Quarter to six last night - I imagine the boom will go on today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/phi1ip/Verve501/200503111744.jpg

Yipeeee

Our very own twin towers rising up at the northern end of the CBD!

for gods sake someone give that Ibis a different coat of paint!! I'ts a blight on our city. Old Ansett is a piece of crud too. I spent 3 miserable years working in that piece of shit.This block is a mess. Level everything (except Mac's Pub of course)

heres a quick diagram showing the impact of verve on skyline.as seen from southeast view.also shows E&Y,SX,USW.
dont you wish all these heights were above street instead of sea level!!

http://img72.exs.cx/img72/1027/melbskylineparisend2vp.jpg

Thanks Mr C, but you wont be able to see Milano and Verve from the south-east. Oh well. At least you will see them from Princess Bridge and Feq Sq! :D

^ artistic license. i can move and adjust bldgs to suit. i think they verve/milano are located behind 101 and 120 collins st from that view but you wouldnt be able to see them so i had to move them west slightly to show height impact.

i was just updating April 1st diagrams, has verve & Milano risen since march 1st? i think they would so ill guess 2 rises maybe?

i was just updating April 1st diagrams, has verve & Milano risen since march 1st? i think they would so ill guess 2 rises maybe?

Definately 3, maybe 4 rises since March 1.

I'll be heading down past Vèrve and Milano this lunchtime - I'm fairly certain they've only had 2 rises in the month - 3 or 4 you say Grollo? :)

Well the March digram had level 3 exposed, last time I saw it two weeks ago level 6 was exposed so 3 or 4 core rises.

^ thanx grol
ive edited diagram>
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=130392

As at 1pm 31 March 2005

Verve 5 exposed above ground + 1 in box

Milano 3 exposed above ground + 1 in box

^thanks also. any sign of floor plates yet?

^thanks also. any sign of floor plates yet?

Yes, most of the floorplate for what looks like level three has been put down around the northeast corner of the tower, and scaffolding has started to go up. The Vèrve crane was hauling concrete into the corebox so I presume there will be a pour followed by a core rise fairly soon... otherwise as Aussie Steve said, Vèrve's core is at 6 and Milano's at 4.

about as close as i could get today with all the overhead going up. starting to quicken up now that the majority of the site is concreted over, just like pouring pancakes once the base slab is in

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm200504.jpg


http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm2005041.jpg

Get a coronary into ya!!! :cool:

any idea on who the electrical contractor is for this site?

^^ tough question to answer, ill stick to the photos

tell you what tays, tis a brave or stipid individual that takes on Mack's and manages to eat the whole thing, i still cant go back; scarred for life comes to mind.

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

Going up, going up, going higher!!!

Going up, up, up into the sky......

Nice little befitting dance ditty there A.S.. Been over @ SayHey again? ;)

^^ tough question to answer, ill stick to the photos

tell you what tays, tis a brave or stipid individual that takes on Mack's and manages to eat the whole thing, i still cant go back; scarred for life comes to mind.

If Mack's = The Golded Arches (TM), then you obviously didn't see how quickly I ate my meal the other day before we met up :)

no no, see the white wall on the left of the site in this pic:

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm2005041.jpg

that's Macks - a pub, $10 will get you the biggest Chicken Schnitzel BLT you've ever seen - so big it's destined to give you a coronary if you have more than one per annum ;)

that's Macks - a pub, $10 will get you the biggest Chicken Schnitzel BLT you've ever seen - so big it's destined to give you a coronary if you have more than one per annum ;)

Ooh yummo! I once had a schnitzel that I swear was the size of NSW :). Must check that place out next time I'm down there (9 days and counting...)

I once went out with a girl as big as God's underpants, but this is probably the wrong thread for that too. Schnitzel Mitzells.

Latest from the websitehttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/RIMG00801.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/RIMG00451.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/Pan_K1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/Pan_C1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/Pan_A1.jpg

its hard to believe Verve will be double height of PDG corp bldg.looks 8 storeys in core.

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/verve web.jpg

Our new Twin Towers will make a huge impact on the skyline especially along the Swanston St/St Kilda Rd view.

great shot of the city baths there. love that stack.only one left in the CBD.

^isn't there another one on lil bourke street and spencer street? when i go down lil bourke, i turn down king street so im not entirely sure...

^ i ment brick chimney. yes theres the 103m concrete stack part of old power station which is awaiting its fate.When completed in 1953 it was tallest in OZ!

We have 40 stories to go on this project. Its currently at Level 6 (exposed)

great shot of the city baths there. love that stack.only one left in the CBD.

Umm the great big old powerstation stack? westend? graffiti all over it? or does that go under a diffrent catogory?

