# UC | CITY SQUARE (BHP Tower / 270m / Office)

[docker]

OLD THREAD HERE (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=595480)

Technical Data
Heights: 204m- roof, 234m- cage structure, 270m- spire
Floors: 46 excluding plant
Size: 71,000sqm
Length: 71m
Width: 35m
Elevators: 28
Project Cost: $500m AUD

Companies involved
Developers: Mutiplex Developments
Architects: Hassell, Fitzpatrick+partners
Contractor: Multiplex Constructions


DETAILS:

It is proposed to undertake a major development project on the "City Square" site that incorporates the following key elements:-

• Refurbishment of Heritage Buildings:-
The proposal includes the refurbishment and re-use of the Newspaper House building (including the Print Hall), the WA Trustee building, the Royal Insurance building and the Perth Technical College. These vacant heritage buildings will be restored and reconnected to St Georges Terrace with new retail, restaurant, office and commercial uses. Public connections between and through the historic buildings will connect St Georges Terrace to the new public plaza to the south of the heritage buildings. New, contemporary southern facades and internal alterations are proposed.

• Development of a 46 level office tower:-
A 46 level office building (excluding plant and basement levels) will be constructed at the centre of the site. The proposed office tower is formed by a low level 'infrastructure zone' (a five level podium element) with 39 floors of offices above. The applicant has indicated that the building will have a minimum 5 star Greenstar and a 5 star ABGR rating.
The 'infrastructure zone' has been designed to meet the specifications of the tower's main tenant, BMP. These levels contain the BMP lobby and asset display zones at first floor level, meeting and communication hubs, staff amenity areas, cafe and outdoor rooftop gardens. The 'infrastructure zone' has been scaled to assist in creating a human scaled street along the south side of the St Georges Terrace heritage buildings. The BMP infrastructure zones will operate on a 24 hour cycle in line with BMP global business and will ensure a high level of passive surveillance along the public plaza between the tower and the heritage buildings.
The entire ground level of the tower is accessible to the public during business hours, containing the public lobbies and retail space, with cafe style tenancies on the north side and an indoor/outdoor eatery on the south side. This eatery will feature covered seating zones to provide the opportunity to eat outdoors when climatic conditions allow. Appropriate canopy structures complement the scale of the infrastructure zone and ensure that wind will not adversely affect the ground level.
The narrow east west elevations of the tower building are defined by a diagonal steel bracing system which 'locks' the tower into the site at ground level and terminates the tower at its apex containing illuminated signage. A spire is attached to the steel frame. The BMP office levels will have additional internal stairs to enabling a greater level of communication and interaction.

• Low-rise podium buildings:-
Four (4), two and three storey podium buildings, will be located to the west and south of the office tower. These buildings will be used for retail, commercial, dining and entertainment purposes and will include a food court, childcare facility at the pedestrian plaza level and a gymnasium at the upper level of the podium buildings.

• Public plazas and pedestrian links:-
The proposed public plazas and pedestrian links through the site provide over 5,000m2 of new integrated civic space. The plaza areas consist of a range of linked urban spaces that will be framed by retail, restaurants, cafes and bars. The public plaza and links will feature public art, lighting and a range of soft and hard landscaped spaces.

• Basement Levels:-
The 141 St Georges Terrace (Lot 11), 125-137 St Georges Terrace (Lot 13) and 18 Mounts Bay Road (Lot 12) Special Control Area share a five-level basement car park. The car park is accessed from Mounts Bay Road and the Mutliplex development on Lot 13 will accommodate 330 tenant bays. Level B2 will include 233 secure bicycle bays accessed via a dedicated bicycle lane and will accommodated lockers, change room and shower facilities. Refer to Item 4 for the proposed development at 18 Mounts Bay Road (Lots 12 and 13)."


RENDERS

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5403/bhp5nh1.jpg

http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/1939/bhp15qr7.jpg

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7164/bhp24zz9.jpg

http://www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au/imagedb/410.jpg

http://download.lastpixel.com.au/videos/LP_Reel_08.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8531/dayishvi2.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4665/bhphqco8.jpg

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/2585/bhp1hx3.jpg

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/2589/bhp7bh5.jpg

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/618/westraliasquarevu6.jpg

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/9729/westraliasquare2zu0.jpg

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/8365/westraliasquare3zl8.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5760/northrz1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


Refurbishments

how the old buildings looked back in their glory days

http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd095/095,248PD.jpg

http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd095/095,243PD.jpg

http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd095/095,249PD.jpg

how the old buildings look before they get a refurbishment
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2367/2241256656_a6874a233a.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2240456549_4a5e8a99f6.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2280/2241244250_1f8fa2b866.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2033/2241233000_c2af72e3fc.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/2241252930_20dc1f20aa.jpghttp://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2241239488_f7beef087f.jpg
whoisalex: Building Exploration ('http://www.flickr.com/photos/whoisalex/sets/72157603845784578/')


Latest Update

Pics from Saturdays raft pour:

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5672/pc130016uc8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Foundation to the tower footprint in now 2/3rds complete, the third crane base has been installed and work on the core is continuing.

http://img389.imageshack.us/img389/1276/p1020871copyfu6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[WCG]

I am probably totaly wrong, but I dont know why these renders keep being used where the tower is so over whelming. I mean I know its going to be big, but if you look at its specifications the renders dont match ts surroundings. The top of the actual tower not including the cage will most likely match somewhere with the lowest level of the ascending triangle of the Bankwest tower- if this is true then these renders are not accurate?????

[desperaterobots]

Yeah, aren't some of those 'renders' just mock-ups done by people on here? People who don't follow the forum might come looking for some information and anything unofficial could be misleading -- you should label that kind of skyscrapercity crap as 'unofficial visualisations' or something.

[docker]

those are all official renders... i don't add in the mock up ones.

but WCG does have a point, in that first render, BHP is way to big, the roof, as he said should only be about half way up the stepping triangle on the top of Bank West...

[desperaterobots]

They're official?! Where'd they come from?

[jackso]

Im pretty sure someone made the seventh and possibly the first renders themseles.

[Auxodium]

who cares what they look like... im waiting patiently for the building to go up :)

[Dilaz89]

The top of the plantroom should appear inline with the top of bankwest as per the colour skyline render further down the page.

[Scrawny]

So let me get this straight, from the section above, it looks like BHP is going to be taller than central park from bottom to top, but the spire of central park is going to be higher than BHP???

[WCG]

If the designs above are accurate- and we should realise that things always change and in reality once the tower is built it may be quite different- but in sayn that what I see from the desidns etc is that

The top of the BHP tower itself (meaning top floor) will almost be in line (maybe a little above) with the bottom of the ascending triangle of the Bankwest Tower.

The top of the cage structure wll be almost in line with the point at the top of the Bankwest tower-spires excluded.

Thats what I can see- I wonder what will be?

[Urbania]

Another mass RDO today? Nobody working down there at 8:00 this morning...

[Dilaz89]

BankWest is only 214m to the top of the triangle, 10m higher than the plant room of BHP. Given that BHP is closer to the river than BW, it will appear higher to roof.

[Auxodium]

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7061/perth003sv4.jpg
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6899/perth008ld0.jpg
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/9888/perth009za3.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2326/perth016fn8.jpg
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6428/perth002tv8.jpg

[LanceDriver]

i'm looking forward to watching this one rise!

[Macorules94]

they are working really slow

when the fuck will the cement be layed out

[jackso]

You're kidding right?
They are working very fast on this project, especially for Perth.
This is a 270m builidng, you cant just start a core and start going up.

[Macorules94]

Its been 7 months and the cement still isnt layed out

[Phoenix_1]

Its been 7 months and the cement still isnt layed out

Know much about high rise construction do you?? :bash:

[Skyline Art]

^^ looks like we have a new definition of 'construction rage' ... well there is carpark and road rage, why not have building rage too :lol:

[CULWULLA]

You're kidding right?
They are working very fast on this project, especially for Perth.
This is a 270m builidng, you cant just start a core and start going up.

its actually a 200m building with 30m of steel frame on top and a spire above that. the thread titles a bit misleading. should quote roof and spire height. anyway progress is good

[Macorules94]

All Australian buildings are cheapo.

