seriously, go post about whatever the hell you like in the Skybar.

The skybar's there for you to unleash all your own insecurites there too.

and take all your generalised opinions with you to the skybar as well and keep these threads project related.

Chrisaus & SydneyDude: take note, the skybar's there for you to utilise & pounce on further remarks as well, not here.

Sorry to have an opinion.I might add no wonder adamonline fucked off as well!

Easy Tigers......... Easy

Originally posted by Billy the Kid
Sorry to have an opinion.I might add no wonder adamonline fucked off as well!

no, the reason why Adamonline has left is because of people such as yourself who crap on about absolute parochial bollocks and other people who thrive for it.

hint. take it.

BACK to the project - if you have a problem with that billy, enable private messages and send one to me.

Could we not use the "F" word. We may have kids surfing this forum.

Could we also have maturity to have constructive criticism on the development, rather than having cheap shot at each cities and their environment. Writing bad things about a user and their city without any foundation provokes anger, and absolutely nothing is achieved. Who wins? One's ego? The Grand Final?

Basically this forum is about buildings, which all passionate about, let's keep it that way. Though I live overseas, I am always interested in the development in Australia (more so in Southbank, as its always changing). This forum is only channel to see the developments.

There's no such thing as the perfect city. They all have their own faults as well as their good points.
:angel1:

Anyway, the Sentinel looks great, though I am bit disappointed with Victoria Tower. I thought it will be Rialto blue in colour. Though I wish CE towers were a little bit curvy or more angular like the Centurion. At least there's less concrete blank walls. FWP and Eureka will make up for it.

I am thankful for users who are posting the photos. I (and I know many other people) really appreciate it. Many thanks

Totally agree with you Zion!

Tays, please don't get worked up that no-one appreciates your picture posting.
Us forumers overseas who are missing out on the whole Melbourne transformation thing love a good picture posting.

Maybe I should post more and let you guys know this...but the truth is that
(a) Most of the time I look at the forum it's at work and can't really spend a long enough time writing posts

(b) My computer at home is so old it takes forever to do anything, so I don't really post unless I am absolutely compelled to and

(c) Living in London I don't really have anything constructive to add most of the time when it comes to Melbourne construction, as I'm just not there and don't know first hand what's going on. I would post pictures of new development in London, but, frankly I don't give a rat's a***e what's happening in London.

Please keep the pics coming - we LUV 'EM!!

As far as CE towers go...this is pretty damn good.

And for the record, Melb is not very much like Seattle - although they were both born out of gold rushes (well, Seattle was, but Melb grew big on it), both around the same pop and similar age (both amongst the youngest of their size) and similar weather - but Seattle weather is WORSE (more like London) and we got better scrapers and we're more elegant in our lifestyle - Seattle grunge v Victorian charm. hehehe

OK - enough of that. In today's Age, there was an ad for a $2.9 m (I think) 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom PENTHOUSE in a NEW CE tower and we know approximate heights - since the penthouse(s) are on levels 38 & 39 (I think) - called...wait for it...

THE SOUTHBANK! (can't they be more original?!)

The "Southbank Penthouse" is the $2.6 million level 35 & 36 penthouse of City Tower, it's not a new development :-(

Here is the website:

http://www.centralequitypenthouses.com/sky.asp

Grollo you said there were two more towers to be released at Southbank central!? Great Kenett's ghost, has anyone got renders??

Blue

From todays HUN
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7861188%255E664,00.html

Central Equity aims higher
AAP
14nov03

CENTRAL Equity, which has focused its apartment building activities on Melbourne's Southbank district, said yesterday it was anticipating improved revenue and a strong profit performances.

Central Equity, whose high-rise apartments include The Sentinel and Victoria Tower, noted that increasing building costs, together with GST on new residential construction, have affected affordability.
"These increased replacement costs will not only restrict future supply but should also underpin values of recently completed projects and those currently under construction," chairman Eddie Kutner said.

He told the annual meeting that with projected population numbers, changing demographics and societal trends, Central Equity saw continued opportunities for more residential construction.

Central Equity posted a record $32.8 million profit for 2002-03, a 35.9 per cent lift over the previous year, from total revenue of $239 million.

Mr Kutner said the company had several projects including Melbourne Tower and City Tower.

