Twin Tower Development Proposed for 57 Coronation Drive

A development application has been submitted for a new twin tower $200 million mixed-use 34 storey development located at 57 Coronation Drive, Brisbane City.

Proposed by Maple Development Group, the twin tower development consists of 255 one, two, three and four-bedroom residential apartments as well as a five-star serviced apartment building, commercial offices, podium level retail and entertainment options.

The development is located on a large 3,114sqm site which features two elevated towers designed to showcase Brisbane’s colonial heritage through the restoration of Davidson’s Residence, which was originally built in 1868.

Maple Development Group Development Manager Gilbert Zhu said the yet-to-be-named project’s subtropical public realm would be instrumental in reinvigorating the Quay Street precinct by connecting the CBD with Milton, Petrie Terrace and South Brisbane with a meaningful lifestyle hub.

“We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that the project will make a significant contribution to the city of Brisbane,” Mr Zhu said.

“Residents will be able to enjoy riverside living while at the ground floor the open space would provide a 24-hour accessible ground plane that would connect residents, visitors and locals to future shopping and dining options, as well as Roma Street Station and the Bicentennial Bikeway.

“There would be ample underground parking for residents and visitors, and we have also included more than 500 onsite bicycle parking spaces to encourage active transport.”

Project rundown

The development proposal includes a mix of uses typically located within a city centre environment, including commercial office, short term accommodation, multiple dwelling, food and drink outlet and shop. The mix of uses include:

• 922sqm of commercial (retail) floorspace
• 2,147sqm of commercial (office) floorspace
• 168 serviced apartments, comprising 63 x one-bedroom (dual key) and 42 x two bedroom suites in Tower 1
• 255 residential apartments (multiple dwelling), comprising 56 x one bedroom, 140 x two bedroom, 56 x three bedroom and 3 four-bedroom units in Tower 2.
• Gross floor area of 42,785sqm
• Maximum building height tower 1: 30 Storeys, tower 2: 32 Storeys (Quay Street) 35 Storeys (Coronation Drive)
• Total Residential Communal Open Space: 2,118sqm (68% site area)
• Landscaped Area: 715sqm (20% site area)
• Car parking: Total of 371 car parks across the four basement levels
• Bicycle Parking: Total of 565 bicycle parking spaces

Design

Designed by Rothelowman, the design outcome for this site is the result of a 20-month collaborative design process between the Applicant’s project team, Council and key stakeholders, including Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) and Queensland Rail.

Davidson’s Residence, a locally listed heritage place, has influenced the siting, form, scale and architectural language of the proposal. The planning of the site layout has focussed on reclaiming the heritage place’s view of the Brisbane River and ensuring the dwelling takes a prominent position between two towers as the focal point of the redevelopment.

Davidson’s Residence is to be maintained and celebrated and given a new function as the reception for the serviced apartments within the development.

The setting and the traditional ‘Brisbane Hillside Suburb’ have been re-interpreted to define a new urban environment. Through enhanced connectivity and permeability, the journey in and around the site is shaped by the landscape.

The DA states that the towers respond to the climate, orientation and context. The differentiated heights of the towers provide a transition to the CBD and serve as a strong entry statement, fitting for such a prominent site.

Each tower has been designed to have an individual form that correlates with the site constraints. Tower 1 has been designed so that it achieves the railway setback requirements and provides an appropriate interface to this environment. The southern facade is articulated to capture primary unobstructed views towards the Brisbane River and CBD and the northern façade provides planters at every second level.

Tower 2 has been designed so that it is highly articulated and is positioned to capture views of Roma Street Parklands and beyond. The northern facade provides deep balconies and sky gardens are positioned on the east and west elevations.

The height has been deliberately stepped from 33 storeys to 35 storeys, referencing a building height transition into the Brisbane CBD.

Public Space

The redevelopment offers a large public realm component, with 45% of the site area (at the ground plane) being publicly accessible.

The proposal will create an accessible cross block link available to the public 24 hours a day and help to link Coronation Drive and Go Between Bridge pedestrian paths as well as connections to the broader precinct of the Barracks, CBD and Caxton Street.

Rothelowman states that the Brisbane subtropical architecture references the traditional topographical neighbourhoods of the City in a high density and contemporary manner.

“The high quality landscaping reinforced the contextual location of a riverine rainforest and serves as a place of respite from Coronation Drive.” – Development Application

The interconnected plazas will provide residents, visitors and employees with new opportunities to relax and socialise. Each publicly accessible space will offer a different experience, whilst working together to define an experience that is uniquely Brisbane.

