Driving along Wells St.today,at the rear of the Royal Domain Tower site,I did a double-take at seeing the boards up,some equipment,workers and portable units.I asked one of the blokes if work was starting on it,and he told me they were beginning the piling,as the permit expired on 14/11,and there had to have been some progress by that date.He added that actual construction awaited enough sales(per usual).Still,one small step....

exxxccellleeennt ;)

another -tall- resi tower taking it's first infant steps :D

cheers

tays

And just to jolt everyone's memory:

http://www.butlerandco.com.au/images/tower/concept.jpg

http://www.butlerandco.com.au/images/tower/brochure.jpg

http://www.wilsoneverard.com.au/new_images/rd6012b.jpg

And the swanky TV ad: http://www.wilsoneverard.com.au/clients/tvcs/base.html (WMV format)

tays

What's the name of the tower just to the right of RDT, in those renderings?

Because that tower already looks very tall in relation to the rest of the St.Kilda corridor - imagine how tall RDT will look!! :)

St. James apartments, or umm "Sebel Suites" had a name change, anyway, ONE of them ;)

it's 30 levels @ 120 metres according to Skyscraperpage.com

look out for this which is also under construction:

Eight on Dorcas:

http://www.eightdorcasst.com/images/splash_r1_c1.jpg

And I think this is still at sales - The Hallmark, which is the old Holiday Inn on St. Kilda Road ;)

http://www.hallmarkapartments.com.au/media/rendering/rend-lg.jpg

"oooh" :D

http://www.eightdorcasst.com/images/aerial.jpg

tays

Here is a construction pic taken on Sunday:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~naharrison/rdt construction.jpg

Those low rise balconies on the left of the above photo are going to enjoy the most wonderful views!
:evil: :evil: :lol: :lol: :tongue: :laugh: :laugh:

Cheers,

Adam

<img src ="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/city/DCP01620%20(Small).jpg"><br><img src ="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/city/DCP01619%20(Small).jpg"><br> I took these today from my Dads offices in the Corperate old building. Dad tells me there is another pilon hole behind the crane in the first photo. Also in the first photo there is the steel mesh that they will lower into the holes. Its just to the left of the crane. <br> I'll talk to my Dad about maybe setting up a webcam in his office. But he is only on dial up so I dunno.

can't wait to see this tower's core rise also! :D

smallish site as well for a bulky tower too

cheers

tays

hey they are some great shots. When full blown construction starts, I know who i'll ask for pics. Uewepuep your dad will get a birds eye view into the carpark when it's done though, so much for natural sunlight and city views.

Originally posted by silvermb
hey they are some great shots. When full blown construction starts, I know who i'll ask for pics. Uewepuep your dad will get a birds eye view into the carpark when it's done though, so much for natural sunlight and city views. <br> Yeah I know, they are planning to move once construction reaches their window height. Mainly because they think it will be noisy.<br> I used to be able to park for free where they are drilling now! =( <br> And for those who dont get my nick. uewepuep is dandaman upsidedown. So you don't have to capitalise it, it doesnt work when you do =).

[QUOTE][size=1]Originally posted by Adam from Oz
Those low rise balconies on the left of the above photo are going to enjoy the most wonderful views!
:evil: :evil: :lol: :lol: :tongue: :laugh: :laugh:

Cheers,Adam
I may be wrong,but I think those existing balconies will be integrated into RDT;the smaller existing buildings fronting St Kilda Road are being used in the advertising as "the grand entrance" which is "already built",so I guess the tower will be joined up at the base,and the balconies in the photo will disappear?

That's correct.

The 'old' buildings' with the St Kilda Rd frontage will be restored and the new building will be intergrated with them.

You can see them in the pic that tayser posted.

Similar to what CE had to do with the City Point tower on Bourke St.

So i guess we can add yet ANOTHER 500+ footer to the U/C list.

You gotta love Melbourne and all her cranes...

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Dunno how many of you travel the same way I do into the city, however just this morning in my daily gawk at the skyline from the train going over the Yarra at Cremorne (Richmond :D), I only just noticed how much Sebel (St. James apartments) protrudes from the jungle, and can only imagine how "prominent" RDT will surely be!
I need a digi-cam, just like how I want pics of City Road on the St. Kilda Light rail flyover ;)

tays

I decided to check out (with Tayser) the RDT site and the display suite today.

Work has been progressing on the piles with the 30 tonne digger and the piler working today.

The guy in charge at the display showed me around and explained that they had sold 42 or 43 out of 120 apartments. This is just past the magic one third mark.

He explained that the same company was building the Flinders wharf at the Yarra River and was keen and happy that construction had started on RDT.

Interestingly all the most expensive 8-10 apts on levels 35-42(ave price $3-4 million) have been sold.

Even though the apartments are on average almost $2mill they are magnificently appointed and about as far from the investor market as possible. These things are for the rich and only the rich. fire places, sweeping views and on average about 180-200 sqm. Even with these prices there were two couples keenly looking over the plans for the three and four bedroom apts in the $2-3 million range.

Sales certainly wont be lightning but from what i saw they have sold, and are selling enough for the biggest building on St kilda Rd to go ahead. (I believe it's 152m (500 feet) to the top of the roof and another 10m for the feature and spire on top)

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Hmm.. 43 apartments sold is actually pretty good, particularly given the price and given appartently mostly expensive ones have been sold..

I'm still not convinced tho.. it doesn't sound like a foregone conclusion by any stretch that this definately going ahead..

Still.. it will be fantastic if it does!

so, Dean and tayser, which one of you two was the buyer from Sydney? ;)

hmm, so it's most definately a spire on top then? doubt they'll use it for radio equipment, I guess thats safe to say.

no sphere for the top!

w00t

my shithouse rendition of the spire (from memory):

http://users.bigpond.net.au/tayser/rdtspire.jpg

Light Blue = LMR

two thing dark blue (vertical) sticks = spikes / mini-spires

Horizntal blue lines = fake balcony type things

lol sorry I dun have AutoCAD or anything like that to make it 3d, not to mention in yet another hurry (compiling stuff from building count I did today :D)

tays

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~naharrison/rdt.jpg

142m to main roof
152m to LMR
162m to tip of spires (the same height as the arts centre spire)
so 162m structural height

why did I even bother straining my brain to remember how the top looked ? ;)

heh :D

tays

Yesterday(31st jan), still not alot going on.

<img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/scrapers/rdt/dan58 (small).jpg">

<img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/scrapers/rdt/dan59 (small).jpg">

<img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/scrapers/rdt/dan60 (small).jpg">

<img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/scrapers/rdt/dan61 (small).jpg">

Yeah there was bugger all activity all this week although the gates were still 'open'

I'm still very dubious about it being properly U/C yet..

Having said that.. just today they announced one of the 'Sky Mansions" has sold to a mystery Hong Kong buyer for $8.2m !!!! This is the most expensive apartment sale in Melbourne yet ..

The apartment is 110 squares!! Thats over 1,200 sq.m !!!!

If that doesn't help get the project up and over the line.. don't know what will!!

A bit of activity happening today. One of my uni mates is renting in st james so i got this from a different angle.
<img src="http://users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/scrapers/rdt.jpg">
I usually take the photo's from the third floor of that yellowish building at the top of the photo.

I was waiting for something to drop on the BMW in the middle of the site =).

Looks like they are piling are they? Not heaps of action yet! Nice work dan!

Well this is some small progress since Jan where they were doing absolutely no piling!! But this looks like the token piling they were doing late last year..

Still seems far a away from that all guns blazing construction which we have going now at all the other major sites .. like they are *just* constructing enough to make it look like they are to keep within the deadline..