Shares in Central Equity were steady at $1.90.

It's amazing just Melbourne & City are still to go:

Melbourne:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt1_dec.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/mt3_dec.jpg

City:

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct2_dec.jpg

http://www.centralequity.com.au/construction-photos/images/ct3_dec.jpg

bit of a turn-up this morning, the first time ive seen a crane swinging during lock-down. melbourne tower's crane loading gear onto and around the tower

to be a crane driver....imagine the pay rate today!

What do other people think ? Will the CE towers become the Housing Commission slums of the future and can they hold their value in the face of competition from Docklands and St Kilda Rd??

Always thoought that was a forgone conclusion.

Originally posted by bearbrass
What do other people think ? Will the CE towers become the Housing Commission slums of the future and can they hold their value in the face of competition from Docklands and St Kilda Rd??

Well yes they may look very much like Housing Comission slums and it's an easy target to say they'll become that..

But of course in all seriousness they wont actually become that. Housing comission is usually always purpose built and in what are at the time low-rent areas.

Southbank will always be expensive place to live from now on because the Yarra & Crown & Southgate are not going anywhere.

In 20 years the apartments will look tatty, a bit like a number of apartment towers on Beaconsfield parade along the beach at St.Kilda - but they will still command a good rental price because although they may look fowl, the buildings structurually will still stand up in 20 years, and the apartments can always be renovated inside...

So the short answer is they will look shite well before most other apartment buildings, but they will at least hold their value because of location (but they certaintly won't be an investment boon) ..

Originally posted by bearbrass
What do other people think ? Will the CE towers become the Housing Commission slums of the future and can they hold their value in the face of competition from Docklands and St Kilda Rd??

I don't think they will become slums because of their premium location and city views. Look at the horrible 60's and 70's towers in St. Kilda and Middle Park, they are bloody ugly and most of them of dubious quality but their location and views means that the apartments in them are still worth a fortune. Talk of slums of the future for Southbank is just a case of smartarse academics and real estate agents who sell low/medium density inner city housing trying to get noticed.

If they were building CE towers in Dandenong it would be very likely they would become the slums of the future.

hehe you beat me by 4 minutes A-Brain, great minds think alike :-)

bearbrass, to make it clearer for some forumers, could you clarify what you mean by "slums of the future" i.e. do you mean social class and living communities, do you mean en-masse architecture enclaves, do you mean literally turning into Housing Commish? etc. etc.. (It's just that everyone has different ideas of what a 'slum' can be)

cheers
:)

Originally posted by Muse
bearbrass, to make it clearer for some forumers, could you clarify what you mean by "slums of the future" i.e. do you mean social class and living communities, do you mean en-masse architecture enclaves, do you mean literally turning into Housing Commish? etc. etc.. (It's just that everyone has different ideas of what a 'slum' can be)

cheers
:)

Really I only wanted to get a discussion going and its interesting to see what others think.
Personally I think they have their place and will most likely hold their value over the short term.
I would rather that they have been built than not and at least they have some size about them.

Still the none wiser. I guess you meant 'a couple of the above' or left it to their own interpretations.

(BTW I really like some of the funky new glasswork that I see on some of the newer C.E. designs. I guess they have their own in-house architects. IMHO This sets them apart architecturally.)

Can anybody get there hands on a copy of National Building News Monthly Vol 3 No.9?

There is an article about City and Melbourne Towers with the heading Construction of Southbank’s tallest twin towers now underway.

November's issue. Hard to get for most as Godon & Gotch stopped distributing it to Newsagents. Subscription only. Have a copy back at home.

Hrrmmm, guess that article also gives more than an inkling about C.E. having their own in-house architects or contracted.

Originally posted by Muse
Still the none wiser. I guess you meant 'a couple of the above' or left it to their own interpretations.

(BTW I really like some of the funky new glasswork that I see on some of the newer C.E. designs. I guess they have their own in-house architects. IMHO This sets them apart architecturally.)

Sorry to confuse you muse.
I dont think that they will end up as bad as some of the commision towers have but their value could also depend greatly on the number of renters compared to O/occupiers and the rental rate they command say in about ten years time and wether they stand up ok without a lot of maintainence being done.