They alll have huge ass spires to make them higher

[WCG]

Yeah I pay little attentionto spires etc

[CULWULLA]

this will be one of the greats in aussie skyscrapers. reminds me so much of sydneys duetschbank.whioch iss stunning in real life. altought bhp wont have internal full heigth atrium. its external steel frame and lofty ground floor will be exceptional

[perthgazer]

don't take away my baby!!
WABN

Brookfield denies City Square problems
3-October-08 by Emily Piesse

The credit crunch sweeping global markets is buffeting the property sector in Western Australia, with major developer Brookfield Multiplex denying rumours that the $1 billion office tower City Square was in jeopardy.

Speculation around Perth has focused on the development and finance costs, as Wall Street's problems have started to impact on WA's key sectors - including mining.

Brookfield refused to comment on whether discussions had been held over the future of the project but confirmed its commitment to the building.

A spokesperson for Brookfield said "the project is proceeding and you can see quite visibly that it is."

The 65,000 square metre project is a major project for blue chip anchor tenant BHP Billiton, which has pre-committed more than 40,000sqm of space for its petroleum, iron ore stainless steel and nickel divisions, among others.

BHP declined to comment on the status of the development.

Developer Saville Australia is facing the prospect that its revised plan for the former Emu Brewery site may not eventuate.

The company will be unable to proceed with its 60,000sqm office tower unless it secures a new joint venture partner, following the withdrawal of Babcock & Brown in the wake of the global credit crunch.

And while Leighton Properties has been rumoured to be considering a stake in the project, Saville is yet to secure a deal.

Brookfield Multiplex is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Inc, which is listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.

The company is believed to require up to $700 million for the City Square project.

[Dilaz89]

I think this is pretty safe minus Griffin.

[Homeroids]

It sounds more like grand standing speculation on behalf of WABN to me. Maybe they need to get a reporter down to the actual site. It is a hive of activity, the office space is committed. I am dubious of this article, to say the least.

[jackso]

No they cant scrap griffin! Its suuuccch a cool building. Obviously though if one had to be scraped it would be griffin.

[Auxodium]

i really cant see how this one could go belly up... this one is a shoe in

[Bonga]

At least the snakes would have a concrete pad to sleep on this time...

[aaronaugi1]

At least the snakes would have a concrete pad to sleep on this time...

lol. How many strange things (probably including snakes) do you think they found of the site when they were cleaning it up? Would be so interesting...

[Skyline Art]

Is SSC related to Skyscraper News?
There's an article here old now, but it calls this development:
Structural Expressionist Tower For Perth, Oz

I think it is a little incorrect *see bold text

Published on 06-08-2007 by Skyscrapernews.com
A proposal has been put forward for a new skyscraper in City Square, Perth, Australia called the Biliton Tower.

The chosen location at 125 St Georges Terrace has long been an infamous black hole in the city's central business district and has been left a void for over 15 years.

The tower which will stand at an estimated 250 metres high, is the work of the developer, the Multiplex Group, who have hired architects Hassell and Fitzpatrick to design this spec headquarters on behalf of BHP Billiton, an internationally renowned leader in the resources industry. They plan to locate all their Western Australian operating divisions to the tower, that will host Perth's tallest spire on completion.

The glass and steel of the towers facade will allow the building to have a visibly expressed structure that sets it apart from its more uniform box-like neighbours. Diagonal beams are featured on the sides of the tower coloured white to contrast with the deep blue reflective glass they are layered over whilst it is the cross-bracing that continues past the roof creating a triangular structural feature that culminates in a spire.

More on:
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=1054

[jackso]

Lol that is written so badly.

[crave]

so they're gonna paint tha beams white?

:O

interesting.

vibes, are you able to clear of this up?

[Vibes]

No, the beams are going to be clad in aluminium.

The second raft pour was done over the weekend, and this was a big one, 1000m3. With any luck the piling should be completed early next week, opening the site up.

[NZer]

Aluminium....? wow that will look great.

Excuse my ignorance, but the 1000m3 raft pour, is that the base for another crane, or part of the actual structures foundation?

[Scraperfan]

aluminium can be fairly reflective. i hope it ends up a lighter shade of grey than the renders, i think they will.

i bet this tower looks hotter on completion than any of us dare to imagine.

[Vibes]

I think the aluminimum is supposed to be more of a dull colour, probably to look more like raw steel, rather than shiny like Central Park. Aluminium is used because it basically lasts forever with very little maintainance, as opposed to a painted finish. F&P would probably know more as the facade is still undergoing development.

The pour on Saturday was part of the foundation to the lowrise structure to the north of the tower. From this point on all raft pours are part of the structures foundation.

[Perth4life]

so there is no chance of this not being built?

[Auxodium]

edit, i read your post properly... apologies


well having 2 different styles of aluminium finishes to the city sounds like an interesting prospect :)

[jcocks]

so there is no chance of this not being built?

given that BHP is the main tenant, that they are currently trying to take Rio Tinto over, and that China is still a very strong economy and needing large amouints of iron ore (ie bhp's main product), I'd it would take a lot more than what is happening now financially to derail this project...

Having said that, I think we're in uncharted waters as far as the stockmarkets go at the moment, so it's still a possibility, but god I hope not!

[Scraperfan]

can we not speculate about this going up or not. we are as bad as stockbrokers at the moemnt with the amount of fear around.

this is U/C and the builder isnt going broke, so its going up.

[Homeroids]

This pointless speculation is because of a WABN article that has no substantiation. It's a load of crock at this point. I really have little respect for that paper when they do sensationalist articles like this.

[perthgazer]

There are very serious doubts at this project at this point in this time. I think it's safe to assume nothing at all is safe.

[Dilaz89]

oh my god.

where did you hear that from?

[Perth4life]

fuck fuck fuck fuck


FUCK

[acc521]

Indeed. News on the development front has been quiet for a while but I didn't expect this and Bishops See 2 to be talking points for all the wrong reasons.

If all the CBD has to show for the boom is Century City, Raine Square and a bunch of shitty, overpriced East Perth apartments I will be absolutely gutted.

[AndyGM]

BHP has precommitted to the space and it is already well underway. If this didn't go ahead then either Multiplex or BHP would be in breach of contract and would be liable for some pretty hefty costs.

This one will be built without a doubt.


I assume the problems have to do with finding funding for the project in a tight market. What sort of financial state is Brookfield in?

[WAuzzie]

Funding is in fact the problem.

[NailZ]

BHP had an operating profit of $13Billion last FY. They can bankroll this project themselves if Multiplex's funding was to come unstuck.

Brookfield being Canadian prolly are very exposed to all this sub-prime fall out in the US, so yes they might be cash strapped. But I can't think of a better tenant for them to contract with... if BHP really want this new office they will get it.

[tbor]

Yes but don't forget BHP shares have been raped by institutional investors this week. Their falling share price could spell disaster for this project...

[Scraperfan]

they confirmed today that it is going ahead. read the article regarding bishops again.

[samboy]

'going ahead' doesn't really mean anything in Perth (or in this climate for that matter). Things will 'go ahead' until they're no longer going ahead.

[Brendo]

BHP had an operating profit of $13Billion last FY. They can bankroll this project themselves if Multiplex's funding was to come unstuck.

Brookfield being Canadian prolly are very exposed to all this sub-prime fall out in the US, so yes they might be cash strapped. But I can't think of a better tenant for them to contract with... if BHP really want this new office they will get it.

I highly doubt BHP would bankroll this project. They are just the major tenant. It would be like Mirvac/Saville or any random developer paying for a mine to be developed. Why would they do that? They wouldn't. Property development is not part of the BHP business model. I'm sure their shareholder's would hit the floor if they funded a development and lowered their dividend.

[Scraperfan]

Well its like arena then, as long as theres construction activity on site its going ahead.

i think vibes would have info on whether he is going to be sacked or not. i think speculation over this is silly.

[acc521]

1. Share price has nothing to do with how much cash BHP has. Every company is being hammered at the moment regardless of how they are doing and what their future prospects are.

2. BHP has always paid a shite dividend.

3. BHP would not bankroll this.

4. I am sick of speculation. Construction in Perth, Stockmarkets, Economy, Cause of the Qantas issue - all the news has been over the past few weeks is uninformed, fear generating speculation.