“The site attributes create a very unique and quintessentially “Brisbane” setting. The steep topography, River proximity, and Heritage overlay provide the opportunity to embed the design of architecture and landscape deeply within the historical and cultural narrative of the City.” – Development Application

A large provision of publicly accessible space is provided, with a Quay Street Plaza, Heritage Plaza and River Plaza proposed.

“The collection of these publicly accessible spaces provides a diversity of spaces and will encourage pedestrian movement in and around the site.” – Development Application

Heritage

Rothelowman Principal Jeff Brown, who led the project design team, said what makes the project truly unique to Brisbane’s development landscape is its interaction with the 151-year-old Davidson’s Residence, which is located on the development site along Quay Street.
“Davidson’s Residence provided a rare opportunity to unlock a piece of Brisbane’s rich history,” he said.

“The design has been structured to allow the heritage building to take a prominent position between the buildings, importantly maintaining its original location and setting. “This ensures it is the focal point for the whole site and allows it to reclaim its original connection to the river.”

The heritage-listed home will play a vital role in the development, serving as a reception area for the serviced apartments with the ground floor accommodating a retail tenancy.

“A lot of time was dedicated to planning how we could not only maintain the heritage building, but celebrate its existence and give it new function,” Mr Brown said.

“Visitors would have the chance to experience a significant piece of Brisbane’s history.”
The project was carefully considered to acknowledge Brisbane’s vision as a future world city, by focusing heavily on design elements that honoured Brisbane City Council’s ‘Buildings that Breath’ development guidelines.

“We were inspired by Brisbane’s sub-tropical lifestyle and have designed the project to incorporate as much natural daylight, air flow and living greenery as possible,” Mr Brown said. “As Brisbane’s population and popularity with tourists increases, we expect that the north western CBD pocket will grow into a prominent destination and this project will set a design precedent for future local development and city liveability.”

Amenities

Designed by Lat27, the common areas include:

• Tower 1 pool and recreation deck on Level 4
• Tower 2 pool and recreation deck on Level 4
• Tower 2 sky garden terraces on Levels 5 and 21
• Tower 2 landscaped terraces on Levels 33 and 34

According to the development application, communal recreation to the Eastern tower is contained at both the podium level and at the rooftop.

The recreation spaces overlook the street, River Plaza and Brisbane River, combining with the major lobby off Quay Street to ensure maximum movement and activity within the publicly accessible spaces of the site.

On the roof, a series of scaled terraces aim to allow for a varied series of communal recreation spaces.

Deliberately scaled to provide more intimate opportunities for engagement amongst smaller groups, the terraces embrace outlook amongst landscape as the key driver of design.

The Western Tower recreation is floated above the podium allowing for spaces to look
back and across to the Brisbane River and CBD beyond.

Public Art

The development application states that the project represents a significant opportunity for public art, particularly considering the prominence of the site.

“There is an opportunity for public realm improvements through art and lighting. This may include lighting of the soffit that can be programmed to engage with event occurrences and seasonal shifts. As well, there is an opportunity to incorporate public art on the adjacent railway pylons and discussions with Queensland have commenced in this regard.” – Development Application

Building’s that Breathe

The development incorporates various features sub-tropical and strategies of Brisbane City Council’s “Building’s that Breathe” guidelines. The following key concepts anchor the project’s response to these guidelines:

• The podium becomes a collection of pavilions suspended within generous open voids amongst intense greenery.
• Towers are punctuated by vertical sky gardens which offer recreation opportunities for residents fostering the creation of micro-communities within the buildings.
• Tower sky gardens are connected via stairs encouraging walkability and wellness.
• Tower corridors and lobbies are open to the façade across garden spaces allowing for passive ventilation and natural light penetration.

• Apartments are flanked by gardens and planters to enable outlook across garden spaces.
  Balconies offer innovation through the provision of “filtered” spaces enabling controlled access to ventilation through operability.
• Apartment environments are controlled through deep facades utilising solar and privacy screening to enhance performance.
• Environmental wind is managed through passive design strategies allowing for habitable open spaces at the ground plane.
• Generous outdoor communal recreation spaces are provided at both lower and upper levels of the building encouraging community and social interaction.

The project is being developed by Brisbane-based company Maple Development Group, which has had several projects across SEQ since 2015. Construction of the development is expected to commence in 2021 pending DA approval next year. The development team for this project is Maple Development Group, Rothelowman, Urbis and Lat27.

The development application for this project, available to view on Brisbane City Council’s Planning & Development Online is A005342496.