Oh well time will tell as we go this year..

glad someone could be stuffed taking pics, RDT is a real detour to see anything from St. Kilda Road! (lol) :)

tays

As of yesterday, a large Wagstaff pile rig was on site with drilling begining. The mobile crane was lowering the 20m long steel cage reo into the piles ready for pouring.


Not sure if a rig has been on site b4 but these things arent cheap to hire so maybe they are serious about building the thing.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Yeah ditto that Dean.. I didn't notice it in the pic but also saw it the other day.. its a fullsize piler so defiantely they are serious about at least the foundations!!

"Piler" sounds like an anal probe.

Uh, this project hasn't really captured my imagination for some reason despite its height. Design is too generic...any comments?

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Blabbyboy </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>"Piler" sounds like an anal probe.

Uh, this project hasn't really captured my imagination for some reason despite its height. Design is too generic...any comments?</td></tr>
</table>

yes - although, it's going to literally stick out like dog's balls from the East / South East (main view people get from Freeway / rail) !
....as St. James Apartments already DOES stick out like dog's balls!

tays

Hyeh. Nothing like a bigger set of testicles to deemphasise a smaller set. It coulda been worse...the site could've been snared by CE.

Blue

I agree with you though, Blabby. I get the feeling Bruce Henderson + co were exclusively interested in creating internally focused apartments that are, well, exclusive. In other words, facade treatment/form looks to be a secondary issue this time around...it's not 'bad' its just 'boring', sorta like Verve.

Blue

<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>I agree with you though, Blabby. I get the feeling Bruce Henderson + co were exclusively interested in creating internally focused apartments that are, well, exclusive. In other words, facade treatment/form looks to be a secondary issue this time around...it's not 'bad' its just 'boring', sorta like Verve.

Blue</td></tr>
</table>
Agree...feels exactly like Verve.

Today RDT was alive, the amount of work happening on the site was more than I have EVER seen so far.
You see, this guys car had broken down and he was trying to fix it! Phoar!
<img src="http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/dandaman/scrapers/IMG_0867 (Medium).jpg">
Other than that, they dug a car sized hole.
Its annoying how slow this is going.

nice looking 1960's falcon ...


did they bury the beemer???

Yeah im still dubious as for the time being about it being fully U/C .. I wont be convinced until I hear an announcement in the AFR or when we see a core box..

The piling machine that was there in Jan is gone again..

Sorry to be ignorant and i have been around a while but what is AFR??? A news service or something?

AFR = Australian Financial Review

Go to http://afr.com/property and they have an excellent property news section daily.

Many articles are locked unless you subscribe - in which case if something is of interest go to your nearest newsagent (or a Coles is better) and take a look at the paper for free!

Ahh thanks A-brain! Got you know! I shall look at it now!

speaking to a site worker yesterday

all piling is complete and they are at the piling cap stage where they excavate fairly large trenches between each pile about 1-2m deep and stick in massive reinforcing mesh cages which stick out above ground level when concreted and will ultimately form the towers base as there no parking below ground. He said that work is going very slowly at the moment as sales are slow but solid so construction proper will start in September this year. So there a few more weeks work left before they kick in later on in the year.

So there's little if no doubt that the tower will be built as the sales are approaching the cost of the tower.

Hmmmm ...

work still trudging along, but in the last couple of weeks there's been a a bit of action, as pile capping continues...slowly slowly until September when construction proper kicks in.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/royaldomain_20030506=1.JPG

Ha some shit is better than no shit !! Still extremely suss having piling done way before construction is approved and paid for.. so I'm still not buying the September thing until I see a crane on site and assembled..

But marketing has been continuing with a 'new release' in last Saturdays Age .. so hopefully they know what theyre doing..

http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/sleep.gif

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by museumb </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/sleep.gif</td></tr>
</table>

my sentiments exactly.

Just drove past the site this morning and there appears to be a hell of a lot of action down there. The hole just keeps getting deeper and deeper, sounds very much like a Madonna song! ;)

More action today.. definately proceeding with foundation work at least!

http://users.bigpond.net.au/speckled10/DSC00511.jpg
http://users.bigpond.net.au/speckled10/DSC00512.jpg

Fingers and toes crossed..

ahh there's always a carpark handy. that hole is getting deep (above entrance). In my eyes they wouldn't even bother going to such lenghts unless it was 100% guaranteed to go ahead. I'd say the core will be up by september.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt_20030602.JPG

They have certainly done a lot more than just make a start on the foundations. If they were just doing enough to keep the planning permit current they could have stopped after the piling was completed.

Now this is great news. More cranes in the sky over Melbourne and another one for St Kilda Road :D

When this gets over 10 or so levels, head to the Westend Car Park at Crown - byarrr-diful angle for a pano [hint hint StavrosMelb! :D]

tays

A-brain's words
Still extremely suss having piling done way before construction is approved and paid for.. so I'm still not buying the September thing until I see a crane on site and assembled..
and on the fourth day there was a..............CRANE

well sort-of, the tower crane bases were still being being placed in prior to a big pour judging by the amount of reo all over the site. It's u/c, no doubt about it! Noticed alot more Multiplex workers around today as well.....definitely gathering momentum.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdtsub.JPG

Royal Domain's like a good metal song, starts off slow and then it kicks in! :cool: (as one of my friends would say)

Great pics SMB...

So seeing this constuction do we assume that the constuction has been approved and paid for? As A-brain put it earlier.?

Its exciting then! Is this 500 foot? Just Vic point to go and constuction will be extremely high in melbourne!

<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>Great pics SMB...

So seeing this constuction do we assume that the constuction has been approved and paid for? As A-brain put it earlier.?</td></tr>
</table>

yeah, I'd assume they're at a comfortable stage, but really the only official word we'd ever see, is a core rising ;)

tays

BTW Total height of R.D.T. = 162m i.e. 532 feet.

Wow.. ok seeing the actual bases of a crane ready to be assembled *IS* a very good sign.. I'll concede!!

But we still haven't had any word in the usual papers etc. (though we may have missed it) ...

As the t-man pointed out.. I'll be pretty much 99.95% satisified when I see a core rising :D

But again.. great news about the crane..

it's going now

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt_20030617=5.JPG

the formrite/reo for the first columns has taken shape and the core has been formed. still underground but the rectangular box has been poured and the reo is almost above ground level. hopefully i'll get a photo when the ground slab is poured, the depth of the slab generally takes up most of the brown section of the tower crane's base; it's gonna be a deep one!

http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/party/balloons.gif http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/party/party.gif http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/party/balloons.gif hooooooray!!

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by museumb </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/party/balloons.gif http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/party/party.gif http://dj.comtv.ru/smales/party/balloons.gif hooooooray!!</td></tr>
</table>
Hoooooooray alright. More like YIPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Great concept, good sized, good location but to many apartments, personally if I was spending the money that they want I'd do it without so many neighbors.

:?

Welcome to the forum NED! But if i was you i would post things about projects in their thread otherwise you'll hear see the Wrath of Tays!

)(only joking Tayser!) ;)

<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>Welcome to the forum NED! But if i was you i would post things about projects in their thread otherwise you'll hear see the Wrath of Tays!

)(only joking Tayser!) ;)</td></tr>
</table>

fixed / merged

yes, welcome to the boards NED, but see the "QUICK LINKS to Melbourne development threads" thread in the victorian section ? it might be best to see if there's a thread already created about a project before creating a new one!

not to worry.

tays

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by NED </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Great concept, good sized, good location but to many apartments, personally if I was spending the money that they want I'd do it without so many neighbors.

