QV1 Residential Tower
This atypical residential tower is the sum of three asymmetrical floor plates.
Unlike the conventional repetition of rectangular floors, this 44–storey tower reformats irregularly shaped floor plates to result in a unique fraying of facades at each end.
It comprises 458 one, two and three bedroom apartments over retail tenancies in Grocon’s redevelopment of the former Queen Victoria Hospital site – a reinvention of an entire city block.
The east and west ends of the tower create a sculptural presence as the apartments are stacked like individual houses. The tower is divided into east and west, each with a distinct lobby area.
In the two entry lobbies, muted raw concrete with dark or light plywood fins are counterbalanced by brilliantly lit walls saturated with colour. With matching coloured glass, the lobbies are easily identifiable and create a memorable entry experience for residents and visitors.
A pool and gymnasium at the roof level has spectacular views over the city’s northern suburbs to the vista beyond.
- Traditional Custodians Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people
- Collaborators Wardle in joint venture with NH Architecture
- Location Melbourne, Victoria
- Floor Levels 44 floors, 458 Apartments
- Project Duration 2000 – 2005
This is not a nostalgic repackaging of a lost urban history, but a thoughtful and optimistic experiment in contemporary urbanism.
Donald Bates