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/verve5012.jpg

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/Verve5011.jpg

nice nice, rock climbing anyone? :lol:

God that QANTAS building just makes me weep.

makes me weep too - i used to work in that piece of shit!!

Is it as über-1950s inside as it is outside??

This thing is rockin' it stupid. only seemed like few weeks ago that only the core was visible.

Umm the great big old powerstation stack? westend? graffiti all over it? or does that go under a diffrent catogory?

Yep, it has it's very own category Drunkill - f*cking eyesore!! Surely with all the technology out there they can come up with something to deal with the asbestos in that place so they can bulldoze it. Can you imagine the first thing interstate/overseas visitors would see when they come out from SCS? They'd probably turn around and jump back on the train again! Let's hope it's all gone before SCS is completed! Anyway's, back to the main topic...

Hi Tayer,
It used to be pretty cool inside - mainly the rather funky foyer that once had a fairly cavernous lobby with a huge Airport style map of the world on the back wall which was back lit and showed major flight routes around the world. This open space was chewed up and destroyed by the building of a mezz' level for more office space around 1986-7. That was the same time they built that horrific "tacked on" 80's style entrance/podium. One good thing about working in the building was the view on the cbd side of the building. I watched many a project go up in the city from there.
I don't know what the security is like now but if you can get into the stairwell which is next to the lifts on the left hand side of the building you can climb all the way up and take pics as there is windows running up the entire height if the building. The inside is totally plain and mostly open plan like any other office space anywhere.
I recall the talking lifts that where installed which soon had "her" voice box ripped out due to the irritation it caused everyone in the building.

I don't mind the Qantas Building, the gold tiles are pretty cool in the right light. I think the problem with the building is that it has been so poorly maintained that it just looks crappy. It would look much better with a refurbishment and a good clean.

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/quantas 1.jpg

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/quantas 2.jpg

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/quantas 3.jpg

It was built as the TAA building in 1965:

http://pictures.slv.vic.gov.au/cgi-bin/scandoc.cgi?app=4&folder=11372&doc=1

Does anybody know when the gold roof was added because it wan't there in 1975:

http://pictures.slv.vic.gov.au/cgi-bin/scandoc.cgi?app=4&folder=11382&doc=1

I started there just a few months before James Strong took over and changed it from TAA to Australian Airlines. Suddenly all the public servants had to actually work for a change 8). God it was so slack before as TAA and almost impossible to be fired. The older staff would just sleep at their desks etc...incredible!...that is providing you could see them through the cigarette smoke. The air-con was terrible and even though it's relatively short it really gets the wobbles on a windy day but not as much as 55 Collins where my father worked around the same time.Eventually I went to Ansett for about 3 years and then follwed my true path in the film industry.
We use to (in the Ansett building) get up on the Helipad (never used by Sir Reginald) and throw huge paper planes over the edge. Tisk!

^ LOL.

This thing is rockin' it stupid. only seemed like few weeks ago that only the core was visible.

That is because everything so far has been Pre-fab concrete? They have only just lifted the stuff into place!
I assume this won't be all the way up...it is just making the Rockclimbing wall and Podium.

just updating june 1 diagrams. have these risen at all since last pic?
cheers

^No don't think so....Verve definitely hasn't Milano may have.

Quick written update

Verve: 5 floor plates are complete. The core is ~12 levels up with 1 in the box.

Milano: Ground floor plate is complete. The core is 6 levels up with 1 floor in the box

Quick written update

Verve: 5 floor plates are complete. The core is ~12 levels up with 1 in the box.

Milano: Ground floor plate is complete. The core is 6 levels up with 1 floor in the box

You sure it is 12 levels up?? seems much less then that?

Verve's core hasn't changed since last pic.


http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/verve2.jpg

thanks guys. its slowly progressing.
cheers

If you look at the core's western facade, it looks like 12.

Gday guys,
any1 hav pics of what the site looked like pre excavation, cheers

^^^I don't, but I can tell you it was FUGLY! :down: :puke:

I'm a big fan of before, during and after photos shot from the same angle so I was hoping to track the before shot and create a bit of a compliation.

http://img41.echo.cx/img41/2401/dsc000797lh.jpg

http://img41.echo.cx/img41/8643/dsc000801as.jpg

http://img41.echo.cx/img41/6227/dsc000814lo.jpg

http://img41.echo.cx/img41/7697/dsc000822fv.jpg

i think tays or kasper took this. honestly the previous buildings were that shit i dont think there's be too many pics around

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

They've updated the website at last

http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/verve_construction/construction_01.html

Aerial photograph of Verve501 and Milano Site
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_X.JPG

Photograph showing the historic tram terminal in front of the proposed Verve501 and Milano Piazza on the corner of Swanston and Victoria Streets.
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_G.JPG

Photograph showing the sites location on the corner of Franklin and
Swanston Streets
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_A.JPG

Photograph of the site showing its surrounding streets of Franklin, Swanston and Victoria.
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_E.JPG

Panorama showing the corner of Swanston and Victoria Streets where the new indoor Rock climbing center will be.
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_J.JPG

Close in panorama concentrating on both the Verve501 and Milano cores
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_U.JPG

Photograph of the whole Verve501 tower core 8 storeys high.
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_06/Pan_Q.JPG

great pix! its so good to see a nice little stack of floorplates :D lovin the aerials!