:?</td></tr>
</table>

Erm you kidding? As far as tall apartment tower living goes this will be probably the most exclusive, private & quiet tower in Melbourne..

All the apartments are *bloody huge* so there would only be like 2 or 3 per floor ..

Now there is another point to be said about spending $1mill+ on what is ultimately still an apartment, but if you want the luxury and conveniences of a regular house (open fireplace, your own garden etc.) but with the high-rise views.. you can't go past this tower..

Sorry about that I think I've got it right this time.

I like a lot about this one it is simply a personal choice on. Apartments big layout great etc etc. Have had alook through display, I note the tower sits back off St Kilda Rd more on the lane behind and has been intergrated pretty smart with St Kilda Rd.

Long walk into....... but still a St Kilda Rd address and close to town.



:)

The one thing I still don't get about the construction of this tower is the site at the back they are working on is tiny.. yet the tower has this big podium / base that stretches a long way to St.Kilda Rd..

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~naharrison/rdt.jpg

Are they simply going to marry it with the existing build thats already there?

Even then the size of the available land doesn't look **nearly** big enough to house the floorplate of the tower itself from this diagram...

?

The existing low rise building on St. Kilda Road, in front of the tower, will be incorporated into the development. They lobby and entrance to the tower is in this building and has already been constructed, they currently have the display centre at the end of the looby which is pretty flash.

In silvers photo, that is the base of a tower crane in white I see, if I am not incorrect?!!?

It sure is Pikey :-) That's a pretty good sign that it's going ahead (unless of course they had a spare tower crane base lying around and didn't have anywhere to put it).

im riding this site at the moment waiting for the core formation so A-brain can buy everyone that bottle of chapmers next meet. :cool:

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt630.JPG

concrete all over the place today; tower crane base, core and rear columns/wall

maybe the tower crane will come in next weekend? soon enough i guess

I tried to take a pic from uewepuep's dad's office window the other day, but umm.. yeah, didn't work out :)

uewepuep: get yer dad to get his landlord to clean his windows lol!

can definitely tell by looking out the windows there's a construction site there though, windows were caked in dirt!

According to the flagman on site today

Tower crane to be erected in about a month

prelim ground works finished

lift core pit finished

reo walls under const

thats all folks for the momento



Spy

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by jag </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>According to the flagman on site today

Tower crane to be erected in about a month

prelim ground works finished

lift core pit finished

reo walls under const

thats all folks for the momento
</td></tr>
</table>

Erm.. is it 'thats all folks for the momento' meaning thats where construction will end for the time being?

Or is it 'thats all folks for the momento' meaning thats all the news you have to report right now?

And don't worry silvs .. the SPUmante is in the fridge just waiting.. but I think Verve 501 was part of the deal as well..

<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>I tried to take a pic from uewepuep's dad's office window the other day, but umm.. yeah, didn't work out :)

uewepuep: get yer dad to get his landlord to clean his windows lol!

can definitely tell by looking out the windows there's a construction site there though, windows were caked in dirt!</td></tr>
</table>

Lol, i didnt see you offering too!

btw dads moving down the front of the building in a week, so no more photos :(

lets not do it by half measures A-brain, a bottle for each core? RDT, Verve and Vic Point; and i'll go halvies.

LOL done !

I tell you what If all three are well and truly up soon then it won't be the Bin Werribee crap either.. it'll be the top shelf NV special..

<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><table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by jag </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>According to the flagman on site today

Tower crane to be erected in about a month

prelim ground works finished

lift core pit finished

reo walls under const

thats all folks for the momento
</td></tr>
</table>

Erm.. is it 'thats all folks for the momento' meaning thats where construction will end for the time being?

Or is it 'thats all folks for the momento' meaning thats all the news you have to report right now?

And don't worry silvs .. the SPUmante is in the fridge just waiting.. but I think Verve 501 was part of the deal as well..</td></tr>
</table>

fair call

wot i ment to say is that thats all the news i have from the flagman today, the project is full steam ahead according to him.
i promise i wont use such ambiguous statements again.
:cool:

in other words jag they have dug as far as they are going to dig and it is all UP from here on


:D

core pour...get used to saying that

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt708.JPG

wow, tallest building outside of a captial city will slowly become a reality! great stuff

Que?:?

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

RDT will be the tallest skyscraper outside of a CBD core in Australia ;)

(Southbank like Docklands is really just an extension of the CBD), St. Kilda Road is like what North Sydney is to Sydney CBD etc.

tays

Is it the general consensus on this forum that they basically stuck with the original design as opposed the (neo-gothic ?) alternative ?

It's definately not the gothic version, they have a model of what's to built at the display centre.

Culwulla: heheh I have made the same mistake, you forgot that the Gold Coast is not a capital city :-) But it's still the tallest outside of a city centre.

<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>It's definately not the gothic version, they have a model of what's to built at the display centre.

Culwulla: heheh I have made the same mistake, you forgot that the Gold Coast is not a capital city :-) But it's still the tallest outside of a city centre.</td></tr>
</table>
oops, but i think we can count Surfers Paradise as a major city!
;)
how tall are the bldgs that are in the immediate area of Royal Domain?
Will it stand out like dogs.....?

not really...

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

that's the original render with the sphere at the top (that's changed) - I think St. James apartments (the green blob of a thing nextdoor) is around 120m

tays

another rendering

http://users.bigpond.net.au/dduffy/rd5.jpg

It will certainly look big but not as out of place as u mite think as the St James building (120m) is right next to it and 8 on Dorcas St is rising fast directly in front (across the street) of the small building to the left of St James(in taysers pic).. not sure of its height but its around 25 levels.

It will end up being a tall little cluster.. with Verve 501 to go UC soon, Melbourne will have 8 towers 150m+ (Culwulla's metric system) UC... Boom times rock... bring on 2005/6

Chicks Luv It!

Dean - Melbourne

wow! that is amazing! what a great looking development! what a location right across from war memorial and bot gardens! the 400ft st james tower currently is a stand out tower so this should realy impact the st kilda skyline!
i love the stepping of the tower and top spire.
10/10

I don't think there is any doubt left that this tower is FULLY U/C:
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~naharrison/rdt multiplex.gif

Hmm.. now I know your going to think Im a sourpuss and doubting thomas.. BUT..

That ad doesnt actually list RDT as one of its 'current projects'.. it mere pictures it at the bottom! Maybe they have been nominated as the builder but not yet given the go ahead?

The reason I'm that skeptical? Well look at the pic of the site.. there would normally be half a dozen 'MULTIPLEX' signs plastered on the walls around the site..

Then again I guess they have been known to put their signs up well before construction has ever commenced to this stage on other sites.. (eg. Archer)

We'll see if/when the crane goes up..

for fuck sake A-brain, you cynical man

they are the builder, most of the gorillas onsite wear a multiplex hardhad. the builder moves on the site once the core/floorslab have been poured. currently HWM and C&S steel fixing (or another fixer) are doing the job and when multipex move in, the signs will come. also The Archer no longer has multiplex signs, between ABI Group or L.U Simon now

Multiplex would look pretty stupid if they hand out fliers featuring Royal Domain Towers if the project went down the tubes, no exactly good advertising.

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

they are the builder, most of the gorillas onsite wear a multiplex hardhad. the builder moves on the site once the core/floorslab have been poured. currently HWM and C&S steel fixing (or another fixer) are doing the job and when multipex move in, the signs will come. also The Archer no longer has multiplex signs, between ABI Group or L.U Simon now</td></tr>
</table>

Having had more than a few 'issues' of late involving builders and developers and other related matters with apartments I'm involved in.. :( please forgive me if I'm a little negative against things that look a 'sure thing' when concering developments like this..