[city_thing]

BHP's share price has really taken a beating today. I won't be surprised if this gets put on hold.

Similar to what Kerry Packer did....

[acc521]

^^Refer to my point 1. Look at BHP's share price drop in the context of the wider market. It is absolutely irrelevant to this tower.

[crave]

*crave waits for vibes to comment.

[ryan79]

1. Share price has nothing to do with how much cash BHP has. Every company is being hammered at the moment regardless of how they are doing and what their future prospects are.

2. BHP has always paid a shite dividend.

3. BHP would not bankroll this.

4. I am sick of speculation. Construction in Perth, Stockmarkets, Economy, Cause of the Qantas issue - all the news has been over the past few weeks is uninformed, fear generating speculation.

And yet another sensible comment from your good self.

[ryan79]

'going ahead' doesn't really mean anything in Perth (or in this climate for that matter). Things will 'go ahead' until they're no longer going ahead.

Yeah well at the beginning of the week Commonwealth bank were NOT in talks with HBOS to buy Bankwest.

[desperaterobots]

You're only confirming his point Ryan.

[ryan79]

Thats was my aim :)

I agree with him. Its all BS talk. Anything could stop it going ahead from now on.

[AndyGM]

BHP share price falling is due to irrational fear and nothing else. It has absolutely no impact on the day to day operations of the company itself. The falling AUD is helping them no end as contracts are priced in USD so cash flow for BHP isn't a problem. As far as they are concerned they have signed a contract for a new tower.

Having had a look at the history of Brookfield it looks like it has some solid profits as well. It might be struggling to get credit on the market but that is not going to be anything other than a short term thing.

My own guess is that Brookfield has funding for this project but at a higher rate than before, meaning their potential profits are down. They might be going to BHP looking for a renegotiation of the contract in order to secure their position and get a return.

[Vibes]

Guys, I didn't really want to comment on this, not because I'm trying to hide bad news but for two important reasons:

1) Project finance is arranged at a high level (as in at the level of managing director Australasia), and hence anything I say isn't much more than speculation.
2) I didn't want random speculation to affect the company's ability to arrange finance (should finance be a problem).

However, given the press going around I thought I would weigh in. This project is the biggest development project ever undertaken by Multiplex, and on completion the complex is going to be an assest worth more than $1b. It is the crown jewel in the company. Brookfield is a very large company, and so if necessary the company definatley has the ability to provide internal finance. I'm sure it's not ideal for the company to self finance as it ties up a lot of cash which could be used for other projects, but given the importance of the project if necessary finance from other areas would be directed to this project.

I should also clarify that at the moment it is not that finance is unavailable atm, it is just very expensive- hence why many projects that haven't started are having issues. However, a huge amount of money has already been spent on this development, so if the company was to walk away it would already have to wear a massive loss. I doubt that wearing such a loss would be more viable than simply pushing on with the project using unusual financing methods (if required)

I think at worst finance issues could delay parts of the heritage redevelopment, but the tower is pretty safe.

But to date not a single thing has indicated that this project will not proceed as planned, and construction is continuing full steam ahead.

Please note these are my personal views only and don't amount to a public statement or the company's position- consider it educated speculation.

[Qbriserth]

I think this project is fairly safe......

[samboy]

As Vibes said, at the end of the day noone knows. It's highly volatile times and the rational thought would make this project viable however there's nothing rational about what's going on right now. So anything would be pure speculation as nobody knows what's going to happen.
The project is safe until it's not safe and will proceed until it stops. I don't think even Multiplex is certain at this point so I can't see how a bunch of SSC nerds like us can add any value to this debate.

[Auxodium]

i think we should all calm down about this issue (the tower) and just wait and see... that is all we can do to be honest. I know it must be a slow news day in Perth on the development front as people have been speculating with weird and wonderful conclusions. Thank you Vibes i understand in your disclaimer is similar to what we said and we just have to leave it at that :)

[desperaterobots]

SORRY VIBES I THINK YOU'RE OUT OF A JOB GUYS NO SHIT I WALKED PAST THE SITE TODAY AT 3AM AND THERE WAS NO ONE THERE I THINK THE PROJECT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*last 3 pages of thread*

[Macorules94]

How can this get canceled even though its already started construction

[Scraperfan]

developers walk away from siteworks all the time.

its the whole reason this site already had old pilings, the hole dug out and re-enforcements in place.

[WAuzzie]

isnt the london stadium or something the biggest project multiplex has?

[Scraperfan]

i think they just built that and walked away but they will actually own this building.

[Scraperfan]

can you imagine if this thing were allowed to go 24/7 under those massively bright white worklights?

i would love to see that. fuck the noise.

[Citystyle]

i think they just built that and walked away but they will actually own this building.

Exactly. Multiplex has built allot of things bigger than this tower, but they are the developers not just the builders.

[Vibes]

can you imagine if this thing were allowed to go 24/7 under those massively bright white worklights?

i would love to see that. fuck the noise.

We have council permission to commence our large raft pours at 5am. Looks bloody impressive with 2 concrete pumps and half a dozen concrete trucks all going under lights.

[Scraperfan]

i would LOVE a photo of that, if possible mate. Would be something we havnt ever seen before.

[Urbania]

It was a madhouse at the site this morning...so many people! Looks like some sort of concrete slurry has been poured where the base of the main tower is...?

[Vibes]

I tried to snaps some photos of the pour on Friday, but with the bright lights they didn't come out well; I really need a better camera with a tripod. If someone wants to roll out of bed early next time I can give them a heads up of the proposed pour date.

[Scraperfan]

^^ (Alvin)

[Johnvb]

I second that motion... ;)

[Vibes]

We have started construction on the 3m thick core foundation this week. It would have to be the biggest concrete slab constructed in Perth since Central Park.

[alvse]

just give me lots of notice of when the next big pour is, and I'll come along :)

[Dilaz89]

3m thick!? That's taller than my house!

BHP is safe, btw.

[samboy]

how about the heritage stuff, NP houese etc? - that's the big seller for me.

[ryan79]

Yeah me too. Its all about streetscape baby.

[Scraperfan]

yes vibes, let alvin know when the next 5am under lights pour is. theyll be the best photos we have ever had.

[alvse]

5am :nuts: you will owe me many hugs and drinks the SF :lol:

[Vibes]

At this stage it should be either the 24th or 25th, but it might be better to wait until the following pour mid november after daylight savings starts, because its light about 5AM atm so there won't be a huge window of opportunity.

With regards to the heritage buildings, the demo to Newspaper House is about 50% complete, and work on the facade restoration should start soon. Nothing has been finalized for the rest of the heritage buildings, but the proposals sound exciting: bars, cafes, fashion outlets etc are being discussed. Essentially the rear of all the heritage buildings will be "hospitality" type outlets, all of which will open onto a plaza between the tower and the existing buildings. With the workers in the tower providing a critical mass of people it should become an exciting activated square within the centre of the city, something that is much needed IMO.

[Skyline Art]

3m thick!? That's taller than my house!

BHP is safe, btw.

BHP will also be safe from earthquakes? I heard there was one earlier this year somewhere in the ocean off the WA coast up mid north and the affects were felt here in Perth with some tallies feeling it but no damage.

3m thick would also mean it is very safe from any cracking if there was to be a big earth quake in the future?

Another one:http://www.seismicity.segs.uwa.edu.au/welcome/seismicity_of_western_australia/wa_historical/meckering

EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS OUTSIDE THE MECKERING AREA

Earthtremors from the Meckering Earthquake were felt in all the major centres of the southern half of Western Australia, including Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, Albany and Perth. Although this area has a radius of about 700 km, significant damage was confined to an area of about 80 km radius of Meckering and isolated pockets of damage in the Perth Coastal Plain, particularly in the Perth metropolitan area....

The Meckering Earthquake was felt for about 24 seconds in the Perth metropolitan area, although some tall buildings vibrated for as long as 3 minutes. Felt intensity was usually about MM V although there was an isolated area of MM VI reports from the city block.

[acc521]

Of course this thing is going to be able to withstand earthquakes much stronger than anything ever likely to be felt in Perth lol. They don't just say "Perth doesn't get earthquakes" and proceed to design in ignorance.