"Pre-fab City"

http://metropolis.tayser.net/misc/ce0501041.jpg

Nice Wrap from Rialto Tays!

How much more height do these two have to go? Melbourne and city arn't they? They are going to be taller then the senitel..yes?

Oi um..... "please explain"

Melbourne & City Towers, how tall are they going to be again? because, someone will have to confirm it, but the taller of the two currently U/C has had it's corebox removed, and it looks to be a little less, or the same height as the sentinnel.......

LOL - have CE choked and cut the towers down, or??

Oi Vey!!

Melbourne & City should both be about 122m and 37 stories tall.

Yes that's a worrying sign if the corebox has been removed from the taller one - but then I am sure I have seen them remove those coreboxes before and re-assemble them when the tower was lower down - they are fairly disposable kind of corebox (as are the towers themselves :D ) and easy to pull apart..

I seriously doubt they have suddenly reduced their heights after selling them off the plan that way.

true that, but have a look at them next time you're down there, lol the top of the core is lower than Sen, unless there's going to be a shitload of stuff on top of those towers, it looks as though it's been chopped down ;)

Originally posted by tayser
true that, but have a look at them next time you're down there, lol the top of the core is lower than Sen, unless there's going to be a shitload of stuff on top of those towers, it looks as though it's been chopped down ;)

What I mean't was they have previous removed the core box on these towers - done some shit - then put the corebox back on and kept climbing.

So expect to see the box re-assembled again in the next week and continue the climb.

As the owner of one of the apartments on the 34th floor of Melbourne Tower I am pleased to confirm the building has not been chopped. Interesting forum guys!!!

lol, well that settles it then!

welcome to the board ;)

Yeah! what he ^^ said :D

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Happy to be on board. When I pick up the keys (CE are currently saying October 2004) you are all welcome up for a look. 34th floor is the highest floor for normal apartments, immediately below the penthouse.

Wow cool I'm down!!

And yes the core box was back re-assembled today..

Originally posted by LBFM
Happy to be on board. When I pick up the keys (CE are currently saying October 2004) you are all welcome up for a look. 34th floor is the highest floor for normal apartments, immediately below the penthouse.

Be carefull with your offers we may have a Melbourne meet there ;)

Originally posted by LBFM
Happy to be on board. When I pick up the keys (CE are currently saying October 2004) you are all welcome up for a look. 34th floor is the highest floor for normal apartments, immediately below the penthouse.

We'll hold you to that LBFM :D

How many people are we talking about for a Melbourne meet? As you guys are all so concerned about CE, we can all test out the CE balcony to really see if they use substandard materials or not. From the balcony I can promise you a view of the big E as you call it and we can ooh and aah all night.

Ciaobellaxo, a special invite for you as we Geelong supporters must stick together. I am probably the only Geelong supporter in Hong Kong!

For all of you that love skyscrapers - you should come to Hong Kong. Every building is a skyscraper!

Well Southbank Central is about as close as you will get to Hong Kong Style residential development in Australia with 7 towers over 25 stories on one small block (in Hong Kong they would all be 50 stories :-).

I'll feel right at home ... I live on the 33rd floor of an apartment block in the mid-levels in Hong Kong and my office is on the 42nd floor of a building in Central. Coming from Geelong, this is of course a little different but if you don't have a large family and there is lots of life nearby (and I think Southbank qualifies on that front), it is actually a nice way to live.

What a coincidence that you're a Geelong supporter! How long and whereabouts in Geelong did you live LBFM? I know what you mean by saying that it would be a culture shock to be living in a city overflowing with towers compared to Geelong with a CBD encompassed in about 3-4 blocks at the most!

As you will probably see from everyone else's posts, we're all hangin' out for a few years to roll by to see the new and awesome Melbourne skyline. Will certainly be an awesome view coming in on a flight or coming in on land from any direction!

Ciaobellaxo,

Lived Geelong 16 years (East Geelong then Belmont then Highton) before serving in the RAN for seven years (submarines) then back to Geelong (Deakin) before becoming a banker and off to Singapore (2 years) then HK (now eight years - just got my permanent residence). Have certainly noticed the towers in Melbourne getting bigger on my visits back to Oz. Have two apartments in HK and two under construction in Oz (Melbourne Tower and Bullecourt in Ultimo, Sydney). Almost bought an apartment in the Big E but baulked at the AUD 1 million price tag for a 2BR high floor (+ really expensive body corporate), which is actually HK prices, so went for a 34th Floor AUD 500K in Melbourne Tower instead.