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt00.JPG

Look what I found...

http://www.winstruc.com/winport1/winport1_07c.jpg

That's the podium at the rear and the car park entry, looking much, much better than the origonal rendering...

http://www.winstruc.com/winport1/winport1_07a.jpg

I think this tower may end up looking quite different to the renderings we have seen and better than I thought it would.

Another great get g-man ..

I just still can't believe how small the footprint of the site looks compared to how bulky the tower looks.. I'm still amazed they don't have to knock down any of the existing building ..

Though the general design of the tower now I think looks a bit dated.. it could all be saved by modern finishing and cladding.. which that render of the base would seem to support..

Pray-tell *ahem* g-man, which original rendering? There's been about 10 of 'em.

Sphere on top one minute, then not, then again, then Chicago type render, then sphere on top again, then not, then again, then....

Just build the fuckin' thing.....geeeeez :|

As for being the tallest structure in the 'suburbs' in OZ - get with the program people. It is part of Melbourne City; just not part of the traditional CBD grid.

Haha yeah I know.. which bloody render eh? We'll I mean between the two ones that grollo just posted .. the aerial shot is definately an older design as you can see from the base...

As for whether RDT is 'CBD' or Suburban .. I agree it's drawing a slightly long bow ..

I think Sydney has more rights to claim a tallest suburban with Chatswood, Paramatta or Bondi (whoever has the tallest)..

For Melbourne I would claim probably Como Centre @ Sth.Yarra as the tallest outside (assuming nothing on St.Kilda Esplanade is taller) ..

But when your talking about the Cadbury building which is much further down the bottom end of St.Kilda Rd ... hmmmmmm toughie ..

All of the earlier renderings showed a very similar layout for the rear podium of the tower, this latest rendering is significantly different.

Royal Domain Tower isn't in the City of Melbourne it's in the City of Port Phillip, it's about the same distance form the CBD as North Sydney is form the Sydney CBD.

Officially in the City of Port Phillip - I wasn't meaning in the City of Melbourne literally, rather figuratively.

Yeah exactly.. it doesn't really matter what Council RDT is in, its the distance and the spirit of the matter.

To which you compare it to North Sydney - well I think any Sydneysider would agree that Nth.Sydney buildings still count as 'City' and not 'tallest suburban' - whereas Chatswood & Paramatta are a different story..

I treat pretty much St.Kilda Rd as our Nth.Sydney - to that end I wouldn't count any building as surbuban .. so as I said the tallest outside Melbourne City would have to be Como in my book..

But yes its a bloody grey area..

progress ?

core is out of the ground

photo anyone

wow, if this bldg was in sydney, we would have 5 pix a day from dif forumers! i think we post to many pix of construction sites here in sydney. i mean you can saturate the thread with photos showing a tractor lifting dirt. i think they should only post pix if something significant happens like a core rise ect.
cheese

Originally posted by CULWULLA
wow, if this bldg was in sydney, we would have 5 pix a day from dif forumers! i think we post to many pix of construction sites here in sydney. i mean you can saturate the thread with photos showing a tractor lifting dirt. i think they should only post pix if something significant happens like a core rise ect.
cheese

There is soo much underconstuction in Melbourne you don't know where to go and take photos.......ahh actually we do...Eureka...seems to be the only one mentioned unfortunatly there are soo many other things getting built! It is a great time to be in town!

A core already! There are going to be so many cores next year! This SX HWT 11e Big E PWC and FWP! Ahhhh I can't wait!

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt_20030806.JPG

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt_20030806=2.JPG

Looks like that carpark across the sreet will be getting a work out from now on... Should have a crane set up soon considering the core etc is almost set up

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Drove past the site today and noticed a second tower crane base has been fitted. a giant mobile crane is onsite. probably to lift the tower cranes into place off the trucks.. id say any day now.

Also can confirm 65 appts have been sold out of about 110.

The most expensive was $8.5 million on level 29 and another for $5.5million on level 42(top floor)

average price close to $2 million

big bucks

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

deano, jag or someone, this is a question you can answer.

some tower crane bases are tacked onto the outside if towers which are easily removed and some bases are poured into positions that seem a little hard to remove. the first crane base has been concreted around (where the pump arm is), are these bases left in once the tower is complete. since the base is concreted in and around, does this mean that it will stay forever?

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

Dean, what gives?

How do you pay $8.5 million on level 29 and only $5.5 million on level 42 (top)? The units must be pretty big on 29?

Originally posted by Richo
Dean, what gives?

How do you pay $8.5 million on level 29 and only $5.5 million on level 42 (top)? The units must be pretty big on 29?

I think the buyer bought 2 but has asked the builder to join them into 1 big appatment

Thats the reason why there's only 110 appartments now. it did start with 120

So it obvious that a few buyers have bought 2 and joined them

Silver: Those spaces will remain as voids in the building so they wont be seen. and the concrete bases would probably be left

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

That makes some sense, but if I had that amount of money I would prefer to be up 13 levels higher at the top.

SilverMB

According to a few sources. Most crane footings are left behind and are incorporated into the contruction.

Due to demo and time costs and unless for cosmetic or structural purposes they are generally not removed. They are normally included in the drawings.

This leaving behind of seemingly unneccessay elements such as formwork, crane footings, etc is called a 'sacrificial' element.

Have a nice day, coz it is, finally!


:)

Level 29 joined 4 together to make one very very large apartment. the word sky mansion has been used to descibe that one. but yes I would prefer less metres square and more metres up. 42 is such a good number too. the answer if fact ...

Originally posted by Cat
Level 29 joined 4 together to make one very very large apartment. the word sky mansion has been used to descibe that one. but yes I would prefer less metres square and more metres up. 42 is such a good number too. the answer if fact ...

Another HGTTG fan. ;)

yes sir bugalugs another afficionardo of THE guide

I love the notion of winning a design award for the fjiords of norway :D and my all time favourite Marvin

'brain the size of a planet and they've got me opening and closing doors':pet:

We better stay on topic or Tays will personally come around to your house and give you a fearful pounding. ;) :D

Btw no need for the space after the sir. Not even I'm that pretentious. :)

Cheers.

.......................?

You don't want to start us Tays.

We'll go on and on about triple breasted whores and such. :D

LOL!

I really don't know what's going on here, but eh, I'll just smile and nod :yes:

Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

It's a trilogy in 4 parts.

It's an absolute classic, you MUST read it. :)

I hope I have enlightenend you. :angel1:

Cheers.

http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/hhgg.html

for tayser sorry to get off topic perhaps sirbug could start a thread in skybar for educational purposes only....

ah right, I get it now ;)

have never seen a major project without tower cranes this far into construction, temp shortage?

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/483rdt_20030916.jpg

until it has a core box and cranes A-brain refuses to believe its u/c :cool:

Haha I don't even need to post anymore ...

:D

But as for the lack of cranes... :rant:

silvermb yes there are no crane available in Melbourne or Australia I have been told it will be at least another two weeks before one crane is available there should have been two on site by now:rant:

hehe that's amazing. Should be plenty of cranes soon though with at least 8 towers scheduled for completion between now and the end of the year. Still with at least 5 more towers starting before the end of the year and a few other projects waiting for cranes they won't last long!

My goodness, we have a shortage of cranes in Melbourne. That is amazing!

does anyone know why this doesnt appear on skyscraperpage.com melbourne list

Where's Adam from OZ when you need him ?

:)

Lurking......