[perthgazer]

When Dilaz said safe he meant as in finance safe

I have it on very very good authority this project will definitely proceed

[Skyline Art]

Yeah i sort of figured it was related to financial safe, but when he said 3m thick, taller than his house i thought it was like 3m thick being safe from any unforseen disasters. Alas I didn't know though what taller than his house had to do with 3m thick, so i figured it must be still talking about the construction...

[Vibes]

Australian Standards require buildings to be designed to resist major earthquakes.

[crave]

beat me to it vibes.

:p

we need more photos. kthanx...

and more importantly we'd like to know who you are...:lol:

[Qantas743]

Todays Fin Rev:

Talked about possible problems with this tower due to financial crisis, however developers are assuring that the project is on track and unaffected.

[alvse]

At this stage it should be either the 24th or 25th, but it might be better to wait until the following pour mid november after daylight savings starts, because its light about 5AM atm so there won't be a huge window of opportunity.

With regards to the heritage buildings, the demo to Newspaper House is about 50% complete, and work on the facade restoration should start soon. Nothing has been finalized for the rest of the heritage buildings, but the proposals sound exciting: bars, cafes, fashion outlets etc are being discussed. Essentially the rear of all the heritage buildings will be "hospitality" type outlets, all of which will open onto a plaza between the tower and the existing buildings. With the workers in the tower providing a critical mass of people it should become an exciting activated square within the centre of the city, something that is much needed IMO.

well... in that case... I would like to put my hand up for mid november :)

[city_thing]

I forgot to tell you guys that my ex is doing a lot of the interior work for this building. He works for BHP in Perth and is quite high up, he's the guy that signs the cheques. Or something.

I'll have to email him and get details. I remember he was talking about how this tower is going to have a sort of 'airline lounge' for BHP employees that are transferring in Perth. So say someone from the US arrives in Perth on way to the North West - he'd go to BHP tower to have a shower/massage/sleep etc. before a limo whisks him to the airport to catch his connecting flight to wherever.

[Scraperfan]

Alas I didn't know though what taller than his house had to do with 3m thick, so i figured it must be still talking about the construction...

I think he was just saying that 3m is huge. A slab more than the height of a house is pretty bloody thick!

[docker]

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5665/p1020392copylt7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/2233/p1020393copyop2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[crave]

i think this is fair to say this is going all tha way up...

[desperaterobots]

Still quite amazing that this hole will finally be filled. Go go gadget BHP!

[Blindfold]

How excitement! Although i'm more interested in one40william, Raine Square & Century city at the moment, as soon as we see some BHP core action i'll hardly be able to contain myself.

[Blindfold]

Credit crisis kills Perth’s much-needed office boom
22nd October, The West Australian

About 150,000sqm of desperately needed office space — the equivalent of four BankWest towers — has evaporated or been put in doubt in the past month as a result of the global financial quagmire.

But tenants planning on changing tack and moving to a suburban office are likely to be disappointed because only those buildings already under way or with at least 60 to 80 per cent pre-commitment are expected to proceed. In effect, the days of speculative building are numbered.

The dearth of space means Perth has clung on to its crown of tightest and most expensive office market in the country, with the vacancy rate still well below one per cent. The only recourse for new businesses or those needing to expand is to seek the backfill space vacated by companies which have pre-secured a spot in one of the new CBD towers or metropolitan office blocks.

But Jones Lang LaSalle national director David Evans said the backfill space was being snapped up quickly.

“Eighty five per cent of all the new developments under way is pre-committed,” he said. “Some of the space that the tenants will be moving out of has already been leased.”

Last year, with WA’s economy booming, Perth City Council approved 183,636sqm of office space and 2993 residential apartments and construction was either under way or set to start on more than two dozen high-rise projects that would redraw the city skyline.

But less than a year later, several projects have been cancelled and there is talk that more could be in trouble.

When the second stage of Capital Square on the old Emu Brewery site and the second tower in the Bishops See development fell over this month, a total of 106,000sqm of office area disappeared with them. And with the expected delays in the start of the Griffin Tower and the Fairlanes redevelopment, a further 42,500sqm of office space became dubious.

But Brookfield Multiplex has moved to dampen growing speculation that its City Square project — the planned 270m high home of BHP Billiton — is also faltering because the company has failed to secure construction funding.

A spokeswoman said site works had started and the company was “100 per cent behind the project” but she could not confirm whether funding had been locked in.

Mr Evans said several proposed suburban office buildings, ranging in size from 1000sqm to 20,000sqm, would not go ahead.

And all suburbs were affected, including Belmont, Herdsman and East Perth. “Any suburban office that hasn’t already got a major or total precommitment won’t happen,” he said. “It’s all to do with the availability of debt and the cost of debt.”

The disappearance of mooted new suburban space meant CBD tenants could no longer rely on shifting their growing operations out of the city.

But while demand could soften from the heady days of a few months ago, there was still pent-up demand which meant rents would not fall.

Consequently, the Perth office market remains the most expensive in Australia, according to JLL statistics for the September quarter.

These figures show the vacancy rate in Perth rose slightly to 0.5 per cent, up from 0.2 per cent in the second quarter.

But according to JLL senior research analyst Andrew Bouhlas, this represents a mere 6500sqm of readily available stock.

“Realistically a sub-one per cent vacancy rate is the same as a zero vacancy rate,” he said. “The Perth CBD is still a very tightly held market, and is unlikely to return to long-term averages for some time yet.

“Granted demand has softened, but there are still a number of Perth businesses operating in areas where they need more space. But until some stability returns around the globe, they will just continue to use their current accommodation.

“Tenants have been squeezing staff in for over 18 months, as the vacancy rate has plummeted. They are operating in tight conditions and this is why the vacancy rate in Perth hasn’t blown out.”

The report shows the aggregate vacancy rate across the national CBD office markets is up 0.8 per cent to 4.9 per cent.

The total vacancy rate rose in all of the monitored CBD markets with the exception of Adelaide, which saw a fall from 4.6 per cent to 3.8 per cent this quarter. The national vacancy rate remains well below the 10-year average of 7.5 per cent.

Rents in the Perth CBD continued to rise, though at more modest levels. Prime gross rents rose 1.2 per cent over the September quarter to $956/sqm on average. Although growth has slowed, rents have risen 8.7 per cent for the year. Perth remains the most expensive city, with Brisbane second.

The residential development sector has also been hit by lack of funding, construction delays and problems with signing up builders. Saville’s proposed $54 million luxury residential apartment tower in Adelaide Terrace, to be known as Luxxo, has been consigned to the scrap heap and the company has put the site up for sale.

Saville has also had back luck with its $185 million Altus residential project farther down Adelaide Terrace, experiencing difficulty in locking in a builder. The delays have prompted some off-the-plan buyers to get cold feet and pull out.

[Macorules94]

after reading that^^^


Docker dont get pissed off (again) when i say that Australia is gay

AUSTRALIA IS GAY GAY GAY

[Homeroids]

The credit crunch was not Australia's making. Have you seen what's happening to projects around the world? In the paper today there was mention of Moscow and how many more projects there are threatened. Also, just check the Chicago Spire thread in the parent forums. That 600m baby is on hold too now. Does this mean the whole world has turned GAY GAY GAY, Maco?

But, I can't see BHP tower stopping. I really don't think that will happen.

[city_thing]

The credit crunch was not Australia's making. Have you seen what's happening to projects around the world? In the paper today there was mention of Moscow and how many more projects there are threatened. Also, just check the Chicago Spire thread in the parent forums. That 600m baby is on hold too now. Does this mean the whole world has turned GAY GAY GAY, Maco?

But, I can't see BHP tower stopping. I really don't think that will happen.

I wish.

[Vibes]

The managing director has confirmed this project is proceeding and will be completed. No more speculation please. :)

[Homeroids]

@Vibes.

Totally agree - I think today's discussion on this was due to The West article in today's paper. We know better though :)

[BeeJAy]

A spokeswoman said site works had started and the company was “100 per cent behind the project” but she could not confirm whether funding had been locked in.

That article seems full of holes, this being the worst reasoning I saw into it, they're either sensationalising or they didn't do their research properly.