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/IMG_4687.JPG

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/IMG_4688.JPG

going to be an interesting site to see people climb those walls ;)

this part of the CBD definately needs something, hopefully this will be it, its so quiet up that end of town!

just updating monthly diagrams.just confused. so is verve501 -8 floors and core-12? has milano moved at all since last month? i had 6 in core.

been a month. any new pix, just updating you know what again.lol

this part of the CBD definately needs something, hopefully this will be it, its so quiet up that end of town!

Not when all us archi students have a deadline to meet and we pack out Dinkums waiting to get work photocopied or printed. lol.

Photo update... first one a little dodgy with the edit... two yellow cranes.

But good update.

http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/verve_construction/construction_01_07.html

so verve still 12 levels high.?Milano seems to be catching.
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_07/Pan_C.JPG
slowed right down.
thanks for link
cheers

According to the website it is up to level 13

http://www.melbournephotos.net/images/2005-08-02%20Melbourne%20-%20Collins%20st,%20Rialto%20Construction%20Updates%20and%20RMIT%20Rooftop/IMG_6975.jpg

hah, that's the stuff dan, just go up Rialto and point and shoot, stuff actually going to all these places, welcome to the club ;)

would someone please develop that flipping car park?

thanks.

Thats right! Walking blows.

Especially when you go to school right nextdoor to thisy here site! :D

any change for month of August?

I walked past it yesterday but I didn't have my camera. This would have to be one of the most underated skyscraper under construction in melbourne. Its going to completely dwarf everythign around it. The base really reminds me of lattitude in the early days.

Can't wait for the indoor rock climbing. And yeah, I agree with you Dan this certainly is an underrated development and is quietly going up without much fuss. I guess that's what happens when the likes of Eureka and Freshwater are going up at the same time.

come 2006, this tower wil be the tallest bldg uc in Melb.
anyone recent pix? what would core be up to? i can always guess for sept diagrams/
cheers guys

any change for month of August?

Yeah pretty sure there has been a change..they have been pouring a lot of concrete over the last few weeks. I have been a little slack with my photo taking recently. Will try and get one for you.

Does 16 floors to the top of the box make sense? Somewhere around that level...

thanks dan.

A couple of days old...still the same. THey were pumping concrete again today. I think it was a floor though.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/verve.jpg

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/verve2.jpg

http://members.optusnet.com.au/lukekasper/verve3.jpg

This is a very underestimated development for Melbourne at the moment.

well it should be most popular thread next year.it will be tallest project uc in melb.
im trying to work out its status atm. is it 6/7 fl podium, same in core? i can see milanos core just.12fl?
i like the cnr column.

This is a very underestimated development for Melbourne at the moment.

Probably because it's up the other end of town.

Those feature walls on Verve 501 look great, I was a bit worried that those strips were going to be just plain or painted concrete. It also looks like it's gfoing to be slimmer than I thought it would be. I wasn't at all impressed with the renders but it's actually turning out much better than expected.

Hooley-dooley!! Solid looking.

Didn't realise they were to share the same base. Thought they were going to be seperate entities. Interesting.

^ yeah sort of like a ying and a yang.

^Are you saying one is evil? ;)

starting to appreciate how massive this tower is up this end of town. interesting facade in that its looks totally clear

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm20050921.jpg

great;
i count 7 podium floors, 6 tower floors , 5 more in core= 18?

I've got another 3 or so years to appreciate it. This development was one of the reasons I chose RMIT ahead of Melbourne Uni. Plus I also get views down to New Quay, Eureka, UW and SX. ;)

I also had that predicament, RMIT or Melb Uni. But only in deciding which girls I would get to F....., or try to anyway. What a tough life you have Bombsta.

Yeah. There's another view of a different kind on level 10. A good reason to take the escalators and not the lifts. Those fashion designers are mighty fine. You should drop by some time I'll show you the view(s).*Cheesy grin*

They've updated the website again.

