Local buyers can finally purchase a slice of what is set to be Melbourne’s tallest building, when apartments go on sale for the 319-metre Australia 108 tower next month.
World Class Land, the Singaporean developer behind the “cloud-breaking” Southbank skyscraper, announced on Thursday that hundreds of apartments would hit the market come February 14.
Among its lavish selling points is “the tallest residence in the southern hemisphere”, a 797.4 square-metre penthouse on the 100th and highest floor.
But not all properties in the mega-tower will be available, after sales for the building with an end value of $1 billion began internationally in November.
The special apartment release held in Singapore last year reportedly involved at least 133 of the units on nine floors between levels 11 and 67 snapped up by a mix of Singaporean and foreign buyers.
A public relations agency representing the developer said they could not reveal how many of the 1105 apartments had already been sold. Instead they said there had “been an unprecedented level of interest and the project is getting enormous traction already”.
For Melbourne buyers it will cost at least $500,000 to $950,000 to secure a place at Australia 108.
Apartments above the “starburst” from level 72 will start at $1.6 million, while the cheapest penthouse is likely to fetch a price tag of $11.5 million.
The 100th level fully-customisable “super penthouse” will be one of Melbourne’s most-expensive homes. Its 360-degree view of the world’s most-liveable city will be out of reach for anyone who does not have at least $20 million to $25 million to part with.
The developer claims Australia 108 will boast a number of national firsts including the largest amount of shared recreational space and Australia’s highest swimming pools – infinity pools set against floor-to-ceiling glass.
But architect Karl Fender said his firm Fender Katsalidis never set out to break any records, but “were more interested in doing a terrific building”.
He said one of the key features setting the tower apart from the rest was the fact it was topped by apartments instead of a plant room. “It’s really crowned by residential.”
Mr Fender predicted the city’s future “postcard shot” would become the view of Australia 108 alongside the nearby Eureka Tower, Melbourne’s current tallest building at 297.3 metres.
“That pairing of buildings, even though the forms are different, will make a very visual and powerful built presence, in the same way Eureka had such an incredible influence on Melbourne,” he said
“[It’s a] beautiful statement of confidence about Melbourne.”
The 70 Southbank Boulevard address was purchased a year ago by World Class Land, an subsidiary of Aspial, for $42.3 million after it was sold by a consortium including architect Nonda Katsalidis. Construction is set to commence in mid 2015 and completed in three stages by 2019.
This story first appeared in The Age
