Gravity Tower
SECTOR | RESIDENTIAL
STATUS | COMPLETE (2019)
LOCATION | SOUTH MELBOURNE, VIC
HEIGHT | 70m, 29 Storeys
SCALE | GFA: 15,426 sqm, Site 813 sqm, 144 apartments
COST | $35M
Photographer | JAIME DIAZ BERRIO
Awards | 2018 Inde Awards - Multi-Residential Building - Shortlisted
Located on a prominent intersection in South Melbourne, this 29-level apartment building is the first completed project of the significant urban renewal precinct of Fisherman’s Bend offering 144 one and two bedroom apartments with ground floor retail.
The initial design response was informed by the challenging small size of the site. An urban design strategy led by Melbourne’s famous laneways enabled the tower to be built on the southern boundary with zero setback.
Architecturally, Gravity Tower’s design is composed of three elements: podium, spine and lantern. The rhythm and movement of the articulated metal louvres on the podium façade provide a dynamic visual pattern at street level, responding to its intersectional location. Stretching above, Gravity Tower’s spine and lantern converse with the metal arches of Citylink and form a totemic marker at its significant location.
From the outset the project was designed to question what a vernacular apartment building should look like, respond to and feel like. The Gravity Tower is light filled, airy and responsive to its location and climate. The design delivers unmatched amenity, with generous car and bike parking spaces and a rooftop deck that allows all residents uninterrupted views towards the CBD and across Port Philip Bay.