Go Cats 2004!

Originally posted by LBFM
I'll feel right at home ... I live on the 33rd floor of an apartment block in the mid-levels in Hong Kong and my office is on the 42nd floor of a building in Central.

Sounds excellent! I was just in Hong Kong before Christmas and was thinking how much I'd like to work there eventually - absolutely loved the density of it all and the crazy, crowded streets! Mid-levels was heaps good - especially the mid-levels escalators!

Met some ex-pats working with JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley and we went to dinner at an excellent Thai/Vietnamese fusion restaurant in SOHO called SOHO Spice or something, and hung out on that block that's packed with western-style pubs/clubs etc - was great fun!

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lafin/midlevels01.jpg

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lafin/midlevels02.jpg

Originally posted by LBFM
Ciaobellaxo,

Lived Geelong 16 years (East Geelong then Belmont then Highton) before serving in the RAN for seven years (submarines) then back to Geelong (Deakin) before becoming a banker and off to Singapore (2 years) then HK (now eight years - just got my permanent residence). Have certainly noticed the towers in Melbourne getting bigger on my visits back to Oz. Have two apartments in HK and two under construction in Oz (Melbourne Tower and Bullecourt in Ultimo, Sydney). Almost bought an apartment in the Big E but baulked at the AUD 1 million price tag for a 2BR high floor (+ really expensive body corporate), which is actually HK prices, so went for a 34th Floor AUD 500K in Melbourne Tower instead.

Go Cats 2004!

Yup, go Cats in 2004 :D

I lived in Geelong for 28 years before moving up to Melbourne shortly after meeting my wife. Lived in Whittington for most of my life, then Newtown then back to Whittington before moving up to Melbourne which is now proudly my home.

Those pics from finn are amazing. Have you got any or do you know of any sites that show 'wide' shots of the city of HK showing the towers? I must say they're very nice looking towers too.

As for purchasing an apartment worth $1 mil I think most people would have to say no there :D

If someone went away from Melbourne for say 3 years (left before all the towers in Southbank and the docklands went up) and came back in '05 or '06, I think you could honestly say they'd be gob smacked at the skyline when they returned :guns1:

Originally posted by ciaobellaxo
Those pics from finn are amazing. Have you got any or do you know of any sites that show 'wide' shots of the city of HK showing the towers? I must say they're very nice looking towers too.


Yeah, I took those pics when I was hiking up The Peak with my friend - we didn't walk up the direct path, but instead took a couple of hours winding our way up the hill (we didn't actually know where we were going ;)), and I was amazed by the atmosphere of the hike...you walk through dense vegetation, and as you climb higher the towers of Central seem further and further below you, while suddenly massive residential towers emerge, half-way up the hill!

In the first pic, those white buildings at the base of the towers are kind of like a "country club in the sky" (that's how I perceived it anyway), with all tennis courts and health clubs stepping down the hillside!

Anyway, I took about 475 pictures on my HK trip, while my friend took about 200 (and sent me a CD with them on)...so I've got ridiculous quantities of pictures from the trip. But, I have actually found a site with much much better quality pics of Hong Kong than mine, and they are probably what you're looking for ciaobellaxo - here's the site:

http://www.geocities.com/asiaglobe/gallery/hongkong.htm

:eek2: Amazing website finn!! 2 IFC is one MASSIVE sucker! For those of you who haven't heard of 2 IFC, here's a pic showing it's comparison with the other towers surrounding it..

http://www.iffd.net/scott/2%20IFC.jpg

WHOA!! Amazing thing is it is still 30 metres LOWER than Sears Tower in Chicago! Damn!!

Anyways, back to our CE gems :colgate:

Gosh I love Hong Kong.. I don't know why I do - I mean it's Chaotic, Messy, Smelly and full of people - yet I love it!!

Yeah midlevels way to go that's the place to be - next time I come back I'll look you up for a beer at LKF (Lan Kwai Fong) if your still there!

