The Asian Executive with David Ng, CEO of Singapore’s World Class Global speaking about Australia 108
David Ng is the CEO of World Class Global, based in Singapore. He has a passion for property development and delivering high quality outcomes for World Class Global and its stakeholders. David has a love for Melbourne and studied at RMIT.
TAE: At what point during the concept stage did you realise your company was going to build Australia’s tallest residential tower? How would you describe the pressure of having to meet public expectations of the prestige of that kind of expectation?
DN: When it came to developing a project in Melbourne – named the world’s most liveable city many times in a row – we felt that our project had to be bold in order to be worthy of its location. Striving to produce the highest residences in the Southern Hemisphere was a goal we set for ourselves from the early days and it is fantastic to see that we have now achieved it, having topped out the tower in recent months.
Striving to achieve such a vision brings with it a sense of pressure and expectation both from within and from the broader community. We are lucky to have fantastic partners such as Fender Katsalidis, Multiplex and Sinclair Brook as well as many others who have guided us along the way – it has been a wonderful collaboration to produce this outcome.
We are incredibly proud of how our experienced project team have risen to the challenge of delivering one of the most luxurious apartment offerings in the world.
TAE: What major lessons, do you think were learnt from this mammoth project in terms of handling the public or project marketing?
DN: When we launched in 2015 the response from the market was exceptionally strong. Australia 108 is truly unique, offering what we call a true cloud-breaking lifestyle high above Melbourne and enhanced by some of the best amenity in the country. Purchasers recognised this proposition and so the sales and marketing campaign was very successful from the outset. We have happy residents living in the building and we continue to attract a lot of interest from purchasers who wish to secure one of Australia 108’s final remaining apartments. In all, what we have learned is that a wonderful product will always attract great interest from the public – locally and internationally.
TAE: How does this project rate or come to be regarded in terms of the Group’s portfolio around the world?
DN: Australia 108 is certainly our most high profile project and we are exceptionally proud of it. It is the tallest building we have developed. It is very humbling to be able to deliver a building that has fast become an icon on the Melbourne skyline.
However, every new project our team at World Class Global embarks on holds a special place in our collective hearts.
We are equally as proud of every project in our global portfolio as they have all been imagined and developed in accordance with our values and our commitment to construction quality championing timeless design principles.
TAE: What is your favourite feature of Australia 108 and why?
DN: My favourite feature of Australia 108 is it’s golden cantilevering ‘Starburst’ which is located on levels 70 and 71 of the tower. This architectural statement pays homage to the Commonwealth Star on the Australian flag and is filled with beautiful hotel-style amenity that includes two infinity pools, a gym, multiple dining areas, library and a sky garden. No building in Australia features the generosity of amenity that is contained in the Starburst – it is quite extraordinary. Installing the Starburst in its position at 210-metres above sea level was a complex operation that required intricate and innovative construction techniques to permanently fix it in position on the building safely and securely. This went off without a hitch and the end result is a truly spectacular and unique design feature which can be admired from inside and out.
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