Melbourne set to get the only Zaha Hadid building in Australia

Pritzker Prize-winning British-Arabic architect Zaha Hadid, who passed away in March 2016, adds a $300m mixed-use tower in Melbourne to her legacy of impressive works that challenge the norm and push boundaries. 

Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne has given the green light to what will be the only building in Australia designed by Hadid.

Located at 582-606 Collins St, the 54-story tower is being developed by local company Landream, with the design set to be a collaboration between Zaha Hadid Architects and Melbourne's Plus Architecture. 

True to Hadid's artistic style, the tower is designed to resemble stacked 'vases' and each vase tapers to be smaller than its base, creating usable areas at each junction. The tower is sure to make an impression on the city and ehance the skyline. 

The project was allowed to exceed the plot ratio in exchange for contributions to the public realm. The design comprises of 420 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and 10,000sqm of commercial and retail space and provides for 6,000sqm of public space.

The public areas includes a ground floor art space, a public plaza to Collins St, a pedestrian link between Collins St and Francis St and a publicly accessible terrace level. 

With sustainability in mind, the tower is designed to use 50 per cent less energy than a conventional mixed-use tower. The facade that envelopes the building contributes to a reduction in the direct solar gain of the building and emissions.

The design also offers parking bays for electric vehicles and shared cars as well as 350 bicycle spaces. The location promotes the use of public transport as it is on tram routes and opposite Spencer Street railway station. 

A high performance glazing system, high efficiency central cooling system and high efficiency lighting and grey-water reuse systems are also proposed to reduce consumption of resources and further lower the emissions.                               

Other upcoming developments in Melbourne, include the Convention and Exhibition Centre upgrade and the $750m two-tower project in the CBD. The addition of the Zaha Hadid building takes Melbourne's upcoming development total to over $2b. 

Source: Plus Architcture, The Fifth State. Image: 582-606 Collins St Design from Plus Archtecture. 

Keep scrolling to see some of of Hadid's most iconic buildings from around the world. Welcome to the Hadid club, Australia!

Above: Riverside Museum ‘Glasgow’s Guggenheim’, Glasgow, UK. Source: The Guardian

Above: Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum, East Lansing, USA. Source: Dezeen Magazine