[crave]

thanks heads up vibes.

i never doubted this one.

:D

[city_thing]

I have doubts. This site is cursed.

[Homeroids]

Put it this way - I go past this site probably 3x a week, at least. Every time I go past it, it is a flurry of activity. Now, why would so much effort and continued resource be put into a building, which also happens to have a rock solid lease agreement with a pretty big company that really needs the space? I think this credit crunch panic has spread over into certain peoples ability able to make rational observations.

Now, go look at the Chicago Spire thread.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=434232&page=335

Here is one comment on the last page:

.".. we look forward to moving forward with it once the global economic situation improves.”
It looks like that hole will look the same for a long time.

Yeah The West article is slightly confusing.

[city_thing]

Chicago Spire is on hold....?

But I love that building!

[hayds]

well they shouldve asked you first :lol:

[urbanwriter]

That article seems full of holes, this being the worst reasoning I saw into it, they're either sensationalising or they didn't do their research properly.

The company did not answer a straight question. They had the opportunity. They were also told exactly how it would be reported and still did not answer the question. Nor offer any kind of clarification. They were specifically told there were rumours and we were giving them the opportunity to quash them, and they still didn't answer a straight question. A question many people are asking. It's very straight forward.

[PD]

The company did not answer a straight question. They had the opportunity. They were also told exactly how it would be reported and still did not answer the question. Nor offer any kind of clarification. They were specifically told there were rumours and we were giving them the opportunity to quash them, and they still didn't answer a straight question. A question many people are asking. It's very straight forward.

I think that's fair enough.

If they cant give a reporter a straight answer then the consequence is always going to be a bit of speculation.

[Homeroids]

Was the question that was asked, directly about finance for the project? It depends on the question asked, I guess.

The anecdotal evidence would seem to suggest that cash flow is currently not an issue.

[Nate Von Longneck II]

The company did not answer a straight question. They had the opportunity. They were also told exactly how it would be reported and still did not answer the question. Nor offer any kind of clarification. They were specifically told there were rumours and we were giving them the opportunity to quash them, and they still didn't answer a straight question. A question many people are asking. It's very straight forward.

Personally, I think any intelligent person would assume that the West is presenting their own biased sensationalised version of events.

The West behaves like a spoiled private school boy - when they realise they have no power, they make stories up and spread rumours.

[city_thing]

To be fair, BHP does have the right to control what information regarding their development is allowed to be used by the media. If they are having problems, then no wonder they won't want to make that public knowledge as that could affect their share price and confidence in the corporation.

UW, do you really blame them for not wanting to share details with you, knowing that it would be published? Yet it still goes to print as speculation. Classy.

[Sanj]

to be fair what would u rather the west have done? not report it at all? in this case there is a lot of speculation going around re this, they gave them a chance to respond and when they didnt respond the west has written the article.

i dont think they have done too much wrong in this case. lets not forget that if we werent ssc nerds and didnt have vibes' info etc im sure we would appreciate reading about this in the paper.

[acc521]

As far as I'm concerned the article has nothing wrong. Multiplex was asked a question and didn't give an answer. This is what has been reported and the article actually says that Multiplex is moving to dampen the speculation.

[city_thing]

Perhaps they shouldn't have involved BHP in the speculation and waited until they had hard facts.

You do realise which newspaper we're talking about here, don't you? :P

[Sanj]

haha yes i realise it is in fact The Worst but just like my views re the libs, i am not going to just criticise absolutely everything they do without basis.

in this case i know that if i was someone with a passing interest in development i would want to know if there was serious speculation/rumours re our tallest building possibly being cancelled. that is why i dont think they have done much wrong in this case.

[PD]

UW, do you really blame them for not wanting to share details with you, knowing that it would be published? Yet it still goes to print as speculation. Classy.

The media's role is to report the news.

BHP has a right not to divulge information, the media has a right to report the news. We know the media can oversensationalize, BHP should know this as well and so the responses they give to reporters should keep this in mind.

[city_thing]

The media's role is to report the news.

BHP has a right not to divulge information, the media has a right to report the news. We know the media can oversensationalize, BHP should know this as well and so the responses they give to reporters should keep this in mind.

Exactly.

Of course the media has the role of reporting, but they should also keep in mind that without hard facts, they shouldn't be reporting speculation as if it's entirely correct.

[Homeroids]

Well I think we have enough experience with Mr Hatch to know he does not report in a sensationalist manner and it appears there has been no editorial privilege here either.

[samboy]

To be fair to 'The West' (this time around) they did nothing wrong. At the same time what they reported is not rocket science. In this economic uncertainly EVERY project EVERYWHERE is more or less in doubt.
Despite the fact that it is proceeding full steam ahead now it doesn't mean anything unless Multiplex have the entire funds in their bank account which I highly doubt.
Therefore, although there may be in a strong position, they are not in a position to completely quash any speculation as they themselves don't know what the future holds.

[Homeroids]

I bet you Multiplex wish they could sign BHP up now for a lease agreement. The rent rate now would be so much higher :).

[urbanwriter]

Exactly.

Of course the media has the role of reporting, but they should also keep in mind that without hard facts, they shouldn't be reporting speculation as if it's entirely correct.

I don't think we did. The reporting is actually very responsible. We wrote:

"But Brookfield Multiplex has moved to dampen growing speculation that its City Square project - the planned 270m high home of BHP Billiton - is also faltering because the company has failed to secure construction funding.
"A spokeswoman said the site works had started and the company was "100 per cent behind the project" but she could not confirm whether funding had been locked in."

What those paragraphs do is enunciate what is being widely speculated (I personally had at least six calls from contacts within the industry saying what they had heard, my colleague Cathy also had calls) and we did what we are supposed to do as the fourth estate - and ASKED the questions.

We printed the company's response. Given the speculation was that they had failed to secure construction funding, the fact that they wouldn't answer that question is kind of key.

And I mean no disrespect to Vibes when I say, just because someone from the company or the project says it's going ahead, doesn't mean we reporters should just take it at face value, lie down and write nothing. Quite the opposite. Frankly, a lot of the speculation we've heard lately - denied by the companies - has proven to be correct.

You have to remember that companies have a different imperative and keeping a positive "everything is going just fine thanks very much" air about their projects is in their best interests... even when the shit has hit the fan.

There are plenty of examples of this.

[BeeJAy]

The company did not answer a straight question. They had the opportunity. They were also told exactly how it would be reported and still did not answer the question. Nor offer any kind of clarification. They were specifically told there were rumours and we were giving them the opportunity to quash them, and they still didn't answer a straight question. A question many people are asking. It's very straight forward.

Ok that makes sense, I simply feel that it would have been more of a case of them not knowing the details rather than definitely not having funding secured.

[Vibes]

I think you guys are being overly critical of Daniel Hatch (urbanwriter); I work in the industry and I have always found his articles to be factual, unbiased and (scarily) accurate.

And as he has already stated he simply reported the facts. The sensationalism regarding the future of this project appears to me as purly a question of interpretation. Re-read the article with the view that this project is definatley going ahead (as stated by the company several times), and the interpretation is vastly different. It's almost like everyone is expecting this project to fail and thus is reading too much into everything.

[All4dev]

"A spokeswoman said the site works had started and the company was "100 per cent behind the project" but she could not confirm whether funding had been locked in."

Since when has site works on a project meant that the project was going ahead in the current economic climate we are in?... if i recall site works (fwd works) have commenced on capital square and the site is on the market....

I suspect they are runnning into issues with the major lenders. The lend required for this project would be of a size that a club facility would be in order and the problem is there are only a few lenders capable/willing to contributing to such a facility. There are already signs in the market place of the large lenders that are funding large cbd projects doing a 180 on indicative terms which they agreed to as little as a month ago.

[crave]

"A spokeswoman said the site works had started and the company was "100 per cent behind the project" but she could not confirm whether funding had been locked in."

Since when has site works on a project meant that the project was going ahead in the current economic climate we are in?... if i recall site works (fwd works) have commenced on capital square and the site is on the market....

I suspect they are runnning into issues with the major lenders. The lend required for this project would be of a size that a club facility would be in order and the problem is there are only a few lenders capable/willing to contributing to such a facility. There are already signs in the market place of the large lenders that are funding large cbd projects doing a 180 on indicative terms which they agreed to as little as a month ago.

so this is doomed in another words?