Otherwise - yes the CE development should suit you to a tee! It's definately our little version of a HK resi development. And I am warming to it more as I see City & Melbourne both go up - they do look sharp with lotsa black glass :cool:

http://www.liveinsouthbank.com/index.asp?id=02j#

Now Renting from $275 pw.
The Sentinel
Brand New. Never been lived in.

GRAND OPENING! Jan 24 & 25
Be the first to live in these
brand new Southbank Apartments

Luxury Concierge apartments in Southbank
near the Vic Arts Centre, Crown and CBD.



1 Bedroom Apts from 2 Bedroom Apts from
$275 pw* $350 pw*

3 Bedroom Apts from Penthouses
$495 pw* P.O.A.

21st Century lifestyle.

Stunning entry foyer with 7 day concierge.
Indoor pool, Gym, & Tennis court.
Security intercoms and keyless entry.
Choice of spectacular city, garden and bay views.
Click for Interactive views: City and Bay.
Floor to ceiling windows and large balconies.
Luxury kitchens with stainless steel appliances, granite benchtops & glazed finishes.
One or two bathrooms.
Laundry with clothes dryer.
Secured car parking for most apartments.
'Cisco Enabled' network offers residents affordable broadband internet and low cost telephone services. (fees apply)

In the very heart of Southbank:

Only metres to Crown Entertainment Complex and Yarra River.
Close to tram lines and a short walk to Flinders Street Station for trains to universities and schools.
Walk to the Central Business District, Southgate Riverside restaurants, Victorian Arts Centre and Royal Botanic Gardens.
Close to Albert Park, South Melbourne Market and the MCG.

Click for map and pictures of Southbank.


GRAND OPENING
Inspect New 12th Floor Display Village

Open 7 days, 10am - 5pm
12th Floor, 88-100 Kavanagh St, Southbank (Melway 1D P6)

What are you working for Central Equity now tays?

Soon you'll be standing in Bourke St Mall with a cardboard sign hanging on you handing out CE pamplets..

bah! ;) as if you'd say no to having a look at a display suite! ;)

Must say the apartments look very nice indeed. I'd even be tempted if I was single. :D

Originally posted by ciaobellaxo
:eek2: Amazing website finn!! 2 IFC is one MASSIVE sucker! For those of you who haven't heard of 2 IFC, here's a pic showing it's comparison with the other towers surrounding it..

[pic removed]

WHOA!! Amazing thing is it is still 30 metres LOWER than Sears Tower in Chicago! Damn!!

Anyways, back to our CE gems :colgate:

You know what's REALLY cool? Eureka Tower will be taller to roof than The Centre in HK and will be number 5 in HK!!!

Number #5 to roof?? You mean more like #3 to the roof - of buildings currently topped out in HK.

Union Square & Nina Tower are both U/C so they don't count yet! And Eureka should beat Nina to the line (and definately US) so it ranks !!

What I find just as amazing is that Eureka would be NUMBER 2 IN NEW YORK - again to the roof!! This is of course without WTC (old or proposed).

Photo Gallery and VR of Sentinal and Victoria Tower is up

Victoria Tower (http://www.centralequity.com.au/about-central-equity/about_map-proj-victoriatwr.asp)

The Sentinal (http://www.centralequity.com.au/about-central-equity/about_map-proj-sentinel.asp)

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/6842/101306842al1075279904.jpg

Wow isn't that a superb angle? I was gonna say where the f' did you manage to get to for that, but then noticed the source.

Yet another angle that in a mere 18-24 months is going to look 10x more sensational.

Somebody has to get a shot of the skyline looking down Southbank Boulevarde from St. Kilda Road. I was going past the other day and was struck by just how big the Southbank skyline now looks from that angle.

Originally posted by A-brain
Number #5 to roof?? You mean more like #3 to the roof - of buildings currently topped out in HK.

Union Square & Nina Tower are both U/C so they don't count yet! And Eureka should beat Nina to the line (and definately US) so it ranks !!

What I find just as amazing is that Eureka would be NUMBER 2 IN NEW YORK - again to the roof!! This is of course without WTC (old or proposed).

Eureka: #3 in HK, #2 in NY, #2 in LA, #1 in Singapore/Seoul/Tokyo, we could go on and on here! It will be in the top 5 to roof (if not #1 or #2) in most cities in the world! Easier to name the cities in which it won't be in the top 5 - are there any?! MUAHHAAHAHAHHHH! :D

nice little complex CE have going!

