Premier global construction company Multiplex is set to deliver the second and final stage of Far East Consortium’s $2 billion West Side Place.
West Side Place is Melbourne’s most significant inner-city mixed-use development, including one of Australia’s tallest residential towers.
West Side Place is located at 651-669 Lonsdale Street, once occupied by the headquarters of the Victorian newspaper The Age. The development spans an entire city block, bound by Spencer Street, Lonsdale Street and Little Lonsdale Street.
Designed by acclaimed architect Cottee Parker, West Side Place comprises a quartet of high-rise towers and 2,895 deluxe residential apartments. Residents have panoramic, 360-degree views of Melbourne’s cityscape, including Docklands and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Luxury Lodgings Ready for Travel and Migration Boom
The newly-completed build has also provided the city with stunning new high-end accommodation, with Melbourne CBD’s first-ever Ritz-Carlton Hotel delivering 257 luxury 5-star hotel rooms within Tower 1. The accommodation offering extends even further with the 317-room, 4-star Dorsett Hotel, located in Tower 3. The arrival of the two global hotel brands is expected to boost tourism to Australia’s fastest-growing city, drawing intrigue from travellers and Melburnians alike.
Australia is on track for net migration of more than 300,000 people, bringing migration back to pre-COVID levels and exceeding Treasury forecasts. According to research published by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, expenditure on international tourism is expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2024, increasing to $48.8 billion by 2027. Similarly, domestic travellers are spending more per day and overnight trips than before the pandemic, with domestic overnight travel expenditure expected to reach $137.9 billion by 2027 and day trip expenditure expected to hit $41.1 billion.
“We are proud to have delivered the landmark that is West Side Place, one of Melbourne’s most significant developments in a decade and arguably one of the most complex,” said Ross Snowball, VIC Regional Managing Director of Multiplex. “This project delivers a luxury living experience befitting of a global city, catering to visitors and residents, and no doubt deserves its place in the Melbourne skyline.”
West Side Place Breathes New Life into the Western CBD
Stage Two of West Side Place comprised two super-high-rise towers, with Tower 4 spanning 70 and Tower 3 at 68 levels. Together, the two skyscrapers stretch an impressive 240 metres above street level, alongside the 82-level Tower 1 and 64-level Tower 2, delivered during Stage One of the development.
West Side Place’s covetable location sits within walking distance from public transport hotspots such as Southern Cross Station, surrounded by tram stops for seamless access to surrounding suburbs. Leisure hotspots such as Marvel Stadium, Flagstaff Gardens, Bourke Street Mall and the Southbank arts precinct are all within walking distance, providing tourists and residents with unhindered access to all of Melbourne’s inner city offers.
The new development has also revitalised the western end of Melbourne’s CBD with a network of public gardens and leisure spaces. Staying true to Melbourne’s distinct network of laneways and alleys, West Side Place’s city block is now home to Central Laneway, an exciting new shopping and dining destination which provides a pedestrian connection between Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale Streets, all while delivering over 30 new spaces for retail and hospitality.
“This project will undoubtedly be the catalyst for similar developments. West Side Place has already enlivened the western CBD, delivering world-class accommodation and a new retail destination that maintains Melbourne’s trademark laneway culture,” said Mr Snowball. “West Side Place will be an all-inclusive destination, giving guests and Melbourne residents a hotspot to work, live and play all in one location.”
Landmark Luxury Delivered Despite Construction Challenges
Multiplex delivered Stage Two of West Side Place ahead of schedule, despite the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions and disruptions to the global supply chain. Multiplex was also contracted to complete Stage One of the development – to the value of $20 million – after the previous contractor went into administration.
According to Multiplex, construction works on West Side Place spanned four years and generated 3,847 jobs over this period, with 815 workers onsite at critical stages of development.
“Our delivery of this project is a testament to the proactivity of our Multiplex team and contracting partners. This project has already delivered tangible economic benefits for Melbourne’s local construction industry, not to mention the future revenue West Side Place will generate for Melbourne’s economy through tourism and leisure,” said Mr Snowball.
Aside from navigating the shifting nature of COVID-19 protocols and material delays from overseas suppliers, implementing the development’s sculptural podium façade presented another challenging feat.
Cottee Parker has created a distinctive design for West Side Place’s podium comprising 33 individual façade types. Each type integrates varying materials, such as glass and bluestone, which twist, protrude and rake at the curtain wall tower. The finished product is an architectural feat which delivers a fascinating complexity to the urban fabric of Melbourne’s western CBD.
Covetable, Amenable, Sustainable
Other signature design elements of West Side Place include two podium levels of residential amenities, including lounge spaces, dining rooms, and a conference room. The project has also delivered outstanding leisure facilities for residents and hotel guests, including a gym, lap pools, plunge pools and spas, alongside a sauna and steam room.
Residents are provided with various unbeatable entertainment, including a golf simulator, indoor and outdoor cinemas, a cellar and wine-tasting rooms, game rooms and a karaoke room.
Aside from its lush green spaces and abundance of natural light, West Side Place also boasts a range of sustainable features which has seen the development awarded with a 5-star Green Star Rating.
Global developer Multiplex is renowned for delivering some of Melbourne’s most complex and iconic CBD developments. In recent years, these have included the ‘wave-like’ Premier Tower and the 100-storey Australia 108.
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