More at http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/verve_construction/construction_01_08.html
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/Pan_J.jpg

love the photos. wish all skyscrapers kept detailed photos like verve does.
looks like very basic construction method
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_08/Pan_H.JPG


so the project is basically a 400ft tall square bldg & 500ft tall rectangular bldg sharing a 100ft high podium
good stuff

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/0111/1570111ml1040269837.jpg

Thanks abc & Cul makes life easier for me.

archi- the actually roof of verve 501 is 148m. then there is a central plantroom which is 155m high. A spire is attached to front which rises to 170m. Milano is flatroof 123m high. easy peasy

^You wouldn't happen to know the widths would you?

id be only guessing.

No need to worry I just went to the Milano website and found some. Oh and for those as interested in Rock Climbing as me (love it) the nice fella at the display suite told me they are hoping for a March opening, so it should be open in June.:lol:

Both buildings will be rectangular but the floorplates for Milano haven't got above the huge podium yet.

Milano first off the production line.

http://img272.imageshack.us/img272/2082/milanocopy0gg.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

What program do you use Archi?

Various. First thing I do is find some floorplans and trace them in Autocad (which is why I always hassle Cul for some), then I export those to Rhino 3d where I extrude them and make the form and then I export that to 3ds Max to apply the maps, textures and lighting. Getting windows right is a pain (no pun intended), still have problems getting them to look realistic, had that problem with the Grand Central model. I should have Verve done by Saturday. Btw Dan love the glazing on your Eureka model @ Melbourne Photos, kicks ass.

Awesome :) So thats how the people who actually know what they are doing do it. lol.

Now completed both Verve and Milano (and a day early too). I hope the heights are right in regards to one another. I'm not too sure about the look of Verve because I had no floorplans. I just looked at other renders and the construction photos. Enjoy!

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/9721/milanoverve1eq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


And looking up.

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3425/vervemilanocopy5lo.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9800/vervemilanoiicopy3ty.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I'll put them in the skyline next.

God damn Archi...that shit would have taken me weeks.

Sweet renderings Archi, how wide did you make Verve 501, looks plenty thin.

Well done!

Thanks guys much appreciated. @ Grollo, I made Verve roughly the same width as Milano, because other than having different heights, Verve having a crown (or whatever you want to call it) and spire, and a few other minor differences they seem to essentially be the same tower. I'm pretty sure the width is as close to the real thing as possible. Verve also seems pretty thin in the construction photos despite only a few floors being built.

the Verve site admins are going to come running after you with good money for those renders! :D

Looks to be about 18 metres wide which would make it the thinnest tower in Australia.

Looks to be about 18 metres wide which would make it the thinnest tower in Australia.
would it be the tinnest in width to hieght ratio?

yes thinner than FWP.

the Verve site admins are going to come running after you with good money for those renders! :D

Yeah I wish, maybe I can get a job doing renders for companies or at an architectural firm. :D Dock 5 may be next on my list of towers to render. Here are Verve and Milano in a pic Aussie Bhoy took from the Rialto.

http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/9479/v501milanoinskylinecopy1ao.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I hope that's right.

looks it :nocrook:

Looks to be about 18 metres wide which would make it the thinnest tower in Australia.
Sydney Hilton is 17m wide. ;-)
excellent stuff archi!

if you want to find out exactly how wide Verve is ill contact architects.

Please do I'd certainly be interested.

Good one Archi. Looks the correct orientation too. Those drugs are working for you. :okay:

Verve is going to be pretty tall for the area it's in.

:D Thanks Muse. Whoever said drugs were bad? :lol:

I just went for a walk and Verve has a 7 level podum with 8 levels of the tower floor plates built, and 5 levels of the core visible on top. So we are at 20 levels! :D

^ Some of the glass has now been placed in too.

Couple of pics from the weekend

http://static.flickr.com/27/53333430_38cefa7897_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/30/53333429_26032937c5_o.jpg

the rock climbing shenanigans will look great from the street, interesting tower concrete!

^Can't wait for the rock climbing, it would give me something else to do between lectures. One of very few benefits of going to RMIT.

i really dont mind the arch grooved conc panels. they look unique

Are there any good spots in Building 14 to get a bird's eye of this site?

http://mams.rmit.edu.au/0uk1ej2i66fj.jpg

I still have my RMIT student card floating about somewhere...

yes, there are public corner rooms. You could get in their very easily, try level 9.

Why would you need a student card, anyone can just walk in there are 50 or so doors on the street. Hmmm Great security.

great security indeed.

anyhow, didn't quite make it up there.

http://thehoddlegrid.net/dump/verve0611051.jpg

maybe an unexpected change of cranes on Milano. there's a Verticon favco sitting on top of the yellow towers of the previous type of crane - looks weird

thanks for the picture^^

http://thehoddlegrid.net/dump/verve0611051.jpgWow, fantastic pic tayser :okay: Blink & there are significant rises. The core is now higher than the 75m PDG Corporate Centre. Cool!

