Great shots.

Plenty of room to park CBD record
Maurice Dunlevy
April 18, 2006
A 1960s CBD car park is an unlikely location for a record-breaking apartment sale.
But in Adelaide you can expect the unexpected, with the $2.5 million sale of a penthouse atop a seven-storey car park adjoining David Jones.

The development is the work of solicitor and property developer Neville Obst and his Martin Towers group, but has its origins in the foresight of the Haywards, the wealthy merchant family that owned John Martins Ltd, South Australia's best known department store.

"Johnnies" closed in 1998, but not its North Terrace car park which, along with an arcade of 10 shops, was owned by Julius Colman's MCS Property group, later to be taken over by Centro Properties Group.

When the car park was built 35 years ago, the Haywards planned to build an international hotel on the rooftop and reinforced the structure to take the extra weight.

The hotel never happened, and a later proposal by MCS to build student accommodation was turned down by an Adelaide City Council, which was not convinced that cheap student digs were the best use of the prime location.

Mr Obst, a city solicitor, who acted for Chinese investors in Adelaide's successful Queen Victoria Hospital apartment development in the 1990s, bought the air rights in 2001.

The result was a twin-tower project known as 223 North Terrace, where 90 per cent of the 111 apartments sold off-the-plan in the first stage release in 2003, mostly to owner-occupiers attracted to the location directly behind Rundle Mall, the city's main retail thoroughfare.

Six penthouses, three sub-penthouses and six courtyard apartments in the North Tower were released for sale in December last year, with the $2.5million penthouse selling off-the-plan that month.

While that sale, to a local businessman nearing retirement, set an apartment record, it's a record that could fall, with a larger penthouse on the opposite corner of the same tower on the market for about $3 million.

For the money, the buyer will get a 300sqm apartment with three balconies.

"You won't find anything else like it in the city, with unrivalled views over the CBD and parklands to the coast and Adelaide Hills," Mr Obst said.

Construction started in 2003 with a transfer slab on the car-park roof that supports the weight of the lightweight steel apartment towers.

Designed by Adelaide architects Tectvs, the focus was to provide uninterrupted views as well as to ensure the edgy industrial-look apartments weren't out of place with nearby historic North Terrace buildings that include the State Library, South Australian Museum, Art Gallery of South Australia and the 130-year-old University of Adelaide.

While the five-level south tower, with 45 apartments, is almost complete, the seven-level north tower, with 66 apartments, should be finished in August.

Thanks for posting the article AG. A good read with some very interesting facts.

The hotel proposal would have been nice.

interesting...

btw i agree howie, the hotel proposal would have been nice

Any updates on this?

Hope to be out there with a camera soon.

The wraps are coming off the north tower and it looks great.

Very close to being finished by the looks of it.

Any updates on this?

While the five-level south tower, with 45 apartments, is almost complete, the seven-level north tower, with 66 apartments, should be finished in August.
:)

^^ -Cheers Rev.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/michaelchristhomas/IMG_1879.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/michaelchristhomas/IMG_1878.jpg

Oh dear, It dosnt seem to work with the facade of the Carpark very well.
Time will tell I guess.

The render on the billboard had the car park facade with black vertical stripes on it. Given a bit of a clean up it might be OK.

That looks a lot like Air Apartments.
very nice.

Hopefully it will look great

*fingers cross*

this one looks great from hindmarsh square!

someone, get a pic

this one looks great from hindmarsh square!

someone, get a pic
oh stop being so demanding.

']oh stop being so demanding.
:|
i had your best interests at heart when i said that.
i dont wanna see a pic, ive already seen the real thing today

The City Messenger spoke with developer of 223 North Terrace - Peter Buchan. Here is some interesting information

on the delays...

"the project should have been completed late last year. But delays caused by a shortage fo construction workers sparked by a spate of major city developments, had pushed out the finish date." (I thought it was due to the difficulty of building on top of an existing structure)

on the projects...

Peter Buchan "is looking ahead to other city projects but is tight-lipped about the details." Peter told the Messenger "All I can say is that I'm looking at two big projects in the city and close to the city." (Can't wait to find out what they are...)

this one looks great from hindmarsh square!

someone, get a pic

^^ yes it does!!

Taken this arvo:

http://photoadelaide.com/JunkPile/223NT.jpg

It looks like they'll be doing up the lower half of the facade as well, it'd look bizzare without it. The bulk of this building is really impressive standing in front of the Art Gallery. David Jones looks tiny next to it!

I love it! I accually don't mind the carpark facard I think it's a good contrast. I will jhave to see when those "crown hire" ramp things get taken off though.

Repost from Sensational-Adelaide.com (http://www.sensational-adelaide.com)
http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34&start=45

From today, just quickly. The last of the green mesh is gone. It makes a real impact on that end of North Tce.

http://photoadelaide.com/JunkPile/18Jul06/picture%20001_std.jpg

Love it(the top half that is).

Love it(the top half that is).
agreed, its very sleek n demands attention

Hi all
I have added some more photos of this project to the Buchan Lee website, including internal shots and a night photo of the South Tower.
www.buchanlee.com.au
http://www.buchanlee.com.au/gfx/bar/223nightreal.jpg

http://www.buchanlee.com.au/gfx/bar/223furnished2.jpg

looking good from the west

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid210/p45b10ebded29d56e081e90b194fdf04c/edb8a7dc.jpg

I love it, you couldn't have a better apartment location!

It's all coming together!

http://photoadelaide.com/JunkPile/2006-11-14/picture%20001_std.jpg

The lower half of the building [the original part]...are they doing anything to it?

They're going to continue those grey bars down. I hope they at least paint it.

a long wait but I love the design.
The bars should go a long way in masking the carpark facade.

From yesterday:

http://photoadelaide.com/JunkPile/2006-11-23/picture%20002_std.jpg

Almost done

From yesterday:

http://photoadelaide.com/JunkPile/2006-11-23/picture%20002_std.jpg

Almost done

Hmm, looks like they're taking the sign down...

Will they be updating the front fascia, as it looks rather dated? Was it part of the plan?

Cheers. :)

Will they be updating the front fascia, as it looks rather dated? Was it part of the plan?

Cheers. :)

That's exactly what they're doing. Not sure how far they'll go though.

I think this building is hot:
http://photoadelaide.com/JunkPile/2007-01-23/picture%20001_std.jpg

Loving the vertical lines!

I was going to take a picture of that yesterday and sa water, but my camera batteries died :(.

anyway everytime i see this building, i like it more. Are those vertical lines going all over the facade?

Going by the render, yes, they are.

Looking good from the north. From today:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d22/UrbanSG/040352.jpg