STONNINGTON > Sth Yarra, Prahran, Malvern etc...

[city_thing]

Originally Posted by Urbania

Wow. Amazing that this is being built in a suburb (albeit an inner-city suburb). We wouldn't get anything that good in Perth even in the middle of the city...

There's actually a tower with an incredibly similar design to this already constructed on St Kilda Road.

Sadly, it didn't turn out as good as the render and I doubt this one will either.

This photo must've been taken shortly after T/O...

[Aussie Steve]

That tower above on St Kilda Rd did certianly turn out like the renders, and in fact much, MUCH better and is a gem in the streetscape of The Boulevard. If I am not mistaken, it won at least 1 award. Its a stunner and if anyone disagrees, then they have blinkers on.

[Aussie Steve]

Ella South Yarra, Claremont Street.

[Erektion]

Originally Posted by city_thing

There's actually a tower with an incredibly similar design to this already constructed on St Kilda Road.

Sadly, it didn't turn out as good as the render and I doubt this one will either.

This photo must've been taken shortly after T/O...

I don't know what you've seen but I am in awe of Balencea every time I see it. Amazing glass

[Mickeebee]

Originally Posted by Erektion

I don't know what you've seen but I am in awe of Balencea every time I see it. Amazing glass

+1

[Mischk]

Glass in question.. Drool...


image hosted on flickr

[Dockside]

^+1
Its simply beautiful .... Full stop....

[melburn21]

Hopefully that's a mini version of what pearl will look like!

[OneMelbGuy]

Oh it occasionally looks gleamy from a distance for an hour or so each day at dawn and dusk. But for 22 or so hours a day in the flat light it resembles a dull little stump, and up close, a grubby little stump. One can only guess the body corporate finds the costs of more regular glass cleaning prohibitive. Well, whatever: it's so far from the render and the promotional photos, those who think otherwise must be typing with a bong in their other paw. Viewed from the street, the blind slots of the balconies also look markedly hard, alienating and unfinished for some reason. I think it's the prison aspect. Unlike say, the Melbournian, which is masterful, and a delight from the street or a distance, it's not a building the eye rests happily upon except from a distance.

While glass technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, renders of glass curtain wall buildings will continue to be utter fantasies with little semblence to built reality for many years to come. Avenue will be no different. Given it's going to be fairly cheap apartments whose owners traditionally baulk at the high cost of fanatical cleaning (esp if offshore investors), the glass from the street is also likely to be quite grubby indeed given its Chapel and Alexandra Av frontages. One can tug one's todger over architectural renders, but you also need to square them not only with the tech, but also with the dull and very often deeply depressing (and sometimes infuriating) realities of the body corporates which maintain the reality. Avenue is never going to resemble the dreamy Dame Edna-esque lavender rinse of its renders. Ain't gonna happen. Any more than the tower that's going to be erected behind The Windsor will resemble a shimmering waterfall cloaking a turd.

[Melbourneguy]

You're a hard man to please!

[Erektion]

His opinion is no more or less valuable than mine, yours or anyone else's. It's just that...an opinion

[Grampians]

Originally Posted by OneMelbGuy

Oh it occasionally looks gleamy from a distance for an hour or so each day at dawn and dusk. But for 22 or so hours a day in the flat light it resembles a dull little stump, and up close, a grubby little stump. One can only guess the body corporate finds the costs of more regular glass cleaning prohibitive. Well, whatever: it's so far from the render and the promotional photos, those who think otherwise must be typing with a bong in their other paw. Viewed from the street, the blind slots of the balconies also look markedly hard, alienating and unfinished for some reason. I think it's the prison aspect. Unlike say, the Melbournian, which is masterful, and a delight from the street or a distance, it's not a building the eye rests happily upon except from a distance.

While glass technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, renders of glass curtain wall buildings will continue to be utter fantasies with little semblence to built reality for many years to come. Avenue will be no different. Given it's going to be fairly cheap apartments whose owners traditionally baulk at the high cost of fanatical cleaning (esp if offshore investors), the glass from the street is also likely to be quite grubby indeed given its Chapel and Alexandra Av frontages. One can tug one's todger over architectural renders, but you also need to square them not only with the tech, but also with the dull and very often deeply depressing (and sometimes infuriating) realities of the body corporates which maintain the reality. Avenue is never going to resemble the dreamy Dame Edna-esque lavender rinse of its renders. Ain't gonna happen. Any more than the tower that's going to be erected behind The Windsor will resemble a shimmering waterfall cloaking a turd.

yeah man, so why bovver, right?
i say bring back the "honesty" of bare Le Corbusier concrete...let the mold, algae, rust, acid rain and so on to give it the patina we all love so much

[Grollo]

Balencea won the Australian Institute of Architects Frederick Romberg Award for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing in 2009.

[Dean]

I remember the council approving it even though it was more than 20m over the height limit because it was such a distinctive and outstanding design.

It turned out brilliantly. One the best in recent memory. It's hard to see how someone wouldn't be impressed with it.

[Grollo]

Actually Council approved it with a condition that four levels be chopped off. Sunland appealed that to VCAT and got teh extra 4 levels.

[redden]

I'm a bit confused by developments in Yarra Street, SY: they're pouring concrete on a small site (south corner of laneway), which the bloke said was 1 Yarra Street. Not sure where 2-4 Yarra Street fits in, unless it's the big site which now has a sign up saying "Central", by Little. Building on the north corner of the laneway says it's Number 1-3.





Claremont Street, one block east, is bustling, as usual:

Ella's display office (2-4 Claremont)



Landscaping and sculpture underway in front of Lilli, in Claremont.





SXY2 display is gone, with the site ready.



Ilk

[Melbourneguy]

I believe that small site will handle a ten or so level building. Correct me if I'm wrong but it's around that height.

[kichigai]

Thanks for the updates Redden.

[silvermb]

rue de chapel

[img]http://oi49.************/54c3dd.jpg[/img]

[img]http://oi45.************/2j63bz5.jpg[/img]

[img]http://oi46.************/2wnr1b5.jpg[/img]

[John_Proctor]

that is one big concrete wall!!