UNStudio x Cox Architecture announced as winners of $2b Southbank by Beulah tower
Published
“The concept [of Green Spine] is about ‘how can this be an opportunity for Southbank?’ We looked at how Southbank is developing with huge density and we tried to break through that and create more openness,” shares Caroline Bos of UNStudio on the design of the winning tower for the $2b Southbank by Beulah development.
The winning design for a new tower in Melbourne’s Southbank has been revealed. Dutch architecture practice UNStudio, together with local practice Cox Architecture have designed the winning project titled Green Spine.
The design features two towers that twist and turn, expertly creating desirable views for a complex combination of mixed-use requirements. When commenting on the design, UNStudio co-founder Caroline Bos shares, “We tried to break through the density of the area and create different viewpoints, both towards the city but also the city looking back at the building. We have tried to create a very healthy building. Health and well-being are big themes for us. So that’s what we would like to achieve, more than anything else. And we think that’s the most important thing for this location.”
What impressed the judges about Green Spine is the strong collaborative, multidisciplined approach taken. By bringing a considered team of experts together, the project is set to add a context-driven landmark to Melbourne’s skyline.
“At the macro scale, the two-tower silhouettes with twisting forms provide a new, site responsive and elegant visual beacon in the precinct.
“In its details, the scheme displays a strong intent for well-considered public and private amenity, and at street level, the proposal displays qualities that will truly transform the public realm by eroding the hard edges that is prevalent in Southbank,” says Adelene Teh, executive director, Beulah International.
Green Spine connects pedestrians at street level through a series of stairs and terraces, inviting the public to engage with the building while extending up vertically.
The ground-breaking development by Beulah International brought together six international architecture teams, each paired with a local practice for an unconventional competition. The six-month-long global search culminates in today’s winning announcement.
See all six of the proposals for Southbank by Beulah here, and read our interview with Caroline Bos of UNStudio here.
–
Keep your finger on the design pulse, sign up for our newsletter.
Related Articles
News
Powerhouse Parramatta prepares to open its doors
From Es Devlin and aerospace innovation to First Nations-led stories of Water Country, Powerhouse Parramatta has unveiled the five exhibitions that will launch the new museum this November.
Events
Indesign x Wilkhahn: Melbourne, where are you working?
Our latest collaboration saw a range of designers come together at Wilkhahn’s Melbourne showroom for a discussion on the workplace dynamics specific to the Victorian capital.
Events
“A journey into a whole new material world”: Plant Life at the NGV
Curator Ewan McEoin tells us about the NGV’s new exhibition on plant-based materials as alternatives to plastics, synthetic materials and other non-renewable resources.
Ideas
Beyond the panel: What makes a design event worth attending?
Ahead of Saturday Indesign, architects reflect on why smaller gatherings, unexpected voices, candid discussion and meaningful follow-up can make meeting in person genuinely worthwhile.