[Auxodium]

The company did not answer a straight question. They had the opportunity. They were also told exactly how it would be reported and still did not answer the question. Nor offer any kind of clarification. They were specifically told there were rumours and we were giving them the opportunity to quash them, and they still didn't answer a straight question. A question many people are asking. It's very straight forward.

fair point... but why would they do that to continue to confuse more people?

[desperaterobots]

Are you serious, aux? If you don't answer a question, you don't answer it for a reason. (The reason is often that the answer would be worse than no answer at all.)

[All4dev]

No its not that its doomed, there is a fair chance both sources are correct and they are still in the middle of negotiating construction terms with various lenders. The lenders may be taking an extremely cautious approach and seeing which otr lenders are left to sell portions down to?

[hack404]

fair point... but why would they do that to continue to confuse more people?

They may not have an answer or the answer is unpalatable. Alternatively their media relations people are crap.

[nazor]

i think an office tower (thats already started construction) in the tightest CBD market in the world which will be leased to the biggest mining company in the world is a pretty safe investment.

a single unwed teenage mother in America with no assets or stable income to cover debts is whole other story .... ;)

[Homeroids]

"A spokeswoman said the site works had started and the company was "100 per cent behind the project" but she could not confirm whether funding had been locked in."

Since when has site works on a project meant that the project was going ahead in the current economic climate we are in?... if i recall site works (fwd works) have commenced on capital square and the site is on the market....

I suspect they are runnning into issues with the major lenders. The lend required for this project would be of a size that a club facility would be in order and the problem is there are only a few lenders capable/willing to contributing to such a facility. There are already signs in the market place of the large lenders that are funding large cbd projects doing a 180 on indicative terms which they agreed to as little as a month ago.

If you take a close look you will notice this site is a little beyond the site works stage.

[Auxodium]

Are you serious, aux? If you don't answer a question, you don't answer it for a reason. (The reason is often that the answer would be worse than no answer at all.)

they could of 'lied' lol

They may not have an answer or the answer is unpalatable. Alternatively their media relations people are crap.

yeah that prolly the truth perhaps

[docker]

hey Vibes, do you know what hours they work onsite for this one? cos i walked past at 3:30pm and the site was abandoned, one40william, century city and raine square were all still bustling but there was no one on this site, not even traffic controllers, or gate operators, no one?

what's going on?

[perthgazer]

hey Vibes, do you know what hours they work onsite for this one? cos i walked past at 3:30pm and the site was abandoned, one40william, century city and raine square were all still bustling but there was no one on this site, not even traffic controllers, or gate operators, no one?

what's going on?

Was probably just an RDO - most union sites have one every second monday

[perthgazer]

Mutiplex have recently layed off 40 people in Brisbane

[Direwolf]

Was quiet yesterday on the site as well but more people today and so work going on in Newspaper house as well.

[perth85]

you need to stop posting up that so call bhp building plan, because thats not the final design.
if this does become the final design, then we have a laughing matter here, not only does it look boring and plan, it's ugly and will be blocking central park tower, which is our city icon.
i have to say, this is the crapiest building, instead of making it so wide, they should go higher!

[acc521]

Yes it is. Brookfield Multiplex even have it as one of the flagship projects on their homepage (in a slideshow animation amongst others in case anyone looks and it's not there).

[Auxodium]

you need to stop posting up that so call bhp building plan, because thats not the final design.
if this does become the final design, then we have a laughing matter here, not only does it look boring and plan, it's ugly and will be blocking central park tower, which is our city icon.
i have to say, this is the crapiest building, instead of making it so wide, they should go higher!

good heavens! we cant block a building now can we! Load of bollocks... buildings get blocked by others all the time that is the nature of skyscrapers...

[izza]

i bet the burj will never get block:)

[Scrawny]

you need to stop posting up that so call bhp building plan, because thats not the final design.
if this does become the final design, then we have a laughing matter here, not only does it look boring and plan, it's ugly and will be blocking central park tower, which is our city icon.
i have to say, this is the crapiest building, instead of making it so wide, they should go higher!

It will only block central park from one small stretch of south perth foreshore. whoopy shit.

[Skyline Art]

Oh well, http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p300/IFB83/fiddle.gifhttp://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p300/IFB83/fiddle.gif
we can have a new city Icon, the other one can still be seen from other vantage points... I agree with Aux, it is time to let it pass. I guess enjoy the view while you can.

[jackso]

Guys its going to block an icon of the St georges Tce ridgeline.
Remember..the past present and future location for any major development within th Perth CBD.
We wouldnt want depth would we?

[nazor]

ahahah block CP!

that is the stupidest comment ive ever heard! :lol:

[desperaterobots]

There's a billboard for the redbull air race on the corner of wellington st and barrack ( near the rail bridge) with a big shot of the city in the background. If BHP was already up, according to that photograph nothing would be blocked at all. It's all about where you view the skyline from along the river.

It's going to look hot.

[crave]

you need to stop posting up that so call bhp building plan, because thats not the final design.
if this does become the final design, then we have a laughing matter here, not only does it look boring and plan, it's ugly and will be blocking central park tower, which is our city icon.
i have to say, this is the crapiest building, instead of making it so wide, they should go higher!

crazy talk.

bhp tower as is in tha render will be one of tha best buildings in tha cbd for years to come.

[hayds]

not sure if you guys have seen the new drawing of it on skyscraperpage?

the big 3!!
http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/3179/big3gu9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Scraperfan]

look at the built dates. so long between drinks!

[hayds]

looks really good though hey when u see it like that :)

[Scraperfan]

yeh i love it. was in kings park on tuesday night admiring the lights and it will be amazing.

pity he drew the old render. the podium has changed (no gold beams anymore) and the grey panel in the cage has reverted to the floating orange logo. he also has a dip in the top centre which isnt right.

anyone feel like contacting the illustrator?

[Perth4life]

who did that BHP drawing, v impressive. Damien Koh use to do all the drawings, i wonder if he still lurks here at all?

[Skyline Art]

:lol: i realised you can edit how you see the drawings; i turned on all the options:
proposed, on hold, never built, demolished, vision, construction etc. and i find that there were SEVEN 200m plus buildings once on the boards; only 2have been complete and now one only underconstruction....

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p300/IFB83/assorted%20highrises/ALLPERTHHIGHRISESpg1.jpg

That last drawing ^^ was set on an automatic selection comparing all Australian major highrises may have been the reason why central park never came up. I worked out that can be fixed, you just have to do it manually, but you would probably get a lot more buildings too. :nuts:

I think I prefer BHP tower over Westralia Tower, if that was to built on that site, as BHP looks more bulkier.

[Auxodium]

maybe it is cos perth is Gay, Gay Gay!

lol i dont see any macedonian highrise... or any from the balkans :lol:

:lol: i realised you can edit how you see the drawings; i turned on all the options:
proposed, on hold, never built, demolished, vision, construction etc. and i find that there were SEVEN 200m plus buildings once on the boards; only 2have been complete and now one only underconstruction....

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p300/IFB83/assorted%20highrises/ALLPERTHHIGHRISESpg1.jpg

wasnt westralia square 299m in total? that looks too squashed...

That last drawing ^^ was set on an automatic selection comparing all Australian major highrises may have been the reason why central park never came up. I worked out that can be fixed, you just have to do it manually, but you would probably get a lot more buildings too. :nuts:

I think I prefer BHP tower over Westralia Tower, if that was to built on that site, as BHP looks more bulkier.

westralia tower looks hot, i would love to have that in perth still...

[izza]

mmmm its a bit to similar to CP. I think BHP is the better out of the two.

[Auxodium]

westralia is a better design than a glorified box but i want both lol

[izza]

Westaus is a glorified box constructed on an angle with a triangular spire reminesent of CP. The external skeleton of BHP does it for me AND the floting logo :)

[Auxodium]

BHP is just a glorified box with a triangle and a spire to cheat being the tallest in perth... what is your point? oh wait it has a logo on it i forgot why a bland box is better!

