Each of the six designs propose a luxury hotel and renewal of the major $2 billion plus Southbank site, creating a lifestyle precinct of international standard in an overhaul of the area as Melburnians currently know it.

Melbourne property specialists Beulah International purchased the prominent 6,061sqm BMW Southbank site late last year in a deal valued at more than $100 million.

The site will be centred around innovation in architecture and design, public amenity and technology and could potentially be Victoria’s largest single phase project.

“Our overarching vision is to turn the BMW site into a landmark lifestyle destination that will be recognised around the world and that contributes to the surrounding community by lifting the urban fabric to a new level,” said Adelene Teh, Beulah International Executive Director.

The decision makers for the winning design comprise of seven highly regarded individuals, including Jill Garner, Victorian Government Architect and Jury Chair, renowned architectural photographer John Gollings, Prof Thomas Kvan, former Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Melbourne and Director of Australian Urban Research Information Network, Cameron Bruhn, the Editorial Director of Architecture Media along with Adelene Teh and Jiaheng Chan from Beulah International.

The winning design will be announced this month.

MAD Architects X Elenberg Fraser

Urban Tree

With 43 dedicated residential floors and 24 floors of hotel, the most unique feature of Urban Tree is The Cloud, situated 317m high in the sky. Offering 360 degree views of Melbourne, The Cloud will house the hotel’s public amenities and will change appearance as the day transitions to night, with LED lighting creating an illuminated spectacle.

Reaching 360m high, Urban Tree will include a 1,200 person capacity auditorium space, an 800 person capacity tiered seating concert hall, a library, cinema, food hall, organic supermarket, commercial office space and a childcare facility with outdoor terraces.

UNStudio X Cox Architecture

Green Spine

The hotel and office tower will reach 252.20m high. Green Spine will include residential, office, hotel, entertainment facility, BMW Experience Centre, Childcare Facility, School, Retail and Food Precinct complete with a food hall, cinema, library and interactive spaces.

Green Spine will comprise of two towers both with twisting geometry of glass façade and terracing. Conceived as a conceptual extension of the Southbank Boulevard, the Green Spine will provide a pedestrian connection at street level through a series of stairs and stepped terraces, leading visitors up along the retail and entertainment precinct to The Garden.

From thereon, the spine twists into a series of outdoor spaces and green devices along the façades of the two towers, culminating at the top of the residential tower as the Future Garden. The residential tower will reach 356.20m high, crowned by the Future Botanic Garden, a publicly accessible garden in the sky.

Bjarke Ingels Group X Fender Katsalidis Architects

The Lanescraper

Reaching 359.6m tall, The Lanescaper will include retail and culture amenities, including a library and both informal food areas and formal restaurants, as well as office, hotel and serviced apartments and residential.

The Lanescraper is proposing a two-tiered concentric auditorium that will seat in excess of 3,000 patrons and a BMW experience centre that occupies four levels, connected by a central void and car lift around which a spiral stair meets all levels.

Coop Himmelb(l)au X Architectus

The Beulah Propeller City 

Reaching 335m in height, The Beulah Propeller City will feature 18 floors of mixed use retail and public space including cultural functions, childcare, entertainment and exhibition, cinema, recording studios, food hall and beauty and wellness.

Office space will take up a total of 16 floors, with the hotel accounting for 15 floors. The hotel terrace will provide a winter-garden escape, like a sky-high conservatory, complete with a pool, tropical rainforest character and seating.

The most prominent part of the structure is the residential, accounting for 46 floors, with residential rooms featuring a minimum of 2.7m high ceilings with floor to ceiling glass. Residences will be separated into mid-rise, high-rise, sky homes, penthouses and the propeller penthouses.

The propeller penthouse will feature a private secluded landscape and a pool.

MVRDV X Woods Bagot

Stack

Reaching 359m high, Stack features a hotel pool in the centre of the building, complete with an underwater city window, surrounded by an amphitheatre of terraces and stairs.

On top of the hotel is The Tropical Garden; a rainforest garden high above the city and within the forest understory, a childcare centre is created. Paths and recreation spaces enable a variety of activities typically impossible in high-rise structure, including being able to walk your dog, or go for a jog. A suspended ‘forest track’ open stair offers a sublime climb through the treetops and surrounding skyscraper rooftops.

OMA X Conrad Gargett

The base of the proposed design is a 24/7 mixed-use vertical city in which many cultural, commercial, educational and social elements are bound by retail, food and beverage. 

Situated above the vertical city are commercial office spaces, hotel and residences, with supporting amenities at the top of the tower. The residential part of the tower is situated at the top to capitalise on views and daylight.

See also:

Marriott and Capital Alliance partnership to open new AC Hotel Melbourne Southbank

Largest Quest Apartment Hotel in Australia to open in NewQuay Docklands Melbourne

The Mitchelton Hotel joins MGallery by Sofitel network AccorHotels