If you give me all the heights I'll give it a shot though only if someone else isn't going to/is in process of......

These bloody things take time and when you find yourself debating over a pixel.......:rant:

Also not too sure what the top is really gonna be like. Don't start me on the thing on the lid of BHPHQYUK.

Cheers,

Adam

Is this accurate?
http://www.fooled-forever.net/clem/ss/rdtd.gif
I'll submit it if it's good enough. Constructive criticism is good, but this is my first diagram so be nice about it. I think the colours might be wrong but I don't have any renders to compare it to. Most images on the first page are dead.

EDIT: Can someone make the background transparent please? My PSP won't let me do it and I don't know why.

Crane was going up today
It hadn't been fully erected by the time I left work at 530 but I imagine it should be done by tomorrow

Originally posted by pisstake
Crane was going up today
It hadn't been fully erected by the time I left work at 530 but I imagine it should be done by tomorrow

This should lay to rest any doubts that this 500+ft beauty is now fully UC.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Hmmm.. until I see it reach Level 13 & 1/2 with a core rise every 2.1 weeks with glass panels on 2/3 of the constructed facade ... ..

:D :rant:

(Just kidding... tis good news)

Originally posted by Dean
This should lay to rest any doubts that this 500+ft beauty is now fully UC.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Well maybe they are just building the 8? levels of commercial car parking and then won't build the rest of the tower :-)

Originally posted by Clem
Is this accurate?
http://www.fooled-forever.net/clem/ss/rdtd.gif
I'll submit it if it's good enough. Constructive criticism is good, but this is my first diagram so be nice about it. I think the colours might be wrong but I don't have any renders to compare it to. Most images on the first page are dead.Hey Clem. Good work. If you don't mind me saying so, just needs a bit more definition and depth (if possible ;) ).

BTW Below is the link to skyscrapers.com with the newer black 'n white evlevation of R.D.T.. It has the option to be enlarged too. Good for detail.

http://www.skyscrapers.com/re/en/wm/bu/132546/

Originally posted by museumb
Hey Clem. Good work. If you don't mind me saying so, just needs a bit more definition and depth (if possible ;) ).

Old:
http://www.fooled-forever.net/clem/ss/rdtd.gif
New:
http://www.fooled-forever.net/clem/ss/rdtd2.gif

Getting better?

yep, definitely becoming more defined!

Um,

Very presumptuous of me but I transparented it, put in all the numbers and submitted the drawing.

It should appear with my name as the illustrator so I left a note with it that it was NOT mine but that of "Clem".

Sorry if I was being pushy.

It's now up for approval.

Cheers,

Adam

EDIT: Can fix up any problems with this later. No probs.

Thanks for all that Adam. Saved me some effort so I don't care, as long as my name shows up on it eventually.

Someone get this thread back on topic.

the crane base has arisen

awaiting the working bits should be tomorrow ....
:)

Let there be crane ...

http://users.bigpond.net.au/speckled10/DSC00552.jpg

Time to crack open that bottle of NV Chandon silver ??

Hmm ... well 1 crane down and 2 to go in my 'Bermuda Triangle' of fringe city ~150m towers (RDT, Vic Point & Verve)

This is excellent news. And yeh, your right A-brain, now we only need Verve & Vic Point and off we go with more quality, highrise residential.

good stuff, Multiplex WHITE cranes are definitely dominating the skyline these days, they've caught up to Grocon! :)

Hmmm, grrrr.

At least they've added the building, if not the drawing..:bleep:

Here's yours, Clem, all "fixed". (It was a metre out.............)

http://www.users.bigpond.com/stclair2/rdtd2.gif

I'll have another shot at submission (or is that submitting?)

Cheers,

Adam

EDIT: Building approved with note that it was your drawing and I also put that in the official corrections thread. Let's see how long it takes...... and now the above pic has disappeared:mad:

go snads! :righton: :D

Uh, unless I'm horribly mistaken, there seems to be a 2nd tower crane up on site - well there were two hovering over the spot where RDT will rise next to St. James at about half 4 this arvo (6/10) ;)

Sounds great! But where did they get these cranes if their is a shortage of cranes in Melbourne??

don't know where they are from but there is definitely two on site and operational as of this morning ......only about a month late

any one missing some cranes out there...puurrr

Originally posted by kasperluke
Sounds great! But where did they get these cranes if their is a shortage of cranes in Melbourne??

I think YE3 has had its cranes taken down recently, could be from there maybe.

YE 3 & 4's cranes are still there, besides they're Grocon units so that doesn't go.

im guessing the first Multiplex RDT crane is new and the second's an old old unit - its a nice brown shade of white.

they could have come from Southbank Central [Sen and Vic dont have cranes anymore]... ?

yeah i was thinking that but im fairly sure that Sentinel's came down first and the same model appeared at Southern Cross while Vic Tower's different model crane came down later and went to Urban. Short of serial numbers who knows and who cares...it all trivial now, as long as RDT got its cranes hey.

a SteveMelb Co. pic:

http://www.urbanmelbourne.com/gallery/galleries/Tour_2003-10-14/image026.jpg

http://www.butlerandco.com.au/images/rdt/foyer.jpg

http://www.butlerandco.com.au/images/rdt/library1.jpg

http://www.butlerandco.com.au/images/rdt/exterior.jpg

http://www.butlerandco.com.au/images/rdt/lounge_l.jpg

yep, I love that Display suite :angel: no expense spared lol! :angel:

I'm really excited about RDT! I always thought the St.James Apartments (I think that's the name!?!) looked so big and a great highpoint on St.Kilda Rd, but seeing that model in the second pic posted by Tays - RDT will be enormous! :D

I love seeing some nice big towers like this being built reasonably far outside of the CBD core!

And that display suite looks just brilliant! :okay:

Went past the site today and the core has risen and the first level of the podium is being constructed. Hard to believe that St. Kilda Road will soon have a 162m high building!

since there's sweet f.a happening atm on the forum, here's a pic from last week.

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

any danger that someone else besides tays or i getting some pictures (not specific to rdt)?

what he said ^^

:)

BTW silvermb: I don't like car parks anymore - probably something I'd have to tell you next time I see you.

All I'm gonna say, NAZIS (:D) rule the car park on Little Lonsdale Street where you're right up against QV [you know the one :D]

Like Big Kev - I'm Excited re: RDT !!

I've had no time to be taking photos of late other than ubiquitous E shot (sorry T-man) ..

But anyway driving around I keep putting RDT into skyline angles and as I've said - ~150m+ in that location is equivavalent to about 190m in the CBD in terms of what it will do for the skyline overall..

F'n narrow core though..

Tays,

you're not saying you had your first sexual encounter are you, involuntary or not?:dizzy:

Sorry SMB couldn't get close enough for a good pic! I have some more of other projects though...

This view will change soon!

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/MelbourneNov/DSC00004.JPG

Originally posted by BigVman
Tays,

you're not saying you had your first sexual encounter are you, involuntary or not?:dizzy:

LOL!

nah, I just don't appreciate lame car park managers - lol!

Surely this one's steamrolling ahead........huh?..........huh?

Not really - this along with Ernst & Young, Southern Cross and Urban Workshop are all still pretty much hugging the ground.

Next year though, it'll be a different story.

Le Core Le Rise.

walked past (along Dorcas) at 8:45 this morning, walked back at 4:30pm and the core had gone up a level, clearly visible from the street now.

onwards and upwards from January (UW, SXE, E&Y and this, GO YOU GOOD THING! :D)

This is going to be one HUGE tower:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/510/135rdt1191203.jpg

Like all other Multiplex constructions in Melbourne i.e. FWP, Southern X, Urban Workshop, and Concept Blue, this should be the last day for R.D.T.'s construction i.e. 19th Dec. until resuming again 15th Jan. next year.