Building/ Name /Height/ Floors/ Year
City Tower 122 m 37 2004 UC
Melbourne Tower 122 m 37 2004 UC
The Sentinel 110 m 34 2003
Victoria Tower 98 m 31 2003
The Summit 88 m 26 2002
average height-108m

:D

^^ there are also 2 more towers planned next to the Melb&City.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Central Equity land:

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/9074/101319074cl1075718002.jpg

holy shiznitz @ Crown part deux!

espesh that angle.

mmm.

:)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid102/p0b41895c81fd0d3b0c8256dc8d279e9e/f9b3a58e.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid102/p5fbb5a3fae88345ce35837aeddef7f17/f9b3a58b.jpg
These guys seem pretty happy...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid102/p5894424421c4cc320e3970ac08125fa8/f9b3a58d.jpg

^^ lol - anyone know them? ;)

anyhow, CE alley's bulking up from the river now

http://metropolis.tayser.net/projects/southbank/ce/ce1402041.jpg

Welcome to Little Hong Kong

http://users.bigpond.net.au/speckled10/Cons/DSC00688.jpg

Particularly from the other side - Melbourne (& soon City) Tower is making the sort of impact we expect from a 38 level 120m+ tower .. it's fast approaching top out ..

Welcome to Central Equity Country:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/135central_equity_country.jpg

Australia's largest apartment development (and still two more towers to come!):
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/135density.jpg

Sentinel & Victoria Towers, the best looking CE towers by far:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/135sentinel.jpg

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/135victoria.jpg

Southpoint & the non-CE Century Tower:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/135southpoint.jpg

It's a lovely country isn't it Grollo? ;)

http://metropolis.tayser.net/projects/southbank/ce/ce2402041.jpg

Hey Tayser, if you look from where you took this photo as of tonight, crane 3 (the one on the left) has now climbed two towers and is at an equal height with the other crane.

the crane on the right in taysers photo climbed four towers tonight against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset and is now the third tallest crane in Melb. This may be in dispute with a couple of the cranes at QV but from where I was looking, and I reckon I had a birds eye view, the only cranes higher are the two favelles at Eureka.

view from Eurekas crane

http://www.eurekatower.com.au/photos/mar04/9.jpg

u think they would have some hi-rez pictures and construction pics for such a important tower... :?

ahhh surely these aren't central equity? 4-5 levels left for Melbourne Tower (taller of the two)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/483sbc1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/483sbc.jpg

central equity all look like the same **** to me lame.....

Nobody's listening to you anymore plotty ..

To paraphrase the Simpons..

Welcome to Lack-of-Credibility Land.

Population: You

Central Equity advises they are now pouring Level 36 (of 37 levels) of Melbourne Tower with completion scheduled for August/September.

Melbourne Tower core now topped out and the box is being disassembled as i write.

City Tower is still a few more weeks away

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

-

all is well :angel1: hope we get the chance to have a few beers one day

You know, there is a certain feature called PM.

But to be honest, it's hard to take someone seriously when they can't spell.

Most Central Equity towers look the same, there is no denying that. But cities as big as Melbourne have a market for high density 'not so luxurious' apartments, and they dont look too bad. Its certainly a step up from the meriton crap that has cluttered southern sydney during the 1990's.

Arrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhh!!!!

I'm SO SORRY PLOTSTYLE

I got you confused with julz !!!

Julz has been on here lately relentlessly bagging the crap out of Melbourne for hardly a single good reason. I saw that post of yours and thought it was that guy (who I'd forgot the name of) having another go at Melbourne for no reason.

I totally respect your opinion on CE - in fact I actually agree with you 99%!!! I too think most CE shit all looks the same. I'd take a Meriton over a CE anyday.

Again sorry dude - public apology - and if julz is still listening - well it's *YOU* I'm ignoring from now onward..:bash:

Heavens! What is to be done with that massive slab of land to the south of the existing towers?

Blue

That massive slab of land has three residential towers approved and three more planned. So eventually there will be 13 residential towers over 20 levels (two more to come at Southbank Central) on two blocks! Probably a couple of years before we see any action on the site.

