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A’Beckett tower0710

ProJect tYPe Multi-RESiDENtiAl, iNtERioRS

ProJect ADDreSS10-37 A’BECKEtt StREEtMElBouRNE, viCtoRiA AuStRAliA

AwArDS AuStRAliAN iNStitutE of ARChitECtS’ AwARDS – BESt ovEREND AwARD (RESiDENtiAl MultiplE) 2011AuStRAliAN iNStitutE of ARChitECtS’ AwARDS – ColoRBoND AwARD 2011ASiA pACifiC pRopERty AwARDS – MultiplE RESiDENCE 2011Dulux ColouR AwARDS – GRAND pRix 2011Dulux ColouR AwARDS – RESiDENtiAl ExtERioR 2011

ProJect teAMclient: pAN uRBANcouncil: MElBouRNE City CouNCil elenBerG FrASer: CAlluM fRASER, vAlERiE tAN, ANDRE pERREt, liSA JENNiNGS, JAMES whEttER, liNDA vAlENtiC,fRANK olBRiCh, KAREN KESCKES, ADAM KiNG, KAthRiN whEiBProJect MAnAGer: pDS GRoup AuStRAliA contrActor: iCoN CoNStRuCtioN AuStRAliA pty ltDtown PlAnner: CoNtouR CoNSultANtS AuStRAliA pty ltDBuilDinG SurveYor: GARDNER GRoup pty ltDlAnD SurveYor: REEDS CoNSultiNG pty ltDQuAntitY SurveYor: SlAttERy AuStRAliA pty ltDStructurAl enGineer: wEBBER DESiGNServiceS enGineer: MuRChiE CoNSultiNG pty ltDFire enGineer: uMow lAi & ASSoCiAtES pty ltDAcouStic enGineer: ACouStiC loGiC CoNSultANCytrAFFic enGineer: CARDNo GRoGAN RiChARDSenerGY AuDit: MuRChiE CoNSultiNG pty ltD

tiMe – DeSiGn / DocuMentAtion: 24 MoNthStiMe – conStruction: 18 MoNthS

ProJect coSt: AuD $50M

GroSS Floor AreA: 23.500SqM

Sitting on a 900sqm block, A’Beckett Tower is a prototype for high-density residual infill. The transition from podium to tower is treated non-traditionally, with a thin veneer of apartments surrounding the carpark, which is accessed via elevators for cars, liberating the street front from ramps.

Step inside A’Beckett and into a world inspired by the covert existence of Maxwell Smart and Agent 99. The interiors of A’Beckett Tower’s apartments embrace the anonymity of city life, allowing you to choose your own adventure.

With 347 louvres in 16 different colours, you could be forgiven for thinking Elenberg Fraser was engaging with the local architectural context with their new building for Pan Urban, A’Beckett Tower. Au contraire, they are exploring the sensory effects of colour, rather than symbolic representation, by testing Goethe’s Theory of Colours.

We are interested in how the body reacts and processes the blended and indistinct colour field, rather than what meaning the mind attaches to discrete coloured elements. Ironically, given the sunshades function to block heat from the building, the palette for the louvres was inspired by Australia’s, up until recently drought-stricken, landscape. Even while La Nina (over) nourishes our parched soil, the building is a reminder of our environmental history, and potentially future.

Goethe’s theory asserts that colour is a phenomena that exists at the edge of light and dark – as you walk around A’Beckett, the black map of the sunshades opens up to the colour field, fading into light. This is architecture in the round, experienced cinematically as you view it from different angles. At the same time the building can be read as a whole, the detailing of the sunshades re-scale it down to industrial design; the city is about what things are and how they’re made. At times the sunshades appear to be falling off the building, they form a nap and grain from both the interior and exterior.

A’Beckett Tower’s carpark is covered with a perforated screen, featuring a design by John Warwicker of tomato. The imagery playfully links into the university environs possibly referencing the relationships which characterised French intellectual institutions throughout the 1960s. This artpiece acknowledges A’Beckett’s immersion in the education community given its proximity to RMIT and transmits the idea of the university back to the university itself.

From the moment you enter the lobby, and your eyes register the art by Daniel Crooks and John Warwicker, you realise this is not your typical inner-city apartment complex.

Compared to the building’s exterior, the apartments black and white palette is devoid of colour – but is everything as it seems? Like the life of the spy, you should always expect the unexpected, and these apartments, where drawers open to reveal splashes of candy red and hands poke out from the wall ready to hold your coat, are definitely unexpected.

Operable sliding walls give you options to customise your space – close them to keep the bedrooms and living areas distinct, or keep them open to increase the living area with one master bedroom. Opaque glass and mirrors retain privacy while playing on shadow and light. The apartments also feature balconies, the perfect spot for your telescope, we’re thinking J.G. Ballard’s 60 Minute Zoom.

From inside or out, A’Beckett Tower is cinematic architecture, giving you the chance to star in your own production.

