Recent newspaper advertisements have described a 20-storey residential tower to be built in Woden, one of the four 'town centres' of Canberra. To be called skyPlaza, it will apparently be built next to the current Southern Cross Club. If this is true, then the tower will be the only building of that height (or greater than about four storeys) in that part of Woden. And the views from the top will be of bitumen carparks and a shopping mall.

Plans have yet to be released.

wow, what great news! id say at 20storeys it would be approx 60m tall.

The current tallest in ACT is the 93m/26st Lovett Tower also in Woden, the skyplaza will give the suburban skyline a real boost!

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files/transfer/5/2002/11/170821.jpg

hmm how come all the talls arnet in canberra cbd?

Originally posted by dilaz89
hmm how come all the talls arnet in canberra cbd?
theres a height limit of 60m/200ft!

wow thats shit! so in actual fact the "real" cbd of the act is woden?

Canberra was never designed to have 1 central CBD. It has I guess what you would call multi-polis's, Woden being one of them. So the idea is that most people would have little distance to travel. I guess that is another reason why Canberra is so spread out since the central Polis's would hopefully have people in the immediate surrounding area working in them.

They tried to do something different with Canberra by not having a central dominating CBD. It's failed in a way.

Homer - how has it failed - I always thought it was quite ingenious having several CBDs - so as not to send everyone into Civic.

Also I have heard that the Civic height limit was due to engineering reasons (ie: groung not able to handle massive structures etc)

In any event Woden has long stood out as the best looking 'CBD' in Canberra with Lovett and Scarborough standing tall among the low rise - this new tower will be a nice addition!

Does Belconnen or Tuggeranong have anything over 12 levels?

No, tayser, they don't. It's only Woden that has anything of note. And even there, there's precious few.

This tower, if built, would be far removed from the rest of the towers in Woden. It would have a very small footprint, and as I mentioned, not very good views. It is a strange proposal. I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen. There's been a few residential proposals in Canberra that have just fallen over because of lack of interest: the Grande (redevelopment of the Canberra Rex Hotel on Northbourne ave, the principal approach from Sydney), the Metropolitan (proposed residential development on a large block in Civic - to include a 17-storey tower - now indefinitely postponed). I just don't think there are enough people buying these apartments.

By the way, the website of the responsible real estate agent now has a note saying "SkyPlaza coming soon".

Check out Leader Real Estate (http://www.leader.com.au)

Originally posted by CULWULLA
wow, what great news! id say at 20storeys it would be approx 60m tall.

The current tallest in ACT is the 93m/26st Lovett Tower also in Woden, the skyplaza will give the suburban skyline a real boost!



Looks like you were spot on, Culwulla.

This is from City News (http://www.citynews.com.au) :

... the first major residential development within the Woden Town Centre. It is a mixed use complex, incorporating 164 apartments, a retail plaza and underground car parking, and at 60 metres high, will be the tallest residential building in Canberra when it is completed.

And lo and behold! A rendering! Looks good! :)

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

and another...
http://www.citynews.com.au/image.asp?id=1652
Doesn't look too bad, I've got to say! ;)

wow thats nice!

Originally posted by Jimmy James
Homer - how has it failed - I always thought it was quite ingenious having several CBDs - so as not to send everyone into Civic.

Also I have heard that the Civic height limit was due to engineering reasons (ie: groung not able to handle massive structures etc)

In any event Woden has long stood out as the best looking 'CBD' in Canberra with Lovett and Scarborough standing tall among the low rise - this new tower will be a nice addition!

I think in principle it is a good idea but there are also some serious oversights. I was born in Canberra and as an 8yo found it quite nice. That is, green, parks etc. I don't know if it is still true but Canberra had or has the highest suicide rate amongst teenagers in the country. Family friends have suffered from this. When I went back to Canberra as a young adult I noticed some strange things about the place. We went through Woden and noticed a single nightclub all by itself appearing to be in some converted warehouse. What I noticed is that due to Canberra's decentralisation there seemed to be no standout cafe strips, no standout night entertainment area's or places where you would find a concentration of pubs or nightclubs. Please, someone correct me if things have changed.

Maybe because of this, certain age brackets find Canberra lacking fun. Some call it a city without a soul or a personality.

The place is planned for a population of 1,000,000 people. It now stands at roughly 350,000. Maybe it needs that bigger injection of people but what it really needs is ome designated, probably central precinct where people can gather to be entertained. Even Perth has areas like Northbridge, Fremantle, Subiaco, Leederville, Victoria Park, Scarborough. Canberra needs something like that.