[hayds]

BHP is just a glorified box with a triangle and a spire to cheat being the tallest in perth... what is your point? oh wait it has a logo on it i forgot why a bland box is better!

not to mention cheating to be called the tallest office tower in the country lol

[ryan79]

Not sure if you guys are blind or not but MOST office towers are just boxes with slight alterations to pretty them up.

[Scraperfan]

BHP is just a glorified box with a triangle and a spire to cheat being the tallest in perth... what is your point? oh wait it has a logo on it i forgot why a bland box is better!

i dont even know where to begin tearing this ridiculous comment to shreds.

[Auxodium]

i dont even know where to begin tearing this ridiculous comment to shreds.

lol i dont get why people rubbish westralia square and masturbate furiously over City Square... i would love to have both built and i am happy to have one built as it is in this city... but putting it bluntly neither are works of art compared to the talls of brisbane and melbourne...


oh no i said something different! lets pick on him because he said something different!

[Ari Gold]

I'm sure Melburnians loved Eureka when the renders came out but creamed a new ringhole when it was finnally built. I'm sure Gold Coast residents did the same with Q1.


We love BHP. But we will absolutly kill it when it is all done.

[Skyline Art]

^^ how shall we be killing BHP?

[Ari Gold]

Lol. No idea.

Killer Party at Newspaper house bar maybe. lol

[Auxodium]

I'm sure Melburnians loved Eureka when the renders came out but creamed a new ringhole when it was finnally built. I'm sure Gold Coast residents did the same with Q1.


We love BHP. But we will absolutly kill it when it is all done.

agreed, but i would love to see westralia in a site in perth would be rather great to see in the skyline :)

[Scraperfan]

oh no i said something different! lets pick on him because he said something different!

id say its a matter of taste, but its not. the building has so many features on it that make it more than just a box.

different comment - yes, naive comment - yes.

[Citystyle]

you need to stop posting up that so call bhp building plan, because thats not the final design.
if this does become the final design, then we have a laughing matter here, not only does it look boring and plan, it's ugly and will be blocking central park tower, which is our city icon.
i have to say, this is the crapiest building, instead of making it so wide, they should go higher!

However. Tenants want large floor plates and river veiws so this tower fits the bill perfectly. I don't think you will find any design that could accomodate Central Park and remain viable.

[Citystyle]

BHP is just a glorified box with a triangle and a spire to cheat being the tallest in perth... what is your point? oh wait it has a logo on it i forgot why a bland box is better!

I agree it's a box but that has no effect, it's still a far better building than Central Park. :cheers:

[hayds]

took away the panel, added the logo

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/8435/bhptowerhn2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[crave]

there should definitely be no panel...

[Scraperfan]

very well done hayds.

shouldve used orange instead of red. would be good for the podium to be updated too.

the cage also has a single cross beam at the front of each.

[Qbriserth]

any update pics?

[city_thing]

Looks a lot better without the panel - much more elegant and less monolithic.

Westralia Sq is just bloody ugly.

[Auxodium]

id say its a matter of taste, but its not. the building has so many features on it that make it more than just a box.

different comment - yes, naive comment - yes.

naive? no it is a box with a triangle roof and a spire to cheat...

I agree it's a box but that has no effect, it's still a far better building than Central Park. :cheers:

id say the lobby is better than CP but i cant say it is better than CP as a whole as CP isnt like a rigid soldier

[Perth4life]

i think bhp is more then a boring box. It has a lot of architectural merit in terms of the cage on the side, the podium etc. it's not a box because it isn't square, it's rectangular shape could be quite unique from some angles.

[Citystyle]

id say the lobby is better than CP but i cant say it is better than CP as a whole as CP isnt like a rigid soldier

Really, all exterior finnishings on BHP appear superior to that on CP. Similar all services are superior, so are floor plates and the veiws. :)

But in essense Aux we are comparing an average building over a decade old to an average building built today. The issue is not of design for BHP wins hands down, but of time and taste.
Neither building has any architectual merit so why compare the two on something i would debase them on.

[Macorules94]

any new pics of the site?

[Auxodium]

Really, all exterior finnishings on BHP appear superior to that on CP. Similar all services are superior, so are floor plates and the veiws. :)

But in essense Aux we are comparing an average building over a decade old to an average building built today. The issue is not of design for BHP wins hands down, but of time and taste.
Neither building has any architectual merit so why compare the two on something i would debase them on.

im still excited over the development non the less citystyle lol :P i just want them both! :P

[samboy]

Actually imo the best thing about BHP is not the tower itself rather the revamp and street activation of all the heritage stuff around it. The tower is just the icing on the cake.

[BartBart]

Actually imo the best thing about BHP is not the tower itself rather the revamp and street activation of all the heritage stuff around it. The tower is just the icing on the cake.

Agree - though the tower is probably a little more than the icing because it also adds more people density to the area and will likely bring the foreshore work that small % closer.

[Macorules94]

I went to the city today ....i was gonna go look at the site but had no fucking idea how to get in there....

I knew where it was but there were buildings surrounding it....

but maybe i didn't see it right meh

[jackso]

There is a walk way on st georges tce. i think it has a sign sayign Westralia Square. Its surrounded by some old buildings, newspaper house etc.
It has a really ugly covering, its like a semi circle.

[WAuzzie]

havent seen an update in aggeesssss.

[Auxodium]

walkway is closed to facilitate westralia and city square

[docker]

^^ there's a photo from just two weeks ago, be happy with that or get your own photos.

[sam_sum]

roughly around 650am from this morning. Drove past and there were around 8 trucks lining up, so i went around and parked and took a photo with my phone. sorry resolution isn't the best

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8135/img00107az2.jpg[/URL]

[Rezz]

All those "bristles" there, could we say that those bristles (or whatever they are) cover the size of the base of BHP? If so, it's a thin bastard.

[basics]

Alves, weren't you meant to be there?

[ryan79]

Actually imo the best thing about BHP is not the tower itself rather the revamp and street activation of all the heritage stuff around it. The tower is just the icing on the cake.

Absolutely but I also think it finally finishes off that block and adds even more street activation.

[hayds]

Actually imo the best thing about BHP is not the tower itself rather the revamp and street activation of all the heritage stuff around it. The tower is just the icing on the cake.

hmmmmnarrrr its the tower :)

the street crap is the icing.

[Vibes]

Alves, weren't you meant to be there?

Sorry lads, the pour was brought forward at late notice, I'll give a heads up on the next early one for any photographers who want to have a punt.

[hayds]

^^ thatll be good, 4 different sets of photos of the same thing just from different cameras :lol:

[Skyline Art]

:lol: ^^ yeah I think Alves was meant to be there, but he also said give him plenty of notice, I don't recall anyone giving him notice... so he is excused :lol:

just give me lots of notice of when the next big pour is, and I'll come along :)


Furthermore, I dreamt of BHP reaching for the sky. The core was up to level 25 about half way up i think and it was looking bulky and damn good.....

[Sanj]

alvin is not in perth at the moment anyway

[Skyline Art]

yeah that post of mine was meant to go before vibes, i didnt realise other people had got theirs in before me..... i took too long

Anyway that shot from the other guy was good enough, the low light can't be helped with all camera phones...

[thesmallprint]

All those "bristles" there, could we say that those bristles (or whatever they are) cover the size of the base of BHP? If so, it's a thin bastard.

the following photo would suggest you are correct
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5779/bhp9fj3.jpg

[Perth4life]

vibes or anyone, how wide is the tower in metres?

[city_thing]

Didn't that podium get scratched for something cheaper?

I'm sure we had a different, newer render of the base.

[jackso]

The yellow is gone. It looks better without it anyway imo.
And i think a few other things changed also.

[thesmallprint]

vibes or anyone, how wide is the tower in metres?

35m i think

[MelboyPete]

you guys must be getting pretty excited about a new tallest going up there...nice design by the way.

[Perth4life]

thanks smallprint

[nazor]

its almost to good to be true so im just going to wait and keep a lid on my excitment! :lol:

[docker]

vibes or anyone, how wide is the tower in metres?

Didn't that podium get scratched for something cheaper?

I'm sure we had a different, newer render of the base.



i think some of you boys need to look at the first post, on most threads it has all the details for individual projects and will have the most recent updated photo of the site...