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MAteriAlS, FiniSHeS, ProDuctS

BuilDinG SPeciFicAtion DetAilS: BuilDinG FrAMe AnD FABricFloorS: REiNfoRCED CoNCREtEeXternAl wAllS: pRECASt CoNCREtE / RENDERED MASoNRy AND / oR ClADDiNG ovER DiviDinG wAllS: pRECASt wAllS with plAStERBoARD liNiNG, ACouStiCAlly tREAtED BEtwEEN ApARtMENtSinternAl wAllS: StuD fRAMED plAStERBoARD wAllSrooF: REiNfoRCED CoNCREtE with wAtERpRoof MEMBRANEwinDowS / GlAZinG: hiGh pERfoRMANCE DouBlE GlAziNG to All wiNDowS – SAtiN BlACK fRAME. full hEiGht Bi-pARtiNG SliDiNG DooRS to tERRACES eXternAl BAluStrADe: ClEAR GlASS iN BlACK AluMiNiuM fRAME eXternAl SunSHADeS: powDERCoAtED AluMiNiuM ClADDiNG ovER AluMiNiuM fRAME. BlACK to outSiDE fACE, ColouR to iNSiDE fACEBAlconieS / terrAceS: fully DRAiNED with CERAMiC tilES cArPArk: REiNfoRCED CoNCREtE StRuCtuRE with ClEAR SEAl fiNiShtwo CARliftS SERviCiNG SEvEN CARpARK lEvElS

enviroMentAllY SuStAinABle DeSiGn: SoliD EASt & wESt fACADES BloCKiNG low lEvEl SuMMER SuN. opERABlE wiNDowS to Allow NAtuRAl vENtilAtioN. hiGh pERfoRMANCE DouBlE GlAziNG to All ApARtMENt wiNDowS. pASSivE SolAR CoNtRol thRouGh DEEp SEt GlAziNG CoMBiNED with ExtERNAl SuN SCREENiNG CyCliSt fACilitiES. ApARtMENtS GENERAlly AChiEvE AND ENERGy RAtiNG of GREAtER thAN 5 StARS

BuilDinG SPeciFicAtion DetAilS: BuilDinG & APArtMentS ServiceHot wAter Service: CENtRAl GAS fiRED hot wAtER SyStEM to EACh ApARtMENt HeAtinG / coolinG: iNDiviDuAl REvERSE CyClE A/C SyStEM to ApARtMENtS with BAlCoNy CoNDENSERS BAtHrooM AnD lAunDrY eXHAuSt: DuCtED ExhAuSt SyStEM with ExtERNAl DiSChARGE to fACADEkitcHen eXHAuSt: DuCtED SyStEM with ExtERNAl DiSChARGE cookinG FAcilitieS: GAS hot plAtE, ElECtRiC ovEN. DiSh DRAwERSecuritY / AcceSS control: AuDio iNtERCoM with REMotE DooR ACCESS CoNtRol, SECuRity ACCESS to MAiN ENtRy AND liftS, SECuRity ACCESS to CARpARKBuilDinG intercoM: AuDio/viSuAl iNtERCoM, iNtEGRAtED with ACCESS CoNtRol SyStEMFire Protection: SMoKE DEtECtioN AND thERMAl DEtECtoR SyStEM to All lEvEl CoMMoN AREAS. iNDiviDuAl SMoKE DEtECtoRS to EACh ApARtMENt iN ACCoRDANCE with AuthoRity REquiREMENtS liFtS: 2No. SECuRED liftS to All lEvElS televiSion: fACility foR fREE to AiR AND pAy tv to EACh ApARtMENtHiGH SPeeD internet: CABlE CoNNECtioN to EACh ApARtMENt to SERviCE pRoviDERS lAtESt SpECifiCAtioN telePHone: phoNE / DAtA outlEtS to EACh MAStER BEDRooM AND liviNG SpACE

BuilDinG SPeciFicAtion DetAilS: coMMon AreASentrY loBBY: flooR fiNiShES – SElECtED tilES. wAll fiNiShES – ColouRBACK GlASS, plAStERBoARD. CEiliNG fiNiShES – plAStERBoARD. liGhtiNG – SElECtED tRACK liGhtS, RECESSED DowNliGhtS tYPicAl APArtMent loBBY: flooR fiNiShES – vitRifiED CERAMiC tilE wAll fiNiShES – plAStERBoARD. CEiliNG fiNiShES – plAStERBoARD liGhtiNG – liNEAR fluoRESCENt BAttENS AND RECESSED DowNliGhtS

BuilDinG SPeciFicAtion DetAilS: APArtMentSlivinG / DininG: flooR fiNiShES – wool CARpEtCEiliNG AND wAll fiNiShES – plAStERBoARD kitcHen: flooR fiNiShES – CERAMiC tilE. JoiNERy fiNiShES – lAMiNEx fREEStylE BENChtopS, viNyl wRAp CupBoARDS & DRAwERSBAtHrooM: flooR AND wAll fiNiShES – whitE CERAMiC tilE with BlACK GRout. vANity – lAMiNEx fREEStylE BENChtopS, viNyl wRAp CupBoARDS. SEMi-fRAMElESS ShowER SCREENBeDrooMS: flooR fiNiShES – wool CARpEt CEiliNG & wAll fiNiShES – plAStERBoARDterrAceS: tilES

A’Beckett tower

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