Southbank by Beulah


Southbank by Beulah is a dual skyscraper development proposed for Melbourne developed by Beulah International and designed by architectural firms UNStudio and Cox Architecture. The site currently hosts a BMW dealership. If completed as planned, the development will host the Southern Hemisphere's tallest building.

History

Southbank competition

Beulah International conducted a contest to determine the architect for the project, and dubbed the competition "Southbank by Beulah". All six solicited bids involved two architectural firms, and partnerships included BIG Architects and Fender Katsalidis, MAD Studio and Elenberg Fraser, and Woods Bagot and MVRDV. The collaborative bid by UNStudio and Cox Architecture ultimately secured the commission. The winning design was announced in August 2018.

Project

The structure is part of the larger development on Melbourne's Southbank, estimated to cost AUD$2 billion. The development is planned to begin breaking ground in 2020. Green Spine is composed of two skyscrapers; Tower 1 will comprise 102 storeys and reach a height of 366 metres, surpassing the height of the current tallest building in Australia, Q1, which stands at 322 metres. The second tower will comprise 59 storeys and reach a height of 251 metres; as with Tower 1, the second building will include hotel rooms, residential apartments, and offices. Both skyscrapers will seem to curve in a twist and will have foliage and trees growing on balconies along their exteriors.

Approval

In March 2020, the plan received approval by the City of Melbourne. Planning Minister Richard Wynne approved the project on 23 April 2020; like other developments, Southbank by Beaulah was identified by the Victorian Government as a project needing to be "fast-tracked", amid the impact of COVID–19 to the Victorian economy.