Go Verve!!

muse, , The core has currently lev22 insidebox which ive worked out by scaling archis diagrams, its approx 74m high atm. just belowPDG Corp centre.

heres a quick diagram showing project status.
im only guessing Milano.s status, no one seems to take piccies of milano.does anyone know if it higher then 12st?
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/2421/verve5011pg.jpg

Love your diagrams Cul...thanks...

heres a quick diagram showing project status.
im only guessing Milano.s status, no one seems to take piccies of milano.does anyone know if it higher then 12st?

I'm not sure if the core is any higher (although I think it may be), but I noticed today that the main structure of the tower (i.e. actual tower above the podium) has begun rising.

muse, , The core has currently lev22 insidebox which ive worked out by scaling archis diagrams, its approx 74m high atm. just belowPDG Corp centre.That's right. Of course PDG Corp Centre is behind the project. If Verve's core had been 76m then I could've celebrated the fact.

^lol, next week you can celebrate.

maybe an unexpected change of cranes on Milano. there's a Verticon favco sitting on top of the yellow towers of the previous type of crane - looks weird


????????? Which one, not the maroon one from city rd??????????? It came down saturday by way of caelli's 300t

The day this tower blocks the ugly bitch called IBIS, is the day I get very, very excited. Ditto for Qantas House but at least its not A screaming PINK.

I won't knock Ansett House as compared with those others mentioned, well its a bloody supermodel by comparison.

don't hold back on the old Ansett bld. It totally sucks too.
this block is an 'upchuck' of bad architecture...except Mac's Pub of course

i think its time...
http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm20051101.jpg

i sink a few beers..
http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm20051102.jpg

before i go to hospital >>> melbourne trams are awesome!!!
http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm20051103.jpg

in all seriousness verve has way more glass then i had expected, i hope they dont paint the precast strips running up the front but do paint the exposed core black, then it will be one of my favourites. its got the whole Gateway (Queens rd) concrete/blue glass theme happening

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm20051104.jpg

Oops misread Silver's post.

i sink a few beers..
http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm20051102.jpg


Mac's is calling you silvermb, calling you!!

A different angle of both Milano and Verve. Milano doesn't have the grooved panels that Verve has and neither does Verve's rear. Interesting.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/1281/vervemilano0ju.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Pics from today...

http://static.flickr.com/25/65446569_8ef405128b_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/28/65446568_c3d2a1c123_o.jpg

:sly:

Please do I'd certainly be interested.
Urban Design finally got back to me with Verves dimensions.
Its typical floor plate = 20m x 40m.
so same width as QV resi.so Syd hilton still thinnest at 17m.

Thanks Cul. So what would the height to width ratio be? And how does it stack up against the others in regards to that?

Urban Design finally got back to me with Verves dimensions.
Its typical floor plate = 20m x 40m.
so same width as QV resi.so Syd hilton still thinnest at 17m.

I'm sure there are much narrower skyscrapers around that are only 10-20 floor high. The ratio of length to width is more important to how 'thin' a tower looks rather than just the width.

So Verve would have a width to height ratio (not including spire :-) of 7.75 which is not quite as 'thin' as FWP, which has a ratio of 8.1 or the Sydney Hilton which has has a ratio of 7.9.

of course. its all got to do with ratio. the thinnest "skyscraper" in Sydney is 6m wide and rises to 46m/12st built 1914. it has height ratio of 7.6. so its all relevant.
but for a tower thats 44 floors high Hilton Hotel is bloody thin!

Ansett's former home flying again
Peter Taylor
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17317291%255E664,00.html
22nov05

THE retail rollout at the former Ansett headquarters will start within weeks with the first of 10 traders to open its doors.

And disused Swanston St tram tracks are likely to be torn up early next year as work begins on a public piazza to flank the PDG Corporation development.

Rental car company Avis will open next month at Melbourne's newest mixed-use development, with a supermarket to follow early next year.

PDG acquisitions manager Paul Harris said other retail outlets would open progressively at the site, with the entire project complete by 2007.

The developer is building two apartment towers, called Verve and Milano, atop a shared podium that will house the shops, car parking and an indoor rock-climbing centre.

Along with a neighbouring Audi showroom, the new shops will take the ground-floor retail space at the precinct to about 6000 sq m.

PDG had no difficulty finding tenants, with agreements in place for all sites about a year ago, Mr Harris said.

"The level of interest was incredible. We set out to attract a certain calibre of tenant and we achieved that," he said.

"I think the location has incredible appeal and the level of excellence of the amenity of the development."

Among features, the rock-climbing centre will hug the internal car park.

Glass external walls will allow passers-by clear views of climbers scaling rock walls stretching five floors from the second level.

