Zaha Hadid Architects Reveal Residential Tower in Melbourne Inspired by Australia’s Natural Forms

Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed the design of the Mayfair Residential Tower, a new 19-story residential complex in Melbourne, Australia that draws inspiration from the fluid forms of the country’s landscapes and seascapes. Located on the major mixed-use artery of St Kilda Road, the project will provide each unit with a large balcony and views of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Port Phillip Bay, Albert Park and the city skyline.

The building facade is made up of ZHA’s signature fluid elements, this time manifesting as a system of simple wave formations that open and become larger as the building rises. To achieve a wide variability in the system, the team has utilized computer algorithms that adapt to the range of apartment layouts (158 residences of between one to five bedrooms, ranging in size from 70 square meters to 556 square meters) and the irregular site shape.

“Building on ZHA’s expertise in delivering complex architectural geometries, computational parametric design allowed an optimizing algorithm to identify shape similarities within the façade to a tolerable degree, minimizing the number of different façade panels required,” the architects explain. “This process enabled the creation of the building’s sculpted façade that would have otherwise been cost prohibitive.”

Inside, custom finishes and built-in pieces carry that same fluid language, pulling residents and visitors through the units in a “sequence of spatial experiences that maximize the iconic views across the city.”

The building also features a number of shared amenities such as the rooftop terrace and swimming pool that allow for entertaining and relaxation. On the street level, the building inserts itself into the existing city fabric with double height spaces including a restaurant/cafe with open-air seating.

Estimated to cost $330 million AUD, the project is expected to be completed by 2020.

Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Location: St Kilda Rd, Victoria, Australia
Design: Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher (ZHA)
Zha Project Director: Michele Pasca di Magliano
Zha Project Architects: Stefano Paiocchi (Arch.), Daniel Fiser (ID)
Zha Project Team: Marina Martinez, Luca Ruggeri, Anat Stern, Roberta Sartori, Sam Mcheileh, Alejandro Diaz, Nhan Vo, Michael Sims, Maria Echeverri, Raquel Arauco Ordas, Kate Revyakina, Michael Rogers, Flavia Santos, Daniel Coley, Natasha Gill, Ashwanth Govindaraji, Arian Hakimi Nejad, Jose Castaneda, Afsoon Eshaghi, Alessandra Catello, Millie Anderson, Arya Safavi, Hee Seung Lee, Johannes Elias, Juan Camilo Mogollon, Julia Hyoun Hee Na, Manuele Gaioni
Zha Competition Team: Gianluca Racana, Michele Pasca di Magliano, Ludovico Lombardi, Daniel Fiser, Luca Ruggeri, Julia Hyoun Hee Na, Hee Seung Lee, Nhan Vo, Sobitha Ravinchandran, Adam Twigger, Rafael Contreras, Annarita Papeschi, MohammadAli Mirzaei, Kostantinos Psomas
Local Architect: Elenberg Fraser
Structural & Civil Engineering: Webber Design
Building Services Engineering: Murchie Consulting
Town Planner: SJB
Quantity Surveyor: WT Partnership
Facade Consultant: BG and E
Wind Engineering: MEL Consultants
Traffic Engineer: Traffix
Building Surveyor: PLP Building Surveyors and Consultants
Fire Engineer: Umow Lai
Lighting: NDYLIGHT
Engineering Services: Inhabit Group
Geotech: Golders
Waste Management: Leigh Design
Acoustic: Vipac
Land Surveyor: Bosco Jonson
Visualizations: VA, Mr P Studios, www.mir.no
Client: UEM Sunrise
Area: 33600.0 m2