OLD THREAD HERE (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=595480)

Technical Data
Heights: 204m- roof, 234m- cage structure, 270m- spire
Floors: 46 excluding plant
Size: 71,000sqm
Length: 71m
Width: 35m
Elevators: 28
Project Cost: $500m AUD

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5760/northrz1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[crave]

i measured on maps.google tha dimensions at ground level and tried to get an idea on how fat this tower will be, it's wider than pricewaterhousecoopers!

it's deeper than tha apartment tower i live in and so i'm trying to imagine how big tha framework will be and all i can think of is how tha steel side frames are going to look amazing.

tho, i have feeling tha tower and offset ground podium adds to tha 35m width... a 71m x 35m to full height is one big mutha fvckr... now i'm confused.

[docker]

i measured on maps.google tha dimensions at ground level and tried to get an idea on how fat this tower will be, it's wider than pricewaterhousecoopers!

it's deeper than tha apartment tower i live in and so i'm trying to imagine how big tha framework will be and all i can think of is how tha steel side frames are going to look amazing.

tho, i have feeling tha tower and offset ground podium adds to tha 35m width... a 71m x 35m to full height is one big mutha fvckr... now i'm confused.

actually thats a good point, because 71x35m is 2485sqm, and that over 46 levels is 114,310sqm, which is 50% larger than what it is listed as, at 71,000sqm.

so really it should be: 71,000/46floors= 1543sqm per floor
therefore it is either;
1543/35m= 44m long or
1543/71m= 22m wide

so either this tower is 35x44m in base size or 71x22m, or somewhere in between...

[Vibes]

The tower footprint is 71 x 35m in area, if you include the side core. The 71,000sqm is the net letable area, i.e. the area that can be leased out. As such it excludes all the service areas of the building- lift shafts, plant rooms etc.

FYI in the last update photo you can see the area of 'spines' (reinforcement ligatures) is the area of the core only; the tower extends a further 18m to the south.

[Scraperfan]

actually thats a good point, because 71x35m is 2485sqm, and that over 46 levels is 114,310sqm, which is 50% larger than what it is listed as, at 71,000sqm.

so really it should be: 71,000/46floors= 1543sqm per floor
therefore it is either;
1543/35m= 44m long or
1543/71m= 22m wide

so either this tower is 35x44m in base size or 71x22m, or somewhere in between...

yeh but doesnt it jump from like level 4 to 10 with a void in between? and then another floor for staff leisure is like half size or something? so it skews the data for trying to calculate this stuff.

[Australiasia]

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8135/img00107az2.jpg[/URL]

:dance2:Top stuff!

Ah....doesn’t just bring a tear to your eye our new baby is born, so what’s next?

[Vibes]

Early pour is on from 5AM this thursday, the second half of what was poured on Monday. Two pumps under lights for anyone who can be bothered coming out to see it.

[Perth4life]

Alvse is back me thinks?

[Australiasia]

:dance2:Vibes,

Do you actually work on site?

If yes...... can you take photo’s or if not would it be possible for one of the boys in the tower cranes?

[basics]

Vibes, was that you up in the crane moving an oxy acetelene rig from one side of the site to the other at about 11.00am?

[Vibes]

Vibes, was that you up in the crane moving an oxy acetelene rig from one side of the site to the other at about 11.00am?

No mate, I'm one of the engineers on site.

I've tried to take photos of the pours under lights before, but it's difficult to do as the camera tries to focus on the lights and washes out the background. I really need a camera with a tripod and manual settings.

If no one can be bothered getting up don't stress, I just thought a few people might find it interesting- I won't be in at 5, I've done my turn :)

[docker]

if there is ever one on, on a monday, i will be there, because for me to get to the site i have to catch a bus the night before (around 11pm) and then wait around the city, because the first bus doesn't leave up here until 6am. and mondays are the only days i won't need to get sleep for

[Scrawny]

if there is ever one on, on a monday, i will be there, because for me to get to the site i have to catch a bus the night before (around 11pm) and then wait around the city, because the first bus doesn't leave up here until 6am. and mondays are the only days i won't need to get sleep for

Jeez mate that's a bit drastic. Concrete pours are not that exciting.

[samboy]

actually the pour isn't but the whole place looks cool at dawn with all the lights and activity.

[Dilaz89]

It was only the raft that was poured today. Not much visual progress for now.

[Scraperfan]

how long until we get a core box at ground level?

[basics]

how long until we get a core box at ground level?

I think I saw the beginnings of one today, it was quite small tho. There is LOTS of activity here.

[Urbania]

Anyone know what those large metal flue-like structures are going up next to the multi-story carpark?

[hayds]

^^no idea what flue-like means

[Urbania]

^^
As in a chimney-flue... Airconditioning flue... How about 'Vent-like' structure...?

[Vibes]

Anyone know what those large metal flue-like structures are going up next to the multi-story carpark?

It's an exhaust system for the ICWA carpark; once the rest of the City Square carpark is completed it is needed to remove excess carbon monoxide.

[Urbania]

^^
Ah..ok. Makes sense. Thanks for the info.

[Direwolf]

Looks to me like they are very nearly ready for the next big pour, I would expect it in the next few days. Not sure whether they can start forming a core after this section but is definately the foundation for the big tower.

[acc521]

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm268/acc521/Perth%20Nov%202008/IMAG0089.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm268/acc521/Perth%20Nov%202008/IMAG0090.jpg

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm268/acc521/Perth%20Nov%202008/IMAG0091.jpg

[Phoenix_1]

Ooo, I see starter bars for the core in those pics. Exciting times.

[NailZ]

I'd be scared of impaling myself on that razor sharp steel. Don't see any plastic capping, do they bend all the rebar over on the tip?

Wouldnt want to trip up walking on that raft, major OH&S issues I would think.

[basics]

What is that box thing in the 2nd pic at the bottom, left of centre?

[stadiumdesigner]

the core

[Direwolf]

I'd be scared of impaling myself on that razor sharp steel. Don't see any plastic capping, do they bend all the rebar over on the tip?

Wouldnt want to trip up walking on that raft, major OH&S issues I would think.

The steel sticking up is bent over as a downward hook so in a way it is capped though you could still hurt yourself if you fall there are trip hazard everywhere on a building site.

btw the way I don't think that little box is the core that is where the rebar bit sticking up are. There are also square hole in the earlier raft for the building in front. I wonder if the are for drainage and to help pump out ground water.

[timofperth]

Does anyone have any idea on how high the cranes are at the moment? And is BHP Tower being built like 140 William St, with the Core first, then the building around it?

[MILIUX]

Nice to see this chugging along. Is the headquarter moving from Melbourne to Perth?

[Scraperfan]

No.

[Dilaz89]

now that CUB has supposedly been scaled down and changed, BHP will retain its title of tallest office tower for quite some time.

[samboy]

Hey Dilaz, do you mean BHP is going to be the tallest office tower in Australia? It's taller than Rialto?

[Dilaz89]

I personally don't think so but the CTBUH counts spires and therefore would recognise BHP as the tallest.

[Auxodium]

Hey Dilaz, do you mean BHP is going to be the tallest office tower in Australia? It's taller than Rialto?

according to wiki it is 270 m tall... to spire so it would equal the tallest office tower?

[Ipggi]

according to wiki it is 270 m tall... to spire so it would equal the tallest office tower?

Is there a mysterious 19m spire on Rialto, because I have never seen one? I am pretty sure 101 Collins Street is the tallest office building (265m) if you include spires.

[CULWULLA]

yeah, BHP in melb has been tallest office tower since 1991.(264m) -counting spires.
its a descent size spire structure, so it deserves it.
im not sure if BHP in perth deserves title with pissy side pin taking title.
its the sort of tower that woulndt miss it if it fell off.
but rules are rules.
btw i see this bldg as 234m tall. thus 2nd tallest office tower in australia after rialto.
sydneys deuatschbank has similare s\cage and spire structure, at 240m. so if you take spires off its 190m.

spot the spire?
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/2589/bhp7bh5.jpg

[Macorules94]

ok....so you see melbournes BHP with the spire..

but you see Perth's BHP as only 234m ..coz you dont count the spire..so you still call Melbournes bhp taller...when actually perth's bhp is....

dude you have issues