BTW It's great that it's truly and finally getting underway (after that long fucking waiting for it to begin construction, which most of us loyal forumers perservered!!). Just took over a bloody year. :rant: ...but it most deifinitely be worth the wait for the eventual finished 'product'.

^^ well the average price of an apartment in this baby was more than $2 million, no wonder it took ages. at last count they had sold 70-75/110 with the most expensive at almost $9 million.

Its amaizing that this tower has 44 levels and only 110 apartments.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

Holy cow I had no idea the podium is already up to a few levels !!!!

Yes this baby will create a huge impact for the St.Kilda Rd mini-skyline being so wide from the common angles..

:rock:

Ok.. I'm finally convinced now this tower *IS* under construction!! :D

Originally posted by A-brain

Ok.. I'm finally convinced now this tower *IS* under construction!! :D

:rofl:

bring it.

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

what a mega podium

driven past many times since construction commenced this year and every time there was concrete going in yet the floorplate hasn't risen any.

another 5-6 podium levels before the tower forms

http://home.iprimus.com.au/revlis81/rdt_20040119.JPG

Yeah it is a big mutha...nice pics Mark, but i still think the Conder's podium at New Quay is/will be bigger.

also, everyones been talking about how Eureka & FWP will have a huge impact when viewed from Albert Park Lake at Grand Prix time but i think RDT (162m) which will be more than 40 m taller than the St James building(120m), next door, will look even huger... lol. It will look taller than 40m as well as it is possitioned in front of the St james building when looking from that aspect.

im expecting a lot of this tower. im sure it wont dissapoint

Chicks Luv It!

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

yeah same, I think I've already said it, but the long bend from South Yarra to Richmond on the train says it all too, as it is Sebel / St. James / [insert its new name here] sticks out like dog's nuts already and to think this is going to significantly taller, you can't help but have really high expectations - a true gateway tower for Sainters road ;)

Oh make no mistake.. I reckon 162m solid meters in this location is equivalent to over 200m in the CBD - in terms of the impact it will have on the surrounding area and extending the span of the skyline to a new bigger level.

Driving in over the Westgate yesterday and OMG the South Side of the Yarra from Yarra's Edge through to St.Kilda Rd now looks like such a dense scraperhood - and without the 4 big guns yet making any real imapct.

CE-City there and Yarra's Edge are forming a huge supporting base..

Interesting advertisment on the television lately comparing its style of living, design and location to apartment living on Central Park in New York. Classy!

I feel sorry for the people on St. James apartment, their view of the city will be blocked.

Originally posted by zion
I feel sorry for the people on St. James apartment, their view of the city will be blocked.
No they wont. RDT is to the south of St J. The people of St J will lose their view of Albert Park Lake etc.

Slowly but surely -

http://metropolis.tayser.net/projects/stkildaroad/rdt/rdt2402041.jpg

I haven't been around the back of there for a while - how long before the core's visible from the Shrine & to the East?

the cranes are due to be jumped this weekend!!!

any new pix guys?

No Pics but I can report the core is now visable from the Rialto observation deck, so it's now real in my mind. Onwards and upwards.

We've just moved offices out of the Royal Domain Corporate building but I had to stop past there today so took these quickly

Click on the link above each picture to get the Hi Res version



RDT 1 (http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/hires/rdt1.JPG)
http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/rdt1.JPG

RDT 2 (http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/hires/rdt2.JPG)
http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/rdt2.JPG

RDT 3 (http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/hires/rdt3.JPG)
http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/rdt3.JPG

RDT 4 (http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/hires/rdt4.JPG)
http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/rdt4.JPG

RDT 5 (http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/hires/rdt5.JPG)
http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/rdt5.JPG

RDT 6 (http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/hires/rdt6.JPG)
http://www.stuartbransbury.com/pictures/ozscrapers/rdt6.JPG

pisstake great shots thanks for hi-rez ones we need more of that!:righton:

thanks!!!!!!!!

Sweet as, we have another local to update us all ;)

core's now visible from Rialto

http://metropolis.tayser.net/projects/stkildaroad/rdt/rdt2603041.jpg

It's coming along pretty nicely.
http://members.optusnet.com.au/haksoz/Images/Housing%20Commission%20Views/P4030978.JPG

those are some impressive pics you've churned out hacksaw, including the one above

anyone know the purpose of the tower crane in the distance

wow, top pic hacksaw! looks like its at lev 11 in corebox? not sure what the crane is in background, but checkout the magnificent 55m spire of Christchurch in South yarra!! just left of RDT cranes!

That's Richmond cul, not South Yarra ;)

That's Richmond cul, not South Yarra ;)
damn! i actually had the church of St Ignatius in Richmond but changed my mind. i thought Richmond was more south? anyway so thats the 65m spire of st igs! the largest church in Melb metro! must be in an elevated posi?

It's actually the 65m spire of St Ignatious in Richmond, very impressive for a suburban church.

damn! i actually had the church of St Ignatius in Richmond but changed my mind. i thought Richmond was more south? anyway so thats the 65m spire of st igs! the largest church in Melb metro! must be in an elevated posi?

Yeah it is quite elevated, especially from the train lines (Burnley and Caulfield groups) - look at the hill immediately behind it though, that's even higher, and you can see Doncaster hill & Doncaster Shoppingtown in the distance ;)

those are some impressive pics you've churned out hacksaw, including the one above

anyone know the purpose of the tower crane in the distance

I think it is a small development in Richmond..just north of Richmond station. There are a few developments with cranes on them. Another is in Albert rd..opposite Albert park.

Great pic Hacksaw!!

Hello mr core :)
http://melbournephotos.gotdns.com/pics/2004-04-05%20Melbourne%20-%20Top%20of%20Royal%20Domain%20Corporate/IMG_3591.jpg

The concrete pump was going around the core to the floor plate on the other side where these noisey bastards were standing.
http://melbournephotos.gotdns.com/pics/2004-04-05%20Melbourne%20-%20Top%20of%20Royal%20Domain%20Corporate/IMG_3590.jpg

Hello mr core :)
http://melbournephotos.gotdns.com/pics/2004-04-05%20Melbourne%20-%20Top%20of%20Royal%20Domain%20Corporate/IMG_3591.jpg

The concrete pump was going around the core to the floor plate on the other side where these noisey bastards were standing.
http://melbournephotos.gotdns.com/pics/2004-04-05%20Melbourne%20-%20Top%20of%20Royal%20Domain%20Corporate/IMG_3590.jpg

Yee har!! Soon to be visible from some parts of Melbourne...

Suprisingly small core - especially when compared to huge core of the similarly heighted Vic Point over on the other edge of the Bermuda Triangle..

damn! i actually had the church of St Ignatius in Richmond but changed my mind. i thought Richmond was more south? anyway so thats the 65m spire of st igs! the largest church in Melb metro! must be in an elevated posi?


I always thought St Dominics East Camberwell was the biggest church or maybe its classified as a sub-cathedral?

http://members.optusnet.com.au/haksoz/Images/Housing%20Commission%20Views/P4030978.JPG
The tower crane in the distance seems to belong to 'The Riviera' apartments development on the Yarra bank in Richmond, next to The Rydges Riverwalk Hotel.
See page 2 'Little Stuff' thread.
The elevated position St Ignatius is on is the top of Richmond Hill.
By the way, nice shots of RDT development everyone!
________________________________________________________________
I collect, therefore I am. :cool:

Didn't realise the footprint was going to be so fucking massive. No wonder it took that long to get out of the ground!