It was in principle well planned but the planner (Walter Burley Griffin of Maywood in the Chicago area. Also was employed by the celebrated John Lloyd Wright of Oak Park. I saw some of Wrights house designs in the Oak Park area this year in May. Good stuff) didn't seem to take into account factors I have outlined.

Griffin Biography (http://www.prairiestyles.com/griffin.htm)

Originally posted by nsn
and another...
http://www.citynews.com.au/image.asp?id=1652
Doesn't look too bad, I've got to say! ;)

very nice.

I wonder how many polis will buy into this as their Canberra-base? ;)

say nsn, you wouldn't happen to have a camera would you?

we need more pics of Canberra...... LOTS of them :) :) :cool:

Sorry Tayser, I don't have a camera - I could probably lay my hands on one though, but the real problem is that I am using a computer at work. Wouldn't be able to download the pics...

Anyway, I just randomly checked out skyplaza.com.au and the website (http://www.skyplaza.com.au) is live.

Check it out!

I think the building (http://www.skyplaza.com.au/building.htm) actually looks good:

Homer, Manuka & Kingston are Cafe Strips. Most of the Nightclubs are around East Row/Northbourne in the City.

It was good enough for me - but I can see that compared to a Metropolitan area - there's not a great deal to do! That's more of a consequence of size rather than design - there's even less to do in Launceston (where I am now, I'm craving my Woden Plaza!) so if Canberra get's a higher population there'll be a lot more things to do!

This is exactly what Woden needs, some residential right in the heart of it. And your right when you say the views wont be great but when you get up to the top floors you will be able to see all of woden I would think.

Canberra does have plenty of night life and plenty of things to do if your a teenager. Woden just isnt made for it, unfortunately Woden is very boring, good Shopping Centre but surrounded by Carparks, why they dont build some more multi storey carpark and turn the old ones into parks or turn some of the streets into pedestrian malls with shopping. That would make the biggest difference to Woden.

As much as Canberra has its Satelite centres Civic is still very much the central city.

Homeroid, that would be Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the great architects of the C20th.
There are LOTS of books on his works and loads on the Internet for those who are interested.
He was also the first architect to propose a super tall skyscraper, the Mile High Tower for Chicago in the late 1940s-early 1950s. It was never built but it was certainly inspirational.
Walter Burley Griffin did work for Wright as did Griffin's wife, Marion Mahony, who is probably responsible for all the great drawings of projects by both Wright and Griffin during the first decades of the C20th.

It's good to see a bit of action on this sub-forum.
Nice looking tower.
I take it residential demand isn't sky high in Canbaerra at the moment?

wow, nice looking complex. i wonder who is architect? looks a bit bates smartish?
when is it due to commence?
:)

It's yet to receive planning approval, but if that all goes well I think construction is scheduled to commence in the first half of next year.

bump?

I thought the height limit was so that nothing was taller that the flag pole on Capital Hill (Parliament House) ??

Looks like it will go ahead - according to this page of the project's website (http://www.skyplaza.com.au/news.htm), 100 apartments (of a possible 164) have already been sold, and they expect to start construction this month.

I just called the agents to check if that's still the case, and they actually said that about two-thirds of them have been sold now. The temporary carpark on which it is to be built is now closed, and they expect to start digging the hole very soon!

Wow - never thought this would get off the ground.

I'd better invest in a digital camera and start taking some snaps... maybe I'll just borrow my friend's one. There's so little activity in these Canberra forums, I don't know if anyone else would do it?

I'd better invest in a digital camera and start taking some snaps... maybe I'll just borrow my friend's one. There's so little activity in these Canberra forums, I don't know if anyone else would do it?

Now where would we all be with that attitude nsn? Get that camera and start snapping :)

Sorry - no can do. I tried, but I'm not able to download onto my computer at work (which is the one I am using).

Any other Canberrans with digital cameras out there?

No, Naxetc, the soil under Civic cannot sustain tall buildings. A couple of decades ago there was a plan for some towers in the south eastern section of the CBD but it had to be abandoned because it was too expensive to overcome the soil conditions. Pity, as the design of the proposed buildings was pretty cool at the time.

I think that is just a big cover up. Berlin has possibly the worst substrate with belts of sand and clay with high ground water to make matters worse, yet they are planning towers of some height in the future.