The apartment complexes feature an 18-seat cinema exclusively for residents' use, a two-lane, 25m swimming pool, gymnasium and tennis court.

The piazza will be developed on space now taken up by the disused tram tracks, a heritage tram terminus and a slip lane between Swanston and Victoria Sts.

Melbourne City Council is jointly funding the piazza project, which will cost about $1 million and be complete late next year.

"It will be a combination of bluestone paving, some good-sized grass areas and public seating," Mr Harris said.

A historic tram terminus at the site will be kept.

Plans for how it would be used had not been finalised, but a stand-alone cafe or "bicycle exchange" were among possibilities, Mr Harris said.

PDG had also fully leased the former Ansett office complex, adjacent at 501 Swanston St, mid last year, he said. It is redeveloping that building, which Mr Harris said was of "average-to-poor standard as far as office accommodation goes", as part of the project.

Queensland financial group Suncorp Metway will move its Melbourne headquarters to the office tower from the former Mobil building in St Kilda Rd.

Suncorp is taking out five floors, including the ground-floor "showroom", of the Ansett building, which has been rebadged 501 Swanston. Other tenants include Meinhardt Engineers, with two floors, Health Services Australia, with three, and the Department of Defence Recruiting, with two.

Each floor is 940 sq m. It's believed office tenants will pay a net rental average of about $185 a sq m.

Great find Grollo. What a great bit of news. I can't wait to see this end of Swanston St redeveloped. All we now need is a super stop between Franklin & Victoria Sts and the full closure of Franklin St between Swanston & Victoria Sts. Give the streets back to the people! :D

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/07-12-2005/verve%20501%201%20web.jpg

top shot.
21 floors/25 in core?
1 more rise to reach 300ft/90m.
17 in milano?
cheers

Just a reminder of what we are in for! :D
http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/0111/1570111ml1040269837.jpg

Oh, so that's the rock climbing there. How bizzare...novel, but bizzare.

http://web.aanet.com.au/nmharrison/07-12-2005/verve%20501%202%20web.jpg

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm200512.jpg

#2 = The silvermb special, served with extra garlic sauce.

Mercy! Better pray Melbourne never suffers anything worse than a Richter 6 earthquake, these two would tumble like a sack of spuds. Like a few other towers I can think of. Those external reinforced concrete slabs are held in place (generally) by two oversized steel pins folks. Not much. :shocked:

ugh! i'd hate to live in the terrace house right next to Verve! [especially if you do night shifts]

Why is it so hard to hide fucking concrete? Seriously, there's too much of the fucking stuff in Melbourne.

ugh! i'd hate to live in the terrace house right next to Verve! [especially if you do night shifts]
Its a hotel/pub, not a house.

mac's pub - the oldest in melbourne apparently. still has a horse drinking thingy out the front of it.

Mercy! Better pray Melbourne never suffers anything worse than a Richter 6 earthquake, these two would tumble like a sack of spuds. Like a few other towers I can think of. Those external reinforced concrete slabs are held in place (generally) by two oversized steel pins folks. Not much. :shocked:

Keep forgetting how seismically active Melbourne's CBD is. The "gap" is actually a major fault line....

Cheers,

Adam

melbourne is not prone to much seismic activity, i'm sure all the buildings meet the required regulations, why bother bringing it up?

^ hook. line. sinker.

still in fine form I see Adam :happy:

Wahaha...ok then, so that's why the height limits on Swanston!! It's all falling into place.... :)

Blue

lol @ Adam.

Always love that angle in the first pic post by silvermb. A building with colonnades never goes astray either - so traditional.

So, is it going to be left as that bare patterend concrete as dynamoultraclean makes mention of? Looks it from the render.

I just want an excuse to post the nice glossy renders again (from Milano's site :D)

http://www.milanoapartments.com.au/pop_ups/pu_images/apart_1.jpg

http://www.milanoapartments.com.au/pop_ups/pu_images/apart_2.jpg

http://www.milanoapartments.com.au/pop_ups/pu_images/apart_3.jpg

http://www.milanoapartments.com.au/pop_ups/pu_images/am_rest_1.jpg

:happy:

5 story rock climbing wall?!!??! o.O

I'll be there during my breaks between classes/lectures etc. :D

any recent piccies? just updating monthly diagram

I just noticed that Spiderman is in the last render. I might take some shots tomorrow, depending on the weather.

Pics from yesterday, didn't get around to posting them till today.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8422/vmpodium4wj.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7259/verve5019hd.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7659/verveandmilano9bz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9755/vervemilano0ze.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

many thanks archi. ex ellent snaps.
for my diagrams i count floors16/core20 in Milano & floors24/core28 in verve.
cheers

I agree, top shots Archibomber.