I always thought St Dominics East Camberwell was the biggest church or maybe its classified as a sub-cathedral?
Are you for real? St Dominic's is a small church compaired to Sy Ignatius, Richmond; St Mary's Star of the Sea, West Melbourne; and Immaculate Conception, Hawthorn. And no, St Dominic's is not a "sub-cathedral", it will never be a minor basilica, like Our Lady of Victories Camberwell.

Definitely the most impressive owner-occupier building there will be in Melbourne. A blessing compared to Eureka, Freshwater, Dock 5, etc... each comprising too many apartments. Understand RDT has just over 100 apartments in 42 levels.

Quickly ...

Q?: From construction progress and or from speaking with developer/builder onsite -- is there clear 'reliable' indication when Royal Domain Tower will be completed?


Crane

Are you for real? St Dominic's is a small church compaired to Sy Ignatius, Richmond; St Mary's Star of the Sea, West Melbourne; and Immaculate Conception, Hawthorn. And no, St Dominic's is not a "sub-cathedral", it will never be a minor basilica, like Our Lady of Victories Camberwell.
St Dominics at East Camberwell is a fairly large church. Its monumental tower rises to 40m with the nave reaching 56m in length compared to St Ignatious which is 62m.

hey crane, your question is a slippery one...

rdt piling started way back when in late 2002, and to be just starting the floorplate proper shows how things have slowly progressed, so all the previous schedules have gone out the window. im sure they have a completion deadline in the contract so your best bet is to e-mail multiplex construction

info@multiplex.biz

gday

Sorry to be padantic , but the bottom level floorplates in the above pictures look Bloody Ugly ! :puke: :toilet: :puke: :toilet: :puke: :toilet:

Please tell me that its not an above ground carpark ????

Cheers

Lozza

its not an above ground carpark!. there you go, but sorry it is. :whisper:

a very visually incomplete above ground carpark that has yet to be clad in all manner of ways including council requested art...

Are you for real? St Dominic's is a small church compaired to Sy Ignatius, Richmond; St Mary's Star of the Sea, West Melbourne; and Immaculate Conception, Hawthorn. And no, St Dominic's is not a "sub-cathedral", it will never be a minor basilica, like Our Lady of Victories Camberwell.


Why are you so disturbed by my remark? :weird:

Here is a rendering of the car park when completed:

http://www.winstruc.com/winport1/winport1_07c.jpg

AHA !@

Looks much better !

Thanks !

Lozza

this is the daddy of all carparks. considering there's only 130-odd apartments, there must be at least 2 carparks per apartment. the first residential floor seems to be coming along on the right, overhanging the carpark as in grollo's render above.

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

that's actually somewhat a sickening amount of car parking.

time for planning and parking policy change after this effort.

I see 10 above ground levels of car parking. I am not too certain if there are any below ground, but again, ALL this car parking should have been below ground.

this is what town planning : P gets U above ground car parking u have x amount of one two and 3 bedroom apartments therefore u need x amount of car parks talk about interface with the street and design response!!!!!!!

<------------------o------>

yeah well it's bullshit - I know this tower's geared toward the ultra-high end of the market (that's no excuse mind you), but it's just downright disgusting how much suburban car-centric thinking which goes into policy atm.

It's the farken city for crying out loud, if they want space to park their Toorak tractors, park 'em in Toorak!

Given in 10 years if Vic.Gov starts building the neccessities to sustain many different lifestyles (i.e bringing up a family in the city for one, which requires schools, easy access to child care, GPs and the likes), they should only require ONE car park for anything with 3 bedrooms and above (ad unit geared more at the family). One and two bedders are primarily geared toward the empty nester / young professional - one car park should be treated as a luxury and should attract a higher price in future IMO, we need less suburbanites driving in the inner city, not more.

Shit, I'd buy a one or two bedder with no car park if it were something like 30 or 40k cheaper! I would even be comfortable with no car as it stands in the inner city right now, and that's without any advancements that could happen over the coming years!

[/anti suburban rant]

Parking probably mainly to boost height. No one wants to look into the offices of RDC.
Apparently the windows in dads old office are 10cm from the wall of rdt. No natural light coming in at all.
Stupid bastards.

The car park will be a commerical car park as well as for the residents of the tower. As for who is responsible you can blame bloody Jeff who approved it personally even though it was prohibited under the planning controls!

Too bad that fugly carpark will obscure the beautifull tunnel view of the Shrine from Bank St (near the Sth Melb Town Hall)

The car park will be a commerical car park as well as for the residents of the tower. As for who is responsible you can blame bloody Jeff who approved it personally even though it was prohibited under the planning controls!
--------------------------------------------------


Understand

-- Carpark is for private resident use only not public.

-- underground carpark construction was not possible due to hard base, and a fortiori ensure views for residential floors starting from storey level 11. The rendering facade is stylish not an eyesore.

-- completion was advertised to be June/July 2005 on agents website. Rate of construction since October 2003 has been rapid and completion in 2005 appears achievable, though in or about which month unsure.

Recent photogaph above well taken.

completion date is december 2005

some apartments have as many as 8 carspaces

For their collections of cars no doubt. Perhaps those few extra spaces for guests attending Cynthia's cocktail 'do'.Recent photogaph above well taken.Indeed. Great photo silvermb!

By the render of the base it looks promising. Apart from the number of vents (necessary for light and fumes), there is an attempt to make a feature of the corner a'la Republic and a few more plays with shapes along the way.

(And doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you that the scraper wouldn't be as tall without....)

Yo!

Kush's Eureka pics had RDT sticking up in the background (noticably more than what I've previously noticed anyhow) - anybody taken any recents of the site?

we need a new pic.fabian?lol

Yeah, any recents?

it's clearly visible from R now:

thanks to Kushantaiidan in the E thread.
http://users.ncable.net.au/~ekmccody/SS/4.jpg

I'm on uni holidays this time next week - mass photo spam will subsequently eventuate thereafter ;)

the pic below's impressive but which ones RDT again?

the pic below's impressive but which ones RDT again?
Its the 2 cranes out near the big fuck green building on st kilda road.
Right next to it :)

Here it is!

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7057/4201.jpg

i miss holidays :(

Hurry up ya bulky piece of over car-parked crap, from Dorcas:

http://www.thehoddlegrid.net/projects/updates/stkildaroad/rdt/rdt0607041.jpg

should speed up now that transfer slab for the first level of apartments has been completed.....they say one level a week .....sure ...we can only hope

also heard that there is a shortage of reo in oz can anyone else confirm this?

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/rdt200407.jpg

Good photos! fuck its a big carpark, i mean thats huge.

Yeah, Mark Butler should have gone into the car park station buisness.

Well, @ least they have begun on the apartment floors proper :)

yeah it is big... it shouldnt be though, only 110 appartments over 44 levels with an average price of well over $2million/appt, and some of the penhouses have 8 or more spaces. just ridiculous really.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne

yeah it is big... it shouldnt be though, only 110 appartments over 44 levels with an average price of well over $2million/appt, and some of the penhouses have 8 or more spaces. just ridiculous really.

Cheers

Dean - Melbourne
=================================

There are 42 levels. Habitable floors begin from Level 11 designed to ensure view orientation over adjacent facing buildings; in turn providing occupiers with adequate car spacing below, often lacking in apartment buildings. (Note -believe there are also another 15-car spaces approx for visitor parking on lower level).

This building focuses very much on the owner occupier where car spacing is one of many features that make this building uniquely different. Though, still, we have to wait and see its progression and final product.