This pic shows the site I think, it kind of doesnt look like its big enough but as you can see the sales office is right there. This whole side of Woden has recently had all the roads re-aligned and is alot different than it was when I left Canberra 4 years ago. The building to the right is the Southern Cross Club which is a bit of a Canberra Institution and looks like it is just finishing fairly extensive extentions.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid116/p05e43d70947c601084d5ca763f8ffb4c/f8b71ee7.jpg

This pic, looking the other direction shows the proximity to the rest of Woden Town Centre.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid116/p2ea1e4f93637ac44a0d4c5abfea64a36/f8b71edc.jpg

I hope all this info is correct, if not, please feel free to correct me.

You are quite correct. And I agree, the site really doesn't look big enough - but I guess it's amazing how many apartments can be crammed on to a small space. You can see from your second pic what I was referring to when I said, in the first post of this thread, that the views from Canberra's tallest apartment tower will be of bitumen, carparks and a shopping mall.

The road realignments you have mentioned occurred as part of the redevelopment of the Southern Cross club - it was pretty much penned in by the previous alignment of the roads. Solution? Move the roads, of course!

So in addition to having lovely views of the Woden Town Centre and the Woden Plaza and its many multi-story carparks, residents of this tower will also have the added benefit of living next door to Canberra's largest club, "for Catholics and friends", should they feel like a having a go on the pokies, or enjoying the delights of the Golden Grille restaurant. Talk about location!

PS: Thanks for posting the pics.

Not a bad tower. It should fit in well with the Lovett Tower. The big plus in owning one of their apartments is that the very spectular views the apartments will provide that could probably never be built out.

great stuff gmac! always look forward px of Canberra and new projects.

Update:

I drove past this site the other day. The site has been fenced off, and heavy machinery was starting to appear on site! (Including some very weird-looking vertical device that I didn't recognise, but that looked like a massive pile-driver or something...)

Ted Quinlan MLA
DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
TREASURER MINISTER FOR SPORT, RACING AND GAMING
MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS AND TOURISM
MEMBER FOR MOLONGLO

MEDIA RELEASE
NEW RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX FOR WODEN

Acting Minister for Planning, Ted Quinlan, has today welcomed the commencement of work on the new $71 million Sky Plaza residential complex at Woden Town Centre.

The 60m, 22 storey Sky Plaza will become Canberra's tallest residential complex and has been designed as a striking gateway building at the southern entrance to the Woden Town Centre.

Mr Quinlan said that 121 of the planned 164 residential units had already been sold, underlining the strong demand for inner city living in Canberra. The building will also provide some retail space for coffee shops.

"The developers, Canberra Investment Corporation Limited, worked closely with the ACT Planning and Land Authority to ensure the correct positioning and style of the Sky Plaza," he said.

"I welcome this new development which will benefit Woden businesses and generate several hundred jobs during the construction phase.’’

The project is scheduled for completion in early 2006.

1 July 2006

Source (http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/mediareleases/media/Skyplaza.doc)

UNDERCONSTRUCTION!!! -officially!!
got a pm from a local saying its well underway.
great to hear!

I will be back in Canberra at the end of the month so will try to get an updated pic.

An updated Version of the Artists Impression

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/home_image1.jpg

Watch Skyplaza grow here! http://www.skyplaza.com.au/gallery.htm

wow, construction pix taken feb7>

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/07_02_05_image01.jpg

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/07_02_05_image02.jpg
many more on website
well done!

My Aunty works nearby Skyplaza with Centrelink so I might be going down there in Easter so might get a couple of pics for this thread.

Was at Woden today... Skyplaza is up to the 10th floor.. 14 is in the core.

This thing is going up faster than priests you know want at the nunnery.

Got this pic last week.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/pc28763ea6ddff84b4c90ab2a13f2e18c/f4e32b7e.jpg

wow, great progress.
thanks

They certainly aren't mucking around with this one!!

Some photo's from today... 16 and 17 are in core... crane is at it's max which is 23..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0549.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0550.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0551.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0553.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0552.jpg

Here's a Couple of Pics taken by me, when I recently went down to Canberra which I came back from This morning.

Taken on the 25/03/05 at the Phillip Market Place (Behind It pretty much)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid162/p90a6157e3bae29df8284980ce83f803e/f4aae1b0.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid162/p17ca91fc6025f0c9761d51192421b39d/f4aae18a.jpg

Don't Hesitate to give Criticism.

Has anybody taken pictures of Woden from Red Hill.

great pix gertzy!
heres one from w ebsite taken a few weeks back
http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/17_03_05_image04.jpg

facade
http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/17_03_05_image05.jpg

That top one was probably taken just before mine and just around the corner too.

Yeah, The 17th It says, mine was the 25th of March.

some updated photo's on the website from April the 5th including interior shots.