Go Verve 501 and Milano http://www.sayhey.co.uk/invboard/html/emoticons/thumbsup.gif

Just some different angles.

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/31-01-2006/vervemilano/pics%201171_1.jpg

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/31-01-2006/vervemilano/pics%201191_1.jpg

25 floors? 30 in core?
thanks bugs

This is the ugliest resi-letdown since Royal Domain and Concept Blue. I can't wait until they finish it in pebblecrete!

Depends on whether they paint them or not, the good renders indicate they will so I'll reserve judgement till when they're both finished. Besides nothing's as bad as as RDT it's in a league of its own. :D

^^These two towers could possibly end up looking worse.
The renders show a hell of a lot of exposed concrete, especially on Milano.
The podium levels are good and I'm hoping the crown on Verve is at least OK. Fingers crossed.

I think they are looking surprisingly good, better than the renders.

The textured concrete on Verve 501 looks really good and it is alot more slnder and glassy than I thought it would be.

slender, yes. From the state library lawn verve looks positively undernourished! At least with QV1 the slenderness still was a strong wiry sort of slenderness...is anyone following me here?
Not a big fan of these two. Ya'll know how I have nightmares about earthquakes and such. :shocked: :)
Blue

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/19-1-2006/verve/pics%200731sr.jpg

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/19-1-2006/verve/pics%200671sr.jpg

excellent.
i count 27 floors/32 in core for Verve and floors 17 /21lev in core for Milano.
thanks sirbug!

this render is same vantage point as first pic

http://www.urbandesign.com.au/images/clients/ansett/3_lg.jpg

^^ That render doesn't look right. It's also very ordinary.

See if you can spot verve in dans pic from today

http://www.melbournephotos.net/images/2006-02-23%20Melbourne%20-%20Swan%20St%20to%20Federation%20Square/IMG_7944.jpg

See if you can spot verve in dans pic from today

http://www.baleviani.com/images/verve%20copy.jpg

No more gaps :-)

hahahah collin.

can someone take a drive by pic before march 1?
appreciate it.
cheers

^^ :lol:(Collin's post)

can someone confirm number of floors ect?


http://img445.imageshack.us/img445/5130/verve501a6wf.jpg

i though it looked average before, aqua balconies and charcoal colour give it a leg-up though. if they clad the top floors the same colour as the balconies (which they should) reckon it'll look damn impressive

http://silvermb.thehoddlegrid.net/svm200603.jpg

Been a little while between updates...

http://static.flickr.com/56/114014800_42adbc1d56_o.jpg

^ thats because its not 300m tall. lol

i count 23lev in milano which mean its about height of PDG tower. and 30 floors in verve with probbaly 3more in core.

thanks mugley

^ And it's horribly ugly.

^ And it's horribly ugly.

Yeah, I go passed evrey day to uni and it isn't looking the best....it is the exposed concrete...there is just something about it that makes it look tacky. Hopefully the finished product will be good!

i suspect a paint job to come on the exposed concrete. they wouldn't leave it raw and exposed would they? ...well would they??...Well!! 8)

I think they will too because some of the precast concrete on Milano has a tinge of green on it and I'm sure no one would leave it looking like that and in renders it has elements which are orange therefore you couldn't paint one and not the other. Well you could but it'd look weird.

anyone getting out this way before sat 1st? appreciate a pic update for diagrams
cheers

i suspect a paint job to come on the exposed concrete. they would leave it raw and exposed would they? ...well would they??...Well!! 8)They did with Mondriane!! Kind of ironic, because Mondrian(e) the artist used lots of bright primaries and I even remember the initial banners for Melb's paid some kind of homage.

As for Verve, its slenderness makes it. But yeah, the gutter-grey is a worry.

anyone getting out this way before sat 1st? appreciate a pic update for diagrams
cheers

Yeah I go by it everyday but never have my camera on me. I'll try to get some tomorrow, I might make tomorrow my photo day depending on the post Commie Games weather.

no worries, just need to work out floor and core heights
thanks

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/1894/402081894ml1143594018.jpg

thanks grol, realestatedotcom are always on the ball. its a very uptodate pic!
milano is now lev27 in core or 82m high. verve has core at lev37 or 121m high/400ft.100ft to go! cores are 4 ahead of floors.
update diagram>

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/8629/verve501april12db.jpg

I tell you what. These 2 towers will stick out soooo much, it will be great. No more gaps! I wonder what the view of the CBD is from the north? I must go for a drive sometime.

