FRASERS BROADWAY - #PROJECT: Central Park

[CULWULLA]

as long as the new towers are different and the place is pleasant to visit, i welcome the daring architecture. who knows if the overhangs will that dramatic. its only conceptual at this stage

[nOchAos]

Stunning bring it on

[shaggers_jr]

Ohhhh, fab. I love it. I bet it won't look anything like this, but if it does I'd be well happy. Reminds me of the new scraper in Bombay, Residence Antilia
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=13502687

[MILIUX]

Just wrap the whole building with vines and it'll look sweet

[Mephisto]

Fantastic, looking forward to some better renders.

[SYDNEYAHOLIC]

I'm worried that this will look to "blockie" like the huge Meriton development down on South Dowling St which looks like a pile(s) of crap. No doubt, due to the excellent architects on the job, the designs of the buildings will be far superior, but it will be difficult to hide the bulk of these buildings. I think I'd prefer it if they were skinnier, taller, and maybe a few more of them instead of being big and fat - though I suppose big and fat is what sells these days.

They've been slowly demolishing the site (or some sections of it at least) for the past few months. I look forward to some more activity on the site!

[Muse]

Clearance works and the site's recycling program looks like they have started. Walked by today and there was a mobile crane, a Delta track hoe and a rather large building covered in mesh, and that was all I could see ie. there may have been other works in progress that were not visible to me at the time.

Anyway, things are moving along..

[Fabian]

So we are looking at demolition of buildings on site??? Thats a good start.

[SYDNEYAHOLIC]

I noticed today that there was a large portable crane erected on Balfour St just south of the southern edge of the site. I noticed later however that it seemed to be used for the new Contemporary Chinese Art Gallery being built just south of the site. Demolition works are still going on, however.

[LanceDriver]

I've walked past the area a bit lately and am noticing more and more destruction going on so I checked their website to see if there's any updates. I'm not sure if it's been posted anywhere before but here's some key media releases, and I didn't notice them on the website last time I visited -

http://www.frasersbroadway.com.au/br...t_8April08.pdf
http://www.frasersbroadway.com.au/br...n_8April08.pdf
http://www.frasersbroadway.com.au/br...e_8April08.pdf

Key points -

* New buildings are down from 11 to 10 (so I don't know where 17 came from)
* Actual floorspace is up from 235,000 to 250,000 (which must mean larger buildings considering there is one less)
* Open space is up from 27,000sqm to 36,000sqm (achieved by removing the 11th building which in turn opens up views to the brewery yard)
* All retail will be consolidated to the north eastern quarter linking with the kensington st activity hub with artists studios about to go into the kensington st terraces until it is redeveloped
* Heritage protected items up from 32 to 33
* An 8 year project with demolition to be completed by end of year and first buildings completed by end of next year
* 2 iconic buildings will be built along George street (one by Jean Nouvel and one by Fosters)

+ more ...

[christarrant]

Nice.
Man there's alot of buildings / infrastructure to demolish down there - a truly massive project in itself.

[CULWULLA]

the 17 i quoted was from original masterplan. but some were joined which looked like 1 but it was 2. anyway its toally changed now
i count from this aerial
from bottom left to right
1x10storey=30m
4x15storey=45m
1x35storey-120m
1x15storey=45m
1x20storey=60m
1x10storey=30m
1x6storey=20m
these are only guestimates but pretty close.

[LanceDriver]

Considering that there's meant to be two iconic buildings maybe we will still get both over 100m. If I was quek I would have used all the kudos from his green plans and extra open space to have pushed for more than a 15ksqm increase in floorspace.

Then I would have used it to push up the building closest to the rail line, ie, south east corner. There's already a 15 or so storey apartment block up there on the corner of kensington and regent so a 20 storey would not look out of place and there's not much other housing up there either.

Considering that there's one less building now plus an extra 15k in floorspace all that extra space must be pushing something up. And if the building next to the tall one has been reduced from over 100m then its lost space must also be pushing up elsewhere.

Should be interesting. Maybe the main tower will be taller than 120m now. Maybe 130m plus 20m feature to bring it to the standard uniform height of the city now. And this 150m baby would actually stand out nicely from the rest!

The tall scraper does look somewhat taller than uts now.

[Fabian]

I like the revised concept and how the park is the focal centre of the project with the buildings surrounding it.

The SMH reported last week that demand for the office component is strong. With floorplates of up to 6000 sq/m per floor, it is favouring IT companies that would probably go out to North Ryde or Norwest, but at least have an option without having to leave the CBD. Educational institutions would also benefit.

[CULWULLA]

i think the two iconic bldgs are the 2 detailed in above pic.
the 120m height is pretty well set in stone as per masterplan.

[CULWULLA]

this will be similar view from tallest CUB tower
pic by spun
image hosted on flickr

[CULWULLA]

apparently the new masterplan is being lodged soon. hopefully we will get a model to place in city model.
i noticed the other day the 50m metal chimney is now gone. also many others. great stuff.
title changed to demolition status

[LanceDriver]

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[LanceDriver]

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[LanceDriver]

This is the 3rd time I've tried to post this, hopefully 3rd time lucky!

A creative way to avoid rent, if you're an artist
Jano Gibson Urban Affairs Reporter
June 4, 2008
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...258826320.html


Smart art … Rebecca Conroy, an artist, in a warehouse in Chippendale that could be used by artists - rent-free for 18 months - during nearby demolition work.
Photo: Lisa Wiltse

IN A city teeming with vacant properties, a developer has found a novel way to deal with its empty buildings - let artists work in them rent-free.

The company behind the $2 billion redevelopment of the Carlton and United Brewery in Chippendale has lodged a development application to allow local creative collectives to use three warehouses and five terraces on Kensington Street, which are sitting empty and run down next to the old beer-making facility.

If approved, the historic buildings, one dating to the 1850s, would be available to artists for about 18 months while demolition is carried out at the brewery.

Last week the Herald revealed Sydney has more than 120,000 unoccupied homes, as well as thousands of empty warehouses, pubs, churches and shops. In the City of Sydney, the figure is about 7000 vacant homes.

Artists who have found it difficult to afford studio space in the heart of Sydney have welcomed the initiative by Frasers Property.

"When you look at the layout of a city, not every single building needs to be a shopping centre, and not every single building needs to be medium-density housing or apartments, so it's really great," Rebecca Conroy, who is involved in an artist-run initiative in Redfern called Bill and George, said.

Ms Conroy previously co-founded a Chippendale art space, The Wedding Circle, which was forced to close when the landlord decided to develop the site.

She said artists contributed significant social capital to communities, and Frasers Property would benefit by having creative work undertaken on the doorstep of its huge development.

Mickey Quick, who runs a small creative space on Cleveland Street called Sydney, said temporary free studio space would make life easier for artists struggling to pay for places to produce and sell art.

"It means not only the most professionally bound, determined artists [can work], but a broader range of people, [so] you have a broader range of cultural expression coming from a community," Mr Quick said.

Frasers Property's plans would cover the cost of rates and electricity; artists' collectives would pay for insurance and phone bills.

Eventually, the developer wants to turn Kensington Street into an "active laneway" with small bars and restaurants.