8-car spaces is not standard rather allocation is dependent on apartment size acquired e.g. buying entire floor or more than one apartment (e.g. recall a previous thread in this forum of a Hong Kong purchaser setting then Melbourne price record) or buying extra. Generally respective apartments have 3-car spaces, though a small few have 2.

Note above thread of 1 floor per week. Indeed ambitious. Given overall slab size perhaps 2 weeks is possible working off estimate time completion by December 2005.

you've just made me feel even more ill.

I suppose, given the market the tower's catering for, the tenants will have enough money to move their car collections with them - but given any run of the mill development, disgusting amounts of parking such as in RDT (which make it uniquely sickening IMO) should be banned. Just look what's out the front door for crying out loud.

Herein lies a BIG problem when you look at the grand scheme of things: Melbourne 2030 isn't dictating the amount of car parking that should be required (or the maximum per unit) in an already high-frequency PT area like this one.

i hear u tayser this also makes me sick the whole idea of 2030 but the deal is wether if your loaded not only can u build a massive building you can also drive 8 cars (i think this is a plot to turn it into a paying carpart) then lobby concuil to follow 2030 and increase the cbd density therefore street parking fees go up and have tougher parking resistrictions then reap in the $$$

tays why dont you give up you one man crusade to rid the world of carparks?

if i paid up to $8 million for an apartment i'd want eight car spots as well, not everyone wants to use public transport and you can't force them to use it ( although i know you want to - communisto! ). the only issue that anyone should have with this tower is the design of the carpark podium which is fine in my opinion. the dynamics of the area/tower mean there could be no ground floor retail and no street-level apartments so as long as the podium's design is interesting, who cares how many car spots there are in a private building?

the only change i'd like to see is the corner mural become something similar to republic tower's, a changing design every few months and maybe an art gallety on street level - keeps in tune with the buildings tone

http://www.winstruc.com/winport1/winport1_07c.jpg

who cares how many car spots there are in a private building?

You'll care if this development sets a precedent for other developments in future, you'll certainly care when you're trying to zip around the central city snapping shots of construction as fast as you do now however in future you're caught up in the traffic generated by the excessive amount of car parking which promotes car usage in an area which isn't suited to it.

Communist my arse, I just take an abstract view of these things, and not the micro & greed driven view that someone who had more money than sense would have when buying into this thing.

you can blame bloody Jeff for this tower and all it's car parks. There is no way a development this high or with this much car parking and such an awful relationship to the streetscape will ever be approved near St. Kilda Road again.

Lol I'm on marko's side -

I'm sure whoever owns those carparks paid for them.. and just these carparks are built at the bottom of this tower doesn't mean they'll be any cheaper than any other carparks and therefore 'promote' car use - in fact quite the opposite they'll be hideously expensive and probably as noted owned 4 each by each of the owners - who inevitably will *underuse them* and just keep their fleet of Beamers inside - but not drive em all at once..

Would you rather a 10 story public carpark was built on the site lowering the cost of public parking in the area, therefore promoting more people to drive into the city for work??

And G-man - sorry but what relationship to the streetscape ??? There is absolutely 0.0% atomsphere on that backstreet anyway and prob never will be - while the tower is sensibly setback from the streetscape that really matters - St.Kilda Rd - which has the lovely period frontage of the RD front building..

Go RDT - tho still woulda lurved the Chicago style proposal instead.

Silvermb, I think you will find that the pic you posted is not what the podium is going to look like. You can already see the difference between the render and reality as indicated above.

And G-man - sorry but what relationship to the streetscape ???

its relationship just doesn't exist, it treats that street like it has:

absolutely 0.0% atomsphere

and why do you say:

..and prob never will (be) [have any atmosphere]

when given it -could- have created so much more than a public/ private car park entrance?

Answer: because it's a shit design.

That whole part of South Melbourne is pretty much dead with "absolutely 0.0% atmosphere" due to way the area is used:
- Large office component, whereby you only see people walking in between Car and office, or scuttling up to St. Kilda Road from their office
- Minimal residential, where you see, like the office workers, either driving into the car park or walking from St. Kilda Road / Kings Way trams straight to their apartments.

There's absolutely 0.0% reason for people to create an "atmosphere" there as there's fuck all else around it in the first place - and RDT just compounds the dead-boring lifeless "absolutely 0.0% atmosphere" suburban thinking you'll find in dreary Berwick, Templestowe or Caroline effing Springs.

while the tower is sensibly setback from the streetscape that really matters - St.Kilda Rd - which has the lovely period frontage of the RD front building..

So you wouldn't mind for instance if we applied the same concept to the holy grail, Eureka, make the side that counts the city side, and leave City Road, the ugly side?

:)

Aussie Steve, i think you will find it will be. simple as that.

thay've already started applying the framework for the box design facing wells st.

A-brain is right, wells st has 0.0% atmosphere/appeal and taking away a few carpark levels has no effect

tays old son.. face facts: not every street in inner Melbourne can be chock full of atmosphere .. simple fact is that particular street is never realistically gonna see much action.. for god's sake look at that horrific grey podium next door behind Green Sebel Tower - I think the council wrote this street off years ago as a back street..

And yes - Eureka wisely does exactly the same thing. Sad to say but City Rd is a bit of a lost cause - it's just too busy a thoroughfare in modern Melbourne to become a strollable boulevard and thats despite City Link removing an enourmous amount of traffic from it.

Once again I wholly agree with your ideals and sentiments - and I will be championing against carpark development alongside you many a time when it really will have a serious impact on the fabric of the city. But this ain't one of them..

And again - sadly in the real world unless you wanna ban cars altogether and everyone move to electric smart cars - it's a sad reality that we have busy City Rd's and the odd dank side steet like some of the ones in South Melbourne..

hold on.

tays old son.. face facts: not every street in inner Melbourne can be chock full of atmosphere

I'm well aware of that, but there's a difference between "atmosphere" and a street / precinct that is properly used to its full potential. Advocating change and championing a cause then completely writing off what could be a potential outcome is a bit odd don't you think?

Sad to say but City Rd is a bit of a lost cause

you're only going by what is: As-is, not could-be. There are many people out there whose job it is to plan and make change happen - why write that off, or at least make it mutually exclusive to areas like Docklands?

Once again I wholly agree with your ideals and sentiments - and I will be championing against carpark development alongside you many a time when it really will have a serious impact on the fabric of the city. But this ain't one of them..

does Docklands ring a bell? there's bound to have been many people who were of the same pessimistic view as you 10 years ago before anything happened west of Spencer Street and now look what's in the pipeline! And there is absolutely no reason that the same paradigm can't be applied to -any- precinct in the city & outwards for that matter.

The simple fact that I am facing is that the lack of a plan for the area, and the political and market forces that have driven the area's development in the past and now have not been the best possible outcome.

ooh heated.

^^ pft - debate's better than just threads and threads of "ooh it's getting big" or "nice pics" etc.

:)

The problem is that a lot of these car parks will probably end up being sub leased to office workers in nearby buildings.

Also Wells Street is not just a rear laneway like Qeens Lane but is actually quite a wide road. Across the road there are a couple of shops and just because some of the older buildings along there are pretty poor doesn't mean that new buildings should take the same approach.

The excuse for approving this building was that it would be a design of architectural excellence which would take attention way from the 120m high 1970's tower next door. We should expect better from a development that was approved 2.5 times higher than the height limit for the site. It's going to be a nice tower but it's no Yve or Marquise.

rich pricks are to cool for public transport:)

what floor would be in core box? level15?