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/gallery.htm

some updated photo's on the website from April the 5th including interior shots.

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/gallery.htm

LOL. It's the perfect web site for us @ OZScrapers, like they've tailor-made it just for us!!

Unfortunately the first set of pics aren't thumbies. Oh darn, and my anti-pop up won't even allow for the larger versions. :(

This really is going to have such a big impact on Woden, especially the south end of woden. Cant wait to see it finished.

nice

wow

Its definatly a good building, but I wouldn't live there because its pretty much surronded by road.

wow thats shit! so in actual fact the "real" cbd of the act is woden?


because of what happened in Paris, the NDCC decided that they would follow the path of London and Washington DC

but there is a limit of 30 m, which i assumed being on the pulse with EVERYTHING you being cosmopolitan and all! :) :cheers: :D

A couple of old articles from Canberra Times on Skyplaza

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/hp_scanDS_542920565741.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/hp_scanDS_5429204200.jpg

core must be 18 lvels . crane is now at max height!!

april 14
http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/13_04_05_image10.jpg

From today.. it looked the core framework was about to come off.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0646.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0649.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0650.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/IMG_0651.jpg

Cool, cant wait till the end of the month till Im down there again!!!

Cool, Its nearly finished, Its looking good so far.

Core box has gone and the 20th floor is almost done.

21st and final should be done by the end of the month.

wow that was quick. i must look really dominating out at Woden.
thanks abc

that looks huge!

To think that the crane went up at the start of October with nothing there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/emerbot/083a7ed8.jpg

New photo's on the web.

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/gallery.htm

excellent! that pic doesnt look like Canberra? more like GC!
cooly

I don't even agree with you there cul, I'd say something like Suburban Melbourne or even Another part of Canberra instead of Woden.

^ :lol: Canberra's just one giant suburb so it could be Anywheresville, Australia really ;)

They've started to give the tower and the shorter buildings a coat of paint, as these pictures from the SkyPlaza website shows.
http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/28_06_05_image07.jpg
http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/28_06_05_image09.jpg
But what were they thinking? Purple and cream? With yellow?! It's not a matter of this tower dating quickly - it isn't even in style now!

I'm sure the original plans were for the tower to have a more neutral, plain, colour scheme (ie, white!).

LOL!!
Part of Urban Quarter in Townsville is a horrible yellow and purple. It looks terrible. Can't say i'm a fan of the colours they're painting this project either!! What are they thinking?

I agree with wezza, It looks alright in the design but it going to sorta look crap in that colour scheme.

Lesson 1 - How to ruin a great design? Paint it with washed out colours!!

It is fairly close to the render but white instead of cream and a little deeper tones in the purple or yellow would have been better. Why wont architects/Builders in Canberra be a bit more experimental with colour?

I've just got a digital camera, so I'll try and get out and take some pics this weekend and post them next week. (If anyone can advise me on any tips for how exactly I post the photos, that'd be much appreciated - send me a PM.) I'll take some pics of other Canberra projects too.

doesnt look too bad. the pink is a bit much.especially for cantbra!

updated snaps on website www.skyplaza.com.au

crane down by end of the month.

So the crane is ready to come down now ehh, probably would be a bit of a while until woden sees another building of this scale again.

Crane has gone

Update on website sans crane

http://www.skyplaza.com.au/gallery.htm

i think it turned out great. very fine lines
http://www.skyplaza.com.au/images/gallery/2005-8-15_015.jpg

Yeah it does look good..

levels 17 and 18.... first of the top left penthouses, is on the market for $1,050000..

Pop this one on the done list... they're moving in.

It actually has turned out very nice, even though they added eye-sore colours onto the building, but it shows that it can look nice with Ugly Colours.

^^
Yeah, looks pretty good in the flesh. I went out to Tuggrenong the other day & decided to come back into the city via Woden to have a look at this one & was actually very surprised at how good it turned out!! :)

Looks taller than 60m. Nice building for canberra.

i think that canberra should be australias las vegas, lol, got potential

Got a long way to go, the casino doesn't even have poker machines and is located in the basement of some hotel or something :P

I know everyone has seen this now but here is a good pic in the rain. Looks a little isolated at the moment.

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/2484/103012484ml1132947621.jpg

A couple of closeups at ground level in sunshine. Nice quality building.

http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/3845/102923845bl1137464735.jpg
.
http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/3845/102923845cl1137464742.jpg

thanks steve. nice pix. this one turned out good. love its height and funky colour scheme.

Move to completed projects?