:uh: Great Kennett's Ghost! Are there any available renders?

Blue

But to be honest, it's hard to take someone seriously when they can't spell.

:laugh: :rofl:

SydneyDude - I agree with you in saying that the CE towers don't look too bad. Sure they look the same but they're far from ugly. Have seen worse!

Ugh...Triguboff and CE appear to be cut from the same cloth. Churn out pure commercially driven, mass produced dog boxes, ride the boom, filling the market with the architectural equivalent of white rice. :) A strange metaphor, I thought of it just then...it's true though. White rice is nutritionally dead. CE buildings are architecturally...terminal.

Blue

Central Equity and Meriton cannot be compared. The two companies today are very diferent, as they satisfy diferent niches in the market.

On one hand you have Central Equity which only churns out mass produced same design 'dog boxes' in order to satisfy the lower end of the Market. BUT Melbourne also has other developers which satisfy the higher end of the market, (for example the developers of Eureka and FWP).

Here in Sydney Meriton has diversified and satisfies both the higher and lower ends of the market.

World tower was not built on the cheep- World Class architect and expensive materials are used on this one:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid106/p08101218f1100f551a82cf537e73ef18/f96c69c8.jpg

Its a quality building, hardly a 'commercially driven, mass produced dog box'.

However Meriton still caters for the lower end of the market with all that 'driven, mass produced dog box' crap that was built throughout the 90's.

Are you for real?

World Tower has 700 odd units over 70 odd levels, that's an average of 10 per floor! Even Eureka won't even come close to that - 7 units per floor avg. The only thing that sets World Tower apart from the rest of Meritonia is that it was a competition to deisgn the thing (and subsequently the right architect was selected) - CE just haven't progressed that far yet. Same market forces have driven them all: small units, cram as many on the floorplate as possible and sell them over-priced. Inseparable, I think you'll find, it's just the scale that differs. Please...

Meriton now use very good architects (even some from US) and now produce quality apartment towers. There is the Pre-1995 Meriton and post 1995 Meriton. both very different firms!! not sure who CE get to design theres but theres are obviously improving also!

checkout the high quality finish to WT!!

http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v28/Fabian/Sydney_pics_043.jpg
pic by fab.

Imagine if CE ever became like Meriton - the tallest resitower in Australia, built by CE in Fountain Gate - the 69 level Foutain Gate Central Tower! :vomit:

Hey I like it !!

"Look at moi Kimmoi .. I've got one word ta say ta ya.. Yoo-reeka!"

"NO-I-DON'T mum! I smell foine.. "



(hehe.. good one A-brain... how funny am I ??) .. :D

Nearly all done here, the crane on city tower has climbed down 30 odd towers and should be coming down completly on Sunday, tomorrow. Other one will be a month or so away from doing the same.

any recent pix of these two beauties??

almost done, bit of glass to go up, paint and polish whats necessary and restore the City rd facade

just two towers left along Balston st and the entire project is complete

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/uploads/483/sbc_200405_.jpg

thanks champ! they actually look ok!

i agree they look good! but the insides wait and see... almost all projects end up having cost cutting its a damn shame

yarp, definitely the best pre-fabs in town.

No invite for you when I pick up my keys Mr. Taser!

I know in the past were giving CE hard time in design. However, the positive side of things, is their apartments are looking better rather than worst.

No invite for you when I pick up my keys Mr. Taser!

:rofl:

Are my eyes playing tricks with me or in silvermb's picture does the floorplan seem to rise from left to right?

Latest corro:

Dear [LBFM]
We advise that we have been informed by the Vendor's that the above development is anticipated for completion August/September this year. Accordingly, we are in the process of preparing Transfers of Land for signing by the purchasers. We would be pleased if you could confirm that your postal address is still [LBFM-land] so that we can forward correspondence to you. We also note that your contract of sale was purchased in the name of [LBFM], accordingly can you please advise whether it is your intention to nominate a co-purchaser and if so kindly provide full name and address.

Are my eyes playing tricks with me or in silvermb's picture does the floorplan seem to rise from left to right?
your eyes are playing tricks. The building steps out about 1200mm so it appears to change its line. These are for the glass verandahs you can see that are covered in black plastic.

not too shabby, just needs a paint job along the precast flanks

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/sbc200406.JPG