It already looks huge in that location. If only RMIT would demolish the commie blocks and put up a nice 200m high tower :)

using the above pic, i drew in the approx size of verve/milan
the 170m spire of verve will be nearly as tall has current crane tip.
should stand out like rats testes.
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/9940/verveviews7ii.jpg

And a detailed version.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9857/verveviews7ii3bq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

what a 'mish mash' of a city block that is.
Is anything going to be done with the former Ansett building in terms of a reclad?

good stuff archi!

Just a different angle from behind REB.

http://web.aanet.com.au/sirbugalugs/4-4-2006/vervemilano/v1.jpg

Taken with a camera phone, hence the poor quality.
http://users.bigpond.net.au/dasa/ssc/panouni.jpg

should stand out heaps when full height.
hey whats wrong with phono cameras. my nokia phone is a 2 megapixel.

should stand out heaps when full height.
hey whats wrong with phono cameras. my nokia phone is a 2 megapixel.
Woohoo! 2 million blurry pixels! :D

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/0476/103130476al1144936092.jpg

can someone grab a pic or 2 of verve and milano before end of month? appreciate it.
cheers

One from last Monday, shouldn't have changed since then

http://static.flickr.com/45/133354425_2c28abbacf_o.jpg

thanks

nice, i hope some more get built in this area and block out the old qantas building. by the way this tower looks pretty tall from the corner of lygon st and victoria parade

A couple from today.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/1970/pic00010by.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/7590/pic00022je.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I really hope they do something about that carpark on A'beckett St which you can see in the foreground.

good shot archi, trying to work out what levels?

Milano:floors @ 26, core @ 29? Verve: floors @ 35, core @ 37? Is that about right?

your right with milano being 26 floors + 3 in core=29, but verve was lev37, 5 weeks ago.so im guessing floors-35 +5 in core=lev40. or 131m.
so not long before topping out. 5 more levels.june sometime?

cheers mate.

One from this morning

http://static.flickr.com/46/137238280_03f7a01bf7_o.jpg

perfect mugs. yep. 35floors +5 in core=40
milano-25floors+ 5in core=30

Aussie Bhoy posted this back on 4th April from his trip to Melb. I think it's also a really great angle:

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/1989/p40301086my.jpg

^yes cool angle.
status as of may2

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/6862/verve5011cc.jpg

pd website pix have been updated
mentions core at lev41/floor-36

http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_12/Pan_E.jpg

http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_12/Pan_B.jpg

http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_12/Pan_F.jpg

rock climbing tower
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_12/Pan_M.jpg

milano
core lev30
http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_12/Pan_K.jpg

http://www.pdgcorp.com.au/images/verve501/stage_12/Pan_G.jpg

These look so bad...they really bring down the standard...hang on...they actually bring UP the standard since they're next to the old Ansett and Qantas buildings. They're about as bad as Vancouver's or Central Equity's worst. ugh. Bring in the wreckers.

Did anyone read that the Qantas building is on the market and ready to sell? Maybe another development site! :)

These look so bad...they really bring down the standard...hang on...they actually bring UP the standard since they're next to the old Ansett and Qantas buildings. They're about as bad as Vancouver's or Central Equity's worst. ugh. Bring in the wreckers.
agreed blabby.....thankfully though they are up the rear end (appropriately) of the city where most people won't even notice them.......

Yeah, they're shockers!
Let's hope PDG don't get their cheap and nasty hands on the CUB site!
Also, I wish someone would propose something for the NW corner of Swanston and Latrobe and tear down what's there at the moment. That horrible red brick wall and the dirty pastel coloured shit-box of a Hungry Jacks!!!! Really, Melbourne, you can do better than that. In fact, the whole stretch of that block fronting ont to Latrobe is a shocker! Even to tear it all down and build quality student housing would be a better option than what's there now.

I want that massive carpark which fronts A'beckett St and Swanston developed.

agreed blabby.....thankfully though they are up the rear end (appropriately) of the city where most people won't even notice them.......That's because their eyes are already being diverted to something much bigger and nasty, apparently.

That's because their eyes are already being diverted to something much bigger and nasty, apparently.
you wouldn't be talking about the divine and wonderful (NOT) qantas bulding would you....

No, cast your eyes a tad further east.

I actually like Verve. Its very skinny, makes it look so tall.

v501/milano, landmark, neo, eifel.

we now have at least one cheap, ugly exposed concrete apartment tower on the face of each side of the cbd.

Eifel will get a paint, Landmark got a paint, Milano will get a paint, not sure about Verve & Neo though but I have a feeling the latter will also. Sure they're not the greatest of towers but what can you do.

Mondriane was a "will get a paint" job a while back too.

from the west

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c73/velco/vm.jpg

great shot. core has lev44 inside. 1 more rise?

so WTF is planning approval for if they are "approving" these shockers?!

One from today

http://static.flickr.com/56/149672221_ae2c2cb74e_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